The Compound Dogs offer a Public Service Message

The Compound Dogs are here to wish you a very happy and safe Halloween and to remind you of a few things they learned from the Humane Society about the holiday.

Sugar, wearing her Boo! Ghost! collar scrunchie, reminds you to keep pets safely inside, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities to ensure they don’t become frightened or feel threatened at the sight of noisy costumed children.

She also reminds you that cats, especially black ones, may be the target of pranksters. To ensure their safety, most shelters will not adopt out black cats between Oct. 30 – Nov. 1. Black cat owners are advised to keep their cats safely indoors during the Halloween season.

Guinness, wearing her Great Pumpkin and Witches collar scrunchie, warns that frequently opened doors provide a perfect opportunity for escape, which can go unnoticed during all the commotion. Consider keeping your cat in a separate room with the door closed. For dogs, preventing access to the door can be as simple as keeping them attached to a leash, placing them in their crates or confining to another room using baby-gates. Be sure all pets wear collars with ID tags in case of accidental escape. Of course, microchipping your pet is the best way to ensure your pet’s return should he escape.

Margot, wearing her Candy Corn and Ghost collar scrunchie, regrets having to admit that you should keep candy out of your pet’s reach. Candy can be harmful to pets and chocolate is toxic to cats, dogs, and ferrets.

Also, keep pets away from decorations. Flames in jack-o-lanterns and candles can quickly singe, burn or set fire to a pet’s fur. Pets can become tangled in hanging decorations like streamers and can choke on some decorations if they chew on them.

Rexford G. Lambert, wearing his Boo! Ghost! collar scrunchie that matches Sugar’s, cautions you that unless your furry friends are veteran models like Dogrl’s Sophie and Phoebe, you should resist the urge to put them in costume. Most pets dislike the confinement of costumes and masks. As The Compound Dogs demonstrate, a printed bandana or fun collar can be just as cute and often more comfortable for your pet.

Rexford also thinks it’s a bad idea to take the family dog along for trick-or-treating. Dogs may become difficult to handle during the noise and confusion of the festivities. A lost dog or a dog bite will quickly end everyone’s Halloween fun.

A little thought and planning and some precautions will enable your animal companions to have a great, safe Halloween.

24 thoughts on “The Compound Dogs offer a Public Service Message”

  1. Rutlie is curled on the couch in his blanket (shssh don’t tell Bob), and we are watching Bravo’s 100 scariest movies. I would never take him out trick or treating, nor would I allow him outside without me tonight. I appreciate all the dogs at The Compound watching out for others.

    1. I’m sure Rutlie will have a great Halloween and joins The Compound Dogs in worrying about the safety of others, because that’s how rescue dogs roll. =)

    1. no one ran off with one of the Brady Boys

      I do seem to be missing a dog, though. I wonder where he got to? Maybe he ran off with a boy who isn’t a Brady. Hmmmmm…. =)

    1. Thank you, kind sir. =) And you know what? It IS a happy Halloween, which is why I’m sitting here with a huge smile on my face right now.

  2. Oskar says, “I’m not afraid of any Halloweenies. I’ll just snuggle next to Robbie on the sofa and try to think him into giving me a wee treat of tuna.”
    Happy tricks and treats!

    1. She does look fierce, doesn’t she? She was being pretty adorable and sitting like a very good dog to show me how serious she could look if she wanted to. Unlike some other dogs, who were running around like idiots at that moment.

      (Though I must say, as soon as the squirrel showed up, Sugar was through with me.)

    1. we only had eight trick-or-treaters, and when they came, Sugar was back at Tim’s so she never knew about them. However, speaking of treats, I got Sugar hooked on some we got from the raw food store. You may have to get Tom to pick up a bag for you (it’s close to where he works).

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