How to Keep Your Pets Safe This Winter

If its 32 degrees or below, limit time for animals to be outside. Keep pets inside for the bulk of day and if anything at the very least overnight.

Know when winter gear is actually necessary. If your town is known for salting or using de-icer on the streets and sidewalks during winter it might be wise to invest in some doggie booties. However if anything clean your pet's paws with some luke warm warm and apply some paw palm. Jackets and sweaters are cute but should only be use on dog with short coats otherwise it's rather pointless. Most dogs will develop a winter coat before it gets too cold, specifically dogs use to being outdoors for a extended period of time.

Monitor working dogs, puppies and older dogs that are primarily outside for long periods or live in outdoor kennels. Ensure outdoor dogs have access to warmth when its really cold. Be it a daft-less covered sheltered with hay for insulation or inside a heated area.

Ensure outdoor cats have access to a safe, warm shelter. Ensure there is adequate drinking supply for outdoor cats 24/7. Always bank on you car hood or physically check under you car hood to ensure a cat has not decided to use the area to keep warm.

Make sure indoor cats stay indoor. If let outside strictly indoor cats ca get confused, freak out and get lost. Which goes to say always make sure your pet has a identification tag and is micro-chipped.

Prepare your pooch for long hikes. Ensure you have enough fresh water and food for both you and you pet.

Store antifreeze in a secure place and if you have a spill near your vehicle, clean up immediately with absorbent material like cat litter. Antifreeze is poisonous to animals!

Don't feed pets holiday dinner scraps. Some foods are poisonous. Fatty foods can give pets upset stomachs and bones can get stuck in their thoughts or perforate their digestive tract.

Keep decorations out of pet's reach. Poinsettias are toxic and garland, strings and tinsel can cause gastrointestinal obstruction.

Ensure your pet is comfortable around people. Have a quiet place set up away from people for pets with anxiety. Make sure your pet does not boly out the door while guests are going in and out of your house.

Hazards for Pets During the Fall Season

School begins so watch for glue sticks, paint, pencils and crayons that can be toxic to your pets. Ensure these items are stowed in a high shelf/cabinet space where your pets cannot reach.

When changing fluids such as antifreeze in your vehicle, clean up any mess thorughly and ensure vehicle fluids like antifreeze are stowed away from pets and children. Stow in a locked cabinet if need be.

Watch out for wild mushrooms growing from all the fall moisture. Although some are edible, many mushroom varieties can be poisonous to people and pets.

If putting out poisons for pesky critters like rodents and insects ensure your pet cannot get into it nor eat the poisoned animal left behind. Dispose of used traps and dead bugs and rodents immediately in a trash can with a lid.

During holidays ensure pets keep away from candy, cooked bones and fatty foods which can wreak havoc in your pet's stomach and may even have the potential to cause death.

Ensure electrical wires, plastics, sharp objects and glass are kept far away and out of reach of pets and children.

If needed, use flea, tick and heartworm medicine all year round and not just in the Fall.

Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

The following tips will help make sure pets have just as happy a Halloween as everyone else.

•Chocolate and candies can be toxic to pets. Be sure to keep candy out of your pet's reach during and after the festivities.

•Bring all pets indoors before the trick-or-treating begins. Outdoor cats and dogs left in the backyard can fall victim to Halloween pranks.

•Make sure your pet has proper ID tags and is microchipped in case they get separated from you!

•If your pet is wary of strangers or people in costumes, keep your pet away from the front door and trick-or-treaters. Putting your pet in another room during trick-or-treating hours may provide a safe hiding place and reduce your pet's stress level.

•Keep pumpkins with candles, wires, and cords from holiday decorations out of your pet's reach.


•Halloween plants such as pumpkins and corn can give your pet a stomach ache. Although these plants are non-toxic, they can certainly make your pet uncomfortable if ingested.

•Don't force your pets to wear costumes if it is not clear he or she enjoys being dressed up. It can cause undue stress.

