Halloween warning to dog owners as PDSA says don't dress up

The PDSA were asked whether it was ok to dress pets up for Halloween, and told the questioner that putting animals in costumes would “cause more harm than good”.

In their weekly question and answer session, the PDSA were asked: “Dear PDSA, with dressing up arguably being the best part of Halloween, I was wondering if it’s ok to dress my pets up as well? Thanks, Michaela.”

Responding to Michaela, the experts at the PDSA said: “Hi Michaela, we understand that it may be tempting to dress your pets up – particularly over the Halloween and festive periods to come.

(Image: Getty Images)

“However, we believe that costumes for pets actually cause more harm than good. The best way to look at it is from your own pet’s perspective.

“Would they, given the choice, dress themselves up? The answer would be no. Why? Because they can’t behave naturally, they can quickly become over heated and they can’t display body language, this can result in pets being misunderstood which can lead to conflict putting themselves and others at risk. 

“For this reason, we advise against dressing up our pets for Halloween – unless it’s for practical reasons, such as to keep them warm or safe in the dark.

“What are the dangers of dressing a pet up? Dressing your pet up over Halloween can also stop them from displaying important body language signals to other people and animals.

“This can put pets at risk of not being understood by others, which can result in conflict, fear or injury.

“Our pet dress up advice applies to all occasions, not just Halloween. Everything considered, we advise not dressing your pets up for Halloween, or any time of year.

“The only exceptions here are for practical reasons, such as keeping them warm or safe in the dark.

“If you do want your pets to follow a Halloween theme, we suggest picking up themed collars or leads for your dog, or some Halloween-themed beds and pet safe toys for your cats and small pets.”