Halloween Festivities Approach at PetSmart

PetSmart is debuting a new carnival-themed collection this Halloween featuring apparel, toys and accessories and marking the occasion with a social media contest and top safety and celebration tips.

“At PetSmart, we are pet-obsessed and Halloween is one of the best times of year to show the lengths we’ll go to for our pets,” said Kristin Shane, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer. “We know Halloween is a time when pet parents most want to include their pets in the fun, and we’re making it easy to get into the spooky spirit together with costumes, treats and experiences.”

The PetSmart Halloween Costume Shop comes to life with new costumes, accessories, toys, treats and ball pits for pet families to enjoy together, including the Thrills and Chills™ Halloween Clown Ball Pit, with 75 balls included, the Thrills and Chills™ Carnival House Corrugated Hut and a variety of toys and costumes to bring out the inner ringleader, performer or carnival attraction in any pet.

For when your pet chooses “treat” over “trick,” PetSmart also offers delectable delights, including a honey-flavored Gourdgeous Cookie dog treat, a Creepy Cone treat for small pets and a Frankly Freaky Cookie dog treat featuring Frankenstein in apple cinnamon flavor.

Tips for a Pet’s Best Halloween

Candy corn, chocolate and other sweet treats are perfectly fine for kids on Halloween, but pets should avoid most sweet human foods when it’s time for trick or treating, warns Dr. Jennifer Bruns, DVM, MPVM, veterinarian at PetSmart. She offers the following recommendations for a pet’s best Halloween, including how to get that perfect costume photo:

• Don’t: Share gum, mints, candy and baked goods from the trick-or-treat bag with your pet. Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in these items, can cause dangerously low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs.
• Don’t: Allow your pet to sneak raisins or alcohol. While these two items are very different from each other, they are toxic and can cause kidney or respiratory failure.
• Don’t: Leave candy wrappers, glow sticks, candles and other decor within reach. The hot wax and flame of a candle can burn a pet and can cause gastrointestinal upset, from vomiting to bowel obstruction, if consumed.
• Do: Use pet-safe treats, like these, to teach your pet basic commands that stop them from jumping on trick-or-treaters, running toward the doorbell and even keep them away from the “don’ts” listed above.
• Do: Get their attention using pet-safe treats to snap that pet-perfect Halloween photo.

Happy Haunting Costume Contest

PetSmart is hosting a Happy Haunting Costume Contest Oct. 3-26 with 200,000 Treats points, worth $500, at (a vampire’s) stake.

Pet parents are encouraged to share photos or videos of their happy haunters in three categories: Best Boos, Your Little Monster and Spooky Scene. By following and tagging @PetSmart on Instagram and using #HappyHauntingContent and #BestBoos, #YourLittleMonster or #SpookyScene hashtags to enter a category, they’ll have a chance to win one grand prize per category of 200,000 Treats points (worth $500 in savings) or a runner’s up prize in each category of 100,000 Treats points (worth $250 in savings).

Judging takes place Oct. 27-28 and winners will be announced the week of Halloween.

For complete Official Rules, click here. Sponsored by PetSmart LLC.

For more information on Halloween at PetSmart, including ways to shop, click here.