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Keeping pets and wildlife safe this Halloween

Halloween is becoming a more familiar tradition in Australian suburbs, with decorated homes, trick-or-treaters, and plenty of fun activity after dark. While the celebrations can be enjoyable for people, the unfamiliar sounds, sights, and embellishments may be stressful, or even harmful, to companion animals and wildlife. A few thoughtful precautions can reduce these risks, and help keep pets and local wildlife safe, comfortable, and protected throughout the festivities.

RSPCA Australia
Monday, 12 October 2026

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Halloween is becoming a more familiar tradition in Australian suburbs, with decorated homes, trick-or-treaters, and plenty of fun activity after dark. While the celebrations can be enjoyable for people, the unfamiliar sounds, sights, and embellishments may be stressful, or even harmful, to companion animals and wildlife.

A few thoughtful precautions can reduce these risks, and help keep pets and local wildlife safe, comfortable, and protected throughout the festivities.

Make your decorations animal friendly.

Halloween decorations can be enticing to curious animals, but string, ribbons, thin plastic, glow sticks, and small or brittle ornaments may cause choking, poisoning, injury, or intestinal blockages if chewed or swallowed. Animals can also become caught in dangling decorations or exposed electrical cords. For safer options, choose sturdy, non-toxic decorations and place them securely out of reach. Be sure to check displays regularly for loose or damaged pieces and keep any electrical cords covered.

Outdoor decorations can pose risks to wildlife as well. Artificial spiderwebs are one of the biggest safety hazards and unfortunately on of the most commonly used decorations for yards and fences. Artificial spiderwebs, loose netting, and fine fibres can entangle birds, flying foxes, insects, and small mammals, potentially causing injury or preventing them from feeding and moving safely. Decorations placed in trees, shrubs, or near waterways may also block flight paths, disturb nesting or sheltering of animals, and leave harmful debris behind. For a safer display, avoid netting and loosely woven materials, keep displays clear of vegetation and water sources, and ensure all decorations are securely placed. Remove them promptly after Halloween celebrations end and check the area carefully for any pieces that may have come loose.

And, if you find an animal in trouble, do not try to untangle it or aid it yourself. Instead, call a local wildlife rescue group or the RSPCA in your state immediately. Only trained professionals should handle these animals to avoid causing further harm to the animal, or risk to humans.

Help companion animals feel safe at home.

While unfamiliar people, scary costumes, and a higher volume of visitors aren’t generally concerning for humans on days like Halloween, these encounters can be stressful and unsettling for many animals, even those usually confident around strangers. Before visitors arrive, set them up in an area of the house where they feel safe and where you can create a barrier preventing them from rushing to visitors at the front door. You can keep them comfortable by ensuring their bedding and toys are close by and that they have a chew or feeding enrichment to keep them occupied; not only will this reduce their exposure to unfamiliar guests, but it will also lower the likelihood of your pet escaping through the front door when entertaining trick-or-treaters.

Keep doors, gates, and windows secure to reduce the chance of escape should they get a fright and make sure their identification and microchip details are current. It’s also important to pay attention to their behaviour throughout the evening. Pacing, hiding, freezing, trembling, panting when it isn’t hot, or repeatedly trying to get away can all indicate fear, stress or anxiety.

With so many human treats available, take extra care to keep them safely out of reach of the animals in your home. Store chocolate, lollies, and baked goods in a closed cupboard or sealed container. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and other animals, while some sugar-free products contain xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs. Wrappers and small sweets may also cause choking or intestinal obstruction if swallowed. If you think your pet has eaten something harmful, contact a veterinarian promptly rather than waiting for symptoms to develop.

Leave costumes to the humans.

Pet costumes are often chosen with a photograph or social media post in mind, but they may actually be compromising an animal’s comfort and welfare.

Some animals may tolerate wearing a costume, others may find the experience extremely unpleasant, observe your animal closely and don’t dress them in costumes if they show obvious discomfort such as not moving normally, attempting to remove it, or panting which can be a sign of anxiety. Alternatives to costumes that dogs might tolerate include a bandana or festive collar/harness. Avoid dressing cats up – most cats will not tolerate nor enjoy wearing any costume.

Wearing costumes can also impair an animal’s ability to communicate with their caregivers and with other animals. Animals communicate through body language, which involves using their ears, eyes, tails and body position to communicate what they are feeling. If you can’t read their behaviour due to a costume, this could make them feel anxious and cause you to miss important signals (such as feeling stressed or needing to toilet) as well as potentially contribute to poor communication and aggressive behaviour between animals.

A good tip to remember, if you’re unsure whether your animal tolerates wearing a costume or not, play it safe and avoid dressing them up.

Pets and wildlife cannot make sense of Halloween in the way humans can. Sudden changes to their surroundings, unfamiliar visitors, and new objects may expose them to stress or injury.

Preparing a secure retreat, storing food items carefully, avoiding restrictive costumes and choosing wildlife-safe decorations will help reduce those risks. With a little preparation, Halloween can remain enjoyable for people without compromising the welfare we share our homes and environment with.

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Keeping pets and wildlife safe this Halloween

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