Tips for a healthy and 'hoppy' Easter for your pets
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With spring in the air and Easter just a few days away, people can’t help but catch the fever. This weekend, houses will be decorated in pastels, kids will be scavenging their backyards for brightly colored eggs, and people will dig through baskets full of glittery pink grass to munch on jellybeans and chocolate treats.
While a bright and happy holiday, Easter also comes with a few dangers – for pets, at least – and Pima Animal Care Center has a few tips on how to celebrate safely with animals around this season.
Even small pets mean big responsibility
Fluffy bunnies and tiny, chirping chicks may be symbols of the season, but PACC wants to remind people to think twice before wrapping them up in polka-dot bows and putting them in their kids’ Easter baskets this year.
“If feeding, exercise and daily attention seem like too much commitment, a stuffed animal might be a better choice,” said PACC spokeswoman Rhonda Bodfield in a news release.
Put baskets up high
“Easter baskets can be a veterinarian visit waiting to happen,” Bodfield said.
Too many jellybeans, marshmallows and chocolates may give kids toothaches, but they can do much worse to a pet.
“Candy, and particularly chocolate, can make pets very sick,” she said.
That colorful faux grass popping out of the basket can also cause serious intestinal problems for pets, so store all the basket fillings where they won’t be able to get to them.
Keep flowers out of reach
Just as pet owners must be wary of Poinsettias around Christmas time, they should be wary of springtime flowers as well.
The national Pet Poison Helpline, 800-213-6680, said they receive hundreds of calls every year about pets ingesting Easter lilies. These can be toxic to cats and cause gastrointestinal problems for dogs, Bodfield said.
People should keep flowers near the baskets – up high and away from curious pets.
Spring may also mean new life
But if it is time to add a new pet to the family this spring, PACC is offering an Easter special Friday-Sunday.
Potential pet adopters who visit the shelter at 4000 N. Silverbell Rd. on these dates can select from a basket of Easter eggs containing a variety of discounts, starting at $10 off the regular $50 adoption fee. Spay/neuter services, microchip, vaccinations and one vet visit are included with the adoption cost, and some eggs even have a “free” coupon inside.
PACC's Easter Special
- What: Adoptions specials and discounts at Pima Animal Care Center
- Where: 4000 N. Silverbell Rd.
- When: Friday-Sunday
- Hours: Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
