For Pet's Sake Column

Today is Halloween and you know what that means – it’s time to troll for treats and dress up our four-legged friends in cute costumes (and you thought that ghoulish get-ups were just for kids!). More than 3.5 million American will purchase Halloween products and costumes for the pets this year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). That’s up from 2.5 million just two years ago.

If the idea of adorning your animal in outrageous outfits gives you the heeby jeebies, consider what Bob Vetere, President of the APPMA, has to say about this time-honored tradition: “Some may think that including pets in Halloween is frivolous, but if your pet is enjoying the extra attention and you are enjoying the fun of sharing it with your pet, it seems like a great idea.”

OK Bob, you convinced me. I’ll carve out a little time today to go shopping for treats and a costume for my doggie friend, Guinness. To help us animal lovers sniff out a doggone great costume for our dog or the purr-fect outfit for our cat, www.classbrain.com has come up with a list of the “Top 10 Costumes for Your Pet.” I liked the fact that many of the costumes for sale this year feature glow-in-the-dark fabric strips – a must-have safety feature for dogs and their people who are planning to stroll after dusk.

Here are the costume winners in order of popularity (drum roll please…..):

1. Frank the Bob – Inspired by the hit movie, “Men in Black II.” Black jacket and tie over a button-down white shirt. Appropriate for the conservative dog.

2. Darth Vadar – For the pet with a dark side.

3. Superman – Good costume for the dog who can scale tall fences in a single bound.

4. Snow White – Bring out the inner princess in your dog.

5. Dogula – Dogs can really sink their teeth into this one.

6. Spiderman – Now your pet doesn’t have to settle for chasing spiders, he can actually be one.

7. Zorro – For the pet who likes to leave his mark wherever he goes.

8. Raggedy Ann – Aw, too cute!

9. Wonder woman – For your wonder-ful dog.

10. Prisoner dog – Even dogs look fat in stripes.

Speaking of fat: Halloween is a time to binge on Baby Ruth bars and bags of peanut M&M’s – or is that just me?! I’ll quickly recover from my gargantuan intake of goodies, albeit a couple of pounds heavier, but the same can’t be said for our dogs. Studies have shown that chocolate is toxic to dogs and cellophane candy wrappers are downright dangerous if swallowed. Be sure to keep all candy out of reach of confection-loving canines. And, beware of other Halloween dangers such jack-o-lanterns with lit candles, pets escaping the house when the front door is open to welcome trick-or-treaters, and pranksters who may try and harm black cats.

So there you have some tricks to ensure a fun and safe holiday with your little divas and devils.

Happy Howl-o-ween!

By the time you read this column, Karen will be on a sugar high that will likely last well into Wednesday. She’ll have plenty of energy to answer your email, so send her a message at karenleestevens@cox.net.