How best to keep kids and pets safe for Halloween?

We know that Halloween isn't celebrated in every community or by every member, yet we wanted to put out some quick tips to keep children and pets safe in communities that do.

We've excerpted a few tips from Elaine Wilson's Family Matters Blog:

• Each child should carry a flashlight or glow stick.
• Parents should accompany young children or groups of children when trick-or-treating. Walk with friends and stay together.
• Keep children away from candles and flames, especially when in costume. Ensure children know how to stop, drop and roll in case their clothes catch fire.
• While Halloween is a blast for kids, it can be the opposite for pets who can become frightened by costumes or hurt during Halloween pranks.
• Consider keeping your pet in a separate room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.
• Don’t leave your pet outside unattended on Halloween, or on the days preceding or following this holiday. Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious, and black cats are particularly at risk.

For a bunch more tips, see Elaine Wilson's Full Blog post.

Best wishes to you and your community for a safe and happy Halloween! We'll be back to our regular tips tomorrow! If you don't celebrate Halloween, you might want to browse through our tips.