Visit the ASPCA website for  more Halloween pet safety details.  Here are just a few great tips from the site-

No Chocolate: Even if your pet has a sweet tooth, ingesting chocolate (especially baker’s and dark chocolate) can be dangerous for dogs and cats, possibly causing vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and even seizures.

No Sweets for the Sweet: Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures.

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

Don’t Play with Fire: Keep your pets away from jack-o-lanterns with lit candles inside—knocking the pumpkin over can easily cause a fire. And curious kittens can get burned or singed by candle flames.

Costume Caution: Please don’t put your pet in a costume unless you know that he or she loves it. Costumes can cause skin irritations, obstruct a pet’s vision or impede his breathing.

If your pet accidentally ingests potentially harmful products, immediately consult your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has a story today about the efforts to rescue dogs from Baghdad, particularly the story of Ratchet who was rescued by a soldier but whose clearance for release to the US was being held. This pup attracted the support of more than 45,000 people who signed a petition asking the US Army to let the puppy come the US. The dog has now been cleared to leave. The full story is available here.

The article also mentioned Baghdad Pups, an organization that rescues dogs and cats who have been adopted by troops and helps transport them to the US. This organization has already transported more than 50 animals to the US so far.

If you are interested in the story of how soldiers are adopting animals in the war zone and the challenges they face a great book on WellPetUSA’s recommended reading list is From Baghdad with Love.

“Like the movies “101 Dalmatians” and “Beethoven” before it, the release of “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” has animal welfare organizations concerned that Chihuahuas will be the next victims of our trend-crazed and impulse-purchase culture—even more than they already are.
Since word of the movie first began to leak out, those in the animal welfare community have been wondering what they can do to slow the rush of Chihuahua-buying surely to follow the movie…
After careful consideration and a little background research by our A Puppy Store Free LA staff, we discovered that the movie does have a rescue angle. That’s good news! It turns out that the movie’s main Chihuahua character, Papi, was rescued. (click here to read his story)
But still—some people will probably want a Chihuahua after seeing the movie, and we hope they don’t head to the classified ads in their local paper, to the Internet (unless they’re going to Petfinder) or to a pet store. To read Best Friends’ press release and position on the movie, click here.
Shelters around the country are already bursting with Chihuahuas, particularly in Los Angeles, the very place where the movie takes place. So we put our heads together and came up with ways that we can all spread the word that if you’re in the market for a Chihuahua, adopting one is the way to go. ”

From Best Friends Society “Don’t Buy Puppies Campaign”

Michelle Obama announced on Entertainment Tonight that the family will indeed, “adopt a rescue dog.”“As you know, adoption is an amazing gift of life to a homeless animal… and it is something that all of us, no matter our political leaning, can enthusiastically support. The Obama family’s decision to adopt will be a great example, and will result in many dogs and cats being saved from euthanasia across the country. This is exactly what we hoped for when we launchedthis website, and we hope you feel as proud as we do about this development.”
From Best Friends Society’s website ObamaFamilyDog.com