Halloween is near and there's no better time to review the pet safety issues you'll likely confront. Here's my rundown, with a few bells and whistles thrown in just for fun.

•  Beware the Xylitol! Human candies of the sugar-free variety (especially gums and mints) increasingly include Xylitol, a natural sugar substitute made from the bark of the birch tree. Even small quantities can kill dogs by lowering their blood sugar drastