Prince George, B.C. – Halloween’s loads of fun for kids and adults but not so much for pets.

“It definitely can be stressful on the animals with all the new people coming back and forth through the doors, all the traffic around,” says Jamie Walsh, branch manager for the North Cariboo SPCA.

“All the loud noises can be very overwhelming for many animals, not just dogs and cats.”

She says fireworks can scare animals leading to lost pets and even worse.

“A lot of dogs and cats run away, they can get injured because they’re hit by a car. They end up in shelters more often than not. The week following Halloween is very, very busy for us.”

To avoid tragedy or complications, she recommends keeping pets indoors or wrapped in blankets if possible.

Walsh says Halloween candy can be just as dangerous, especially chocolate.

“Candy is always dangerous for the animals as choking hazards and depending on the ingredients that are in there,” says Walsh. “Chocolate can be extremely toxic to the dogs. It can cause vomiting and diarrhea and lead to death if there’s sufficient amounts in there.”

What makes chocolate so toxic?

“The cocoa, the ingredient that makes chocolate, they can’t digest it and it just eats their insides,” she says. “If it’s caught in time they would be okay and depending on the amount they ingested. It’s a vet visit right away absolutely.”