Regional Animal Services of King County is asking pet owners to take extra precautions on Halloween. Owners are advised to prepare their pets for Halloween visitors, strange noises and unfamiliar costumed creatures.

On Halloween, constant opening and closing of the door to greet trick-or-treaters can cause your pet to become scared or excited and dash out of your home unexpectedly. It is important that pets wear two forms of ID at all times, such as a pet license, and ID tag, or a microchip, or any combination thereof, officials say.

While seasonal decorations and lit candles seem like fun for humans, they can be harmful to your pets and should be put out of reach of inquisitive noses and paws. Spooky sounds, frequently ringing doorbells and strange costumes can also be scary for animals because they are sensitive to sounds and may not understand the unfamiliar characters or shouting at the front door as people come into your home for a party or to trick-or-treat.

To protect your pets on Halloween, Regional Animal Services suggests the following steps:

1. Make sure your pet is wearing at least two forms of current I.D.

2. On Halloween night, make sure your pets are safe inside the house and away from the front door.

3. Store Halloween candy away from animals. Chocolate contains theobryomine, which can be lethal for dogs if enough is digested.

4. If your pet becomes lost, be sure to visit your local animal shelters right away to look for your pet and post flyers in the neighborhood too.