SPCA Treats Pet Owners to Tricks for Keeping Pets Safe This Halloween
October 24, 2025
By: Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca
WITH A FEW EXTRA PRECAUTIONS, PETS CAN HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN TOO!
Halloween is meant to be fun for children of all ages, but according to the SPCA Serving Erie County, pets often experience the dark side of Halloween fun. With extra precautions, seasonal problems can often be avoided:
HUNGRY PETS: CHOCOLATE CAN BE FATAL TO YOUR PET! Please share this tip with children, who may be tempted to share their Halloween take with their best four-footed friends! The sweet smell of Halloween chocolate and other candy left by a door pleases pets, as do cookies and cakes served at Halloween parties. Sweets can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain or worse. Purchase Halloween treats made specifically for pets and keep the “people” treats away from where pets can reach them.
PETS AS VICTIMS: Halloween is traditionally known for trick-or-treaters…and pranksters. KEEP ALL PETS INSIDE on Halloween night, and the nights immediately preceding and following October 31. This will prevent them from being stolen, teased, kicked, blinded by flashlights or abused in other ways.
NERVOUS/TERRITORIAL PETS: Constant door-knocking or doorbell-ringing may cause an extremely nervous pet to shake or tremble uncontrollably, or have an “accident” in the house. Territorial pets may become aggressive at the sound of unfamiliar visitors. Keep nervous or territorial pets distracted in another room with the door closed.
CURIOUS PETS: Keep pets away from costume-making areas, where sequins or buttons can be swallowed. Scissors used for cutting patterns, or knives used for carving jack o’lanterns, can harm your pet. Also remember to keep pets away from a candle-illuminated jack o’lantern. Halloween has become a popular season for decorations as well. Keep decorations out of your pet’s reach, or securely attached in place to prevent your pet from pulling the decorations down. Swallowing a decorative object may cause intestinal problems and present a potential emergency.
KEEP CURRENT ID ON PETS: Exuberant or nervous pets may bolt out doors opened for trick-or-treat candy handouts. Ensure they are wearing proper identification (even if they are microchipped) in case they become lost. Collars are available for purchase at the Petique, located at the SPCA’s 300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca site, and other pet supply shops. If you lose or find a pet, visit the SPCA’s Lost & Found page for tips on what to do next.
Contact the SPCA Serving Erie County with any questions or concerns: (716) 875-7360.
It is alleged that on or about Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the victim’s Yorkshire terrier, “Benji,” went missing from her residence in Niagara County. Later the same day, the victim allegedly received a phone call from a veterinarian’s office in the City of Tonawanda, notifying her that “Benji” had been found by another individual who brought the dog into their office to be scanned for a microchip. The victim allegedly received a second call, notifying her that “Benji” was no longer at the office after being discharged to the individuals who brought him in.
“With the SPCA’s shift toward accepting animals most at-risk, we’ve noticed an increase in care costs while animals are with us,” says SPCA President/CEO Cait Daly. “These donations from the Beanes help the SPCA provide what is required for ‘rookies’ in need of more extensive care while still allowing adopters the ability to adopt at a fraction of what the animal would have cost otherwise. Our basic adoptions include spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, microchips, testing, deworming, temporary identification for dogs and cats, the pet’s first visit to a veterinarian after adoption, and more. The Beanes help the animals of our community by affording the SPCA the ability to provide a significant amount of vital care to animals more in-need, leading to faster adoptions into loving homes.”
bad day, you win 40 to nothing, lose 40 to nothing, your dogs are fired up to see you when you come in the door, and that’s a cool feeling, the love and nurturing that they bring to the family,” Brandon stated in a 
To thank the members of the armed services this Veterans Day, the SPCA Serving Erie County once again offers 
Military ID or DD214 will need to be presented. If an individual is currently serving outside of New York State, that individual’s spouse can adopt during Vets & Pets if a military spouse identification card is presented. Adopters can apply the Vets & Pets waived adoption fee promotion toward a total of two animals.
Each adoption includes the animals’ general physicals by SPCA Veterinary Services; spay/neuter surgeries; age-appropriate vaccinations; initial deworming; doses of flea control medicine; Feline Leukemia tests; microchips; temporary identification tags; and a certificate for new pets’ physical examinations at the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society’s veterinarian of choice.*
