At the shelter

Attention, companion animal caretakers! These common-sense cautions will help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.

* Chocolate in all forms - especially dark or baking chocolate - can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate - and even seizures.

* Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.

* Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their "birthday suits," however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume does not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandanna.

7. Take a closer look at your pet's costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you

(Source: ASPCA)

'Piper', aka 'Fat Cat', is one of the largest felines we've seen at the shelter! She is a very sweet, gentle cat who is used to a home environment. Piper is already spayed and litter-box trained. Our three cat rooms are filled with beautiful cats and kittens of every color. Also, see a selection of shelter cats at The Pet Stop.

'Hunter' is a Chesapeake Bay retriever and has a handsome red, curly coat. 'Izzy' is one of the cutest little Scotties you will ever see. He is a gentle boy who loves belly rubs and is a friendly little guy. 'Angel' is a pure white Tibetan spaniel who is around 2 years old. He loves people and would make a wonderful family/companion dog. Every run is full of equally deserving dogs and puppies whose life depends on being adopted. We receive around 100 pets a week, 52 weeks a year!

Please remember to check us out on Dyerhumane.org or petfinder.com. Type 38024 zip. Stop by The Pet Stop's "Almost Home" rescue, which has saved 350 shelter dogs since Sept. 12, 2008. Many of these dogs would have been euthanized due to lack of people to adopt them. Jill Joyner's "One Step Closer to Home" is a friend to the shelter, also. She rescues many of our pets who languish at the shelter because they are heartworm positive or other reasons. She also saves four-legged friends in the West Tennessee area and acts as a sister to all larger rescues.

Help local homeless pets and at the same time honor and remember your loved ones, friends and beloved pets by making a tax-deductible donation to the shelter. Specify how your donation should be directed. The Beagley Fund (heartworm treatment) is usually depleted and in need of replenishing. These pets will die without treatment. Other options are Save-a-Life Makeover (professional grooming to make pets more adoptable), General Fund, Honorariums, and Memorials. Mail to Dyersburg-Dyer County Humane Society, P.O. Box 223, Dyersburg, TN 38025-0223.

Volunteer for a noble cause. Our shelter pets need you! You may volunteer in any way, such as handing out treats and toys, walking dogs, socializing or bathing pets, and/or participating in fundraisers. We appreciate donations to keep things running smoothly, also supplies such as dog blankets, canned food for special-needs cats and dogs, dry cat/dog food, bath towels, and regular litter. Thank you for helping the shelter animals.

The Dyersburg-Dyer County Humane Society is located at 1120 E. Court and phone number is 285-4889. Shelter hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday.