

My first post for safety week is all about: COSTUME SAFETY!
It is very important that you first choose a costume that YOU like.

It's also very important that your two-leggers don't leave you unattended. Do you see ghostly Cali in that picture? She had a very hard time seeing out of those tiny holes! And devilish Phoenix? There were all kinds of strings she could get tangled in as she walked! And superhero me? Well, without mom there to supervise me, I could have flown away!!--- Oh, wait. Mom just said it was only make believe. But you get the idea!
It's also important that our two-leggers make sure we don't seem scared in our festive costumes. Remember the PAWm dress incident?

I was very much brave! If you look behind me, mom KNEW my sisters would be a little nervous in such an elaborate princess dress. And rightly so! I was
TRAPPED in it!! Mom had to very careful ease me out of the dress bit by bit! It was as if I was sewn into it like Marilyn Monroe! A less brave, trusting pup might have been too nervous for such a precise maneuver and got herself even more trapped! Maybe the moral of this story is less about our two-leggers making sure we're not skeered in our costumes and more about getting us the right size. BOL!
Please remember these notes from the ASPCA:
- Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress.
- If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, be sure to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.
- Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
Tune in tomorrow for tips on trick-or-treating and on Thursday for tips on what to expect if you decide to stay home and hand out the treats instead! (And I have a super special post on Friendly Friday... my bestest boy Sarge sent me a PAWSOME pressie!)
Don't forget to check out the other Safety Week events!
Clerk Mona has a slideshow up on 10-1-11 & poison plant safety on 10-2-11!
Road Dogs have transport options on 9-14-11(limos), 9-22-11 (buses) and 10-1-11 (cats)!