•If your pet is going to wear a costume, make sure it doesn't restrict their ability to move, see, breathe, bark, or meow. Equally important, make sure there are no small pieces on the costume that your pet can chew and swallow.


As for trick-or-treaters,  be cautious about approaching animals you or your children don't know--especially during Halloween.

If anyone comes across an animal that appears to be acting abnormally or if an animal bites a human, be sure to call Animal Control or 911 immediately.

Things You Need to Know About Protecting Your Pet After You Die

1. Pets are tangible property. In most states, pets fall into the same category as your car, furniture and jewelry. While they mean so much more to us than that, the law looks at them as an object. Since the law regards pets as possessions, ownership of them is typically transferred in a will along with the artwork and household furnishings.


2. Choose a caretaker wisely. Most people leave their pets to a child or immediate family member who will happily take care of the pet without additional monies left expressly for that purpose. If you don’t have a close family member to take your pet, consider leaving them to a friend, neighbor or other more distant relative. One of my elderly clients is leaving her pet to her dog walker who has already agreed to take the dog. Other clients, who have no one to take their pets, have left them to the local humane society or pet shelter with a substantial donation.
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4. Follow the money. Some clients will leave an outright gift of a certain dollar amount. The money is intended to be used to care for the pet, but often there is no requirement that the person use the money for the pet. Be aware that second cousin Lester could take your cat Puff and the money, but then drop Puff off at a shelter the next day. You can condition the cash gift to Lester on his keeping Puff, but who is going to police that? And how do you ensure the level of care that Puff receives? A pet trust is the best way to prevent this scenario from happening.



5. Creating a pet trust. Many states allow for pet trusts. You create a trust and on your death transfer ownership of the pet and cash to the trustee. The trustee then has to use the cash to care for the pet. On the animal’s death, the remaining assets are distributed in accordance with your written instructions in the trust. The trustee cannot use the trust assets for himself, although he can take a fee.
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7. Don’t leave your pet too much money. If you do, the court may reduce the amount of money held in trust for the pet’s benefit. Courts do not like to see folks punishing their heirs by leaving all the money to the dog. Example: the story of Leona Helmsley, the New York hotel heiress who left the bulk of her $12 million estate to her little white Maltese named Trouble? Helmsley was dubbed the “Queen of Mean” for disinheriting family members and leaving so much to a dog instead of family members or charities. A judge later reduced Trouble’s trust to $2 million, but Trouble still lived out her life in the lap of luxury with round-the-clock care and a security guard in Florida (there were kidnapping threats). The cost of her care was reportedly $100,000 per year.

Most pets do not need hundred of thousands of dollars per year for care. A much smaller amount will often suffice. And when the pet passes away, the rest can go to your family members, or better yet, to your local pet shelter or humane society.

Flying with Your Pets

1. Do you have to fly with your pets? Consider alternatives, if possible—whether it’s traveling by car or, for shorter trips, finding a good sitter or boarding kennel.

2. Make sure you research online about airline polices and airline traveler consumer reports

3.Most airlines require a health certificate for animals, usually required within 10 days before travel. This is also a good time to ensure your pets are up for the trip, that their vaccinations are up to date and that they don't have any illnesses that could be made worse by heat or stress.
Some pets have may have breathing issues that make travel more risky. That’s why some airlines have placed restrictions on flying with brachycephalic (flat-faced) animals such as pugs, bulldogs and Persian cats.

4. Practice with your pet in crate and/or carrier training to ensure they are comfortable in a small space for a extended period of time.

5. Navigate the airport especially know security guidelines. If your pets aren’t traveling with you in the cabin, you should still find a way to keep tabs on them—especially in the event of delays or transfers. Check on their status with a gate agent or airline employee.

6. Don't overlook the destination. If you’re flying internationally, or even to Hawaii, your pets may need to be quarantined upon arrival. They may also require import forms. Familiarize yourself with the requirements, where they’ll be quarantined and for how long.Make sure your pets are wearing collars and identification, that their microchip information is up to date, and that you have current photos, just in case they go missing.

Enjoy your flight and be safe!