Tips for keeping your pets safe this holiday season

As we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, the San Bernardino Department of Animal Services has made a list of helpful tips to keep your pets safe.

• Some pets may be overwhelmed by visitors. Set up a safe space for them before your guests arrive like a crate or quiet room.
• Make sure your pets are secured while visitors enter and exit your home so they can’t escape through an open door.
• Say no to table scraps. Some human foods can be harmful or even fatal to your pet. Make sure your visitors don’t share their plates with your pets.
• Always make sure trash, especially anything with food, is secure so that your pet can’t get to it.
• Keep your pet from chewing on tree limbs or greenery. Ivy, Holly, Mistletoe, Poinsettias and some Lilies are poisonous to pets.
• If you use tinsel, put on the top of the tree where your pet can’t reach. This decoration can cause injuries and/or blockage in your pet’s digestive tract if they eat it.
• Don’t let your pet drink water at the base of your Christmas tree. It may contain chemicals that are harmful.
• Do make sure your pet is microchipped or has a collar with an ID tag and your phone number.