Guidelines For Keeping Your Little Ones And Your Pets Safe & Happy This Holloween

Dunmore, Wv – Halloween is such an exciting holiday for kids and adults alike. Here are some safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association to keep your little “Pumpkin” safe this Holloween.

When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long trailing fabric. If you are making your own costume, choose material that won’t easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out. Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.

If you choose to use candle decorations, make sure to keep them well attended at all times. Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)

Children should always go trick-or-treating with a responsible adult. And remind children to stay together as a group and walk from house to house. Review how to cross a street with your child. Remember to tell them to look left, right and left again to be sure no cars are approaching before crossing the street.

And make a rule that children will not eat any treat until it has been brought home and examined by a grown-up.

The Humane Society of the United States offeres these tips to keep your pets safe and happy on Holloween. Keep your pets safely indoors, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities. Make sure that all of your pets are wearing tags with current Identification. Opening the door repeatedly for trick-or-treaters creates plenty of escape opportunities.

Keep candy out of your pets’ reach. Chocolate and other ingredients can be toxic Most pets are happiest wearing nothing but their birthday suit, but if you do choose a costume for your pet, forgo masks and make sure costumes are comfortable and do not pose a risk of injury.

Use fake cobwebs sparingly, if at all. Pets can choke on fake cobwebs set up indoors. Outdoors, fake webs may be a hazard to birds and wildlife. And when going out trick-or-treating, leave your dog at home. Dogs can be easily excited by the Halloween commotion and a dog bite or lost dog will quickly put an end to the evening’s fun.

Using these tips and some common sense, you can ensure that your little ones and your pets will have a safe and happy Holloween.