Santa's Safety Tips for Parents

A merry Christmas is a safe Christmas. Here are some smart holiday safety reminders:

- Make sure your home's smoke detector is working right.

- Keep your tree and decorations away from heaters, fireplaces, candles, and other heat sources.

- Make sure somebody turns off the Christmas tree lights when everybody is ready for bed or when everybody leaves the house.

Santa's Pet Safety Tips

- Fire and burns can be a threat to pets. Holiday hazards include lit candles, potpourri pots, and fireplaces. Always keep your pets away from these things.

- If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure your pets cannot drink the water from the stand. Check around the tree often for fallen needles. Sharp pine needles can cause pain and harm to your pet's stomach if swallowed.

- Do not use tinsel on your tree. Your pets could become sick from or choke on the tinsel.

- Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows can also cause stomach problems in pets if chewed or swallowed. Be sure to throw these away soon after opening  gifts.

- Many holiday plants (poinsettia, holly, mistletoe) are poisonous to animals. Keep these plants away from your pets.

-Keep holiday foods in secure containers and out of reach of your pets. Eating the wrong foods can make your pet very sick.

- Keep candy, especially chocolate, away from your pets. Many ingredients in candy can be toxic, even deadly, to pets.