HOMEOWNER'S HALLOWEEN HORRORS?

Not if you follow these Safety Tips

As Halloween creakily creeps around the cob webbed corner, many of our thoughts will be on decorating, pumpkin carving and costume making.

But, before the parade of ghosts and witches comes knocking on your door, here's a helpful list of things that you can do to keep your home and yard safe for all those anxious trick-or-treaters.

Clear your yard of ladders, hoses, leashes, flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires and anything that could cause someone to trip.

Be sure to keep your outdoor steps, porch and walkways well lit.

Use battery powered jack o'lantern candles instead of a real flame.

If you do use candles, keep them away from where trick or treaters will be walking or standing.

Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations can't blow into a flaming candle.

Consider fire safety when decorating. Don't overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects.

Remember to keep exits clear of decorations.

Remind all household drivers to remain cautious and drive slowly through the community.

This is also a great time to install fresh batteries in your home smoke alarms.

Don't Let Your Pets Get Spooked!

Halloween can be a traumatic even dangerous experience for some pets. Here are some sensible tips to protect your pet on Halloween:

Don't leave your pet out in the yard on Halloween. To a menacing prankster, an unguarded pet could be an easy target.

Halloween candy is not for pets. Chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and foil or cellophane wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

Be careful that pets can't knock over a lit pumpkin. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

Don't dress your pet in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal.

If you do dress your pet, make sure the costume isn't constricting, annoying or unsafe. Be careful not to obstruct her vision!

All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trickortreating hours too many strangers in unusual costumes can be scary for a dog.

Be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through the open door.

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