Halloween Is for Families, Not for Dogs: Keep Orlando Pets Inside, Away From Candy, Tonight
A doorbell that rings all evening, bowls of candy within reach and costumes that can overheat a dog in 84-degree weather — tonight is a night for Orlando pets to stay inside, in a quiet room, with the treats out of reach.
For Orlando's dogs, Halloween is the loudest night of the year: a doorbell or a knock every few minutes, strangers in costumes at the door, and candy bowls sitting exactly at nose height. The Florida Halloween safety guides read by the desk this cycle give pet owners the same first instruction the guides give homeowners generally: keep pets secured away from visitors, in a separate room, before the first trick-or-treater arrives.
The candy itself is the second hazard. The Suncoast Post's Halloween safety guide notes that bags full of candy can present risks for pets as well as children, and the standard advice in this year's guides is to examine the haul before anyone — two-legged or four — eats from it, and to store it where animals cannot reach it. A dog that gets into a trick-or-treat bag should be seen by a veterinarian promptly rather than watched at home.
Tonight's weather adds a third point. The station's live feed puts today's high at 84.4 degrees, and the pet guidance in the Florida guides is to bring water for anything outdoors in costume and to keep heavy costumes brief in the heat. The simplest plan is also the kindest: pets stay home tonight, in a quiet room with water, while the family works the sidewalk — and the dog park can have its Halloween tomorrow morning instead.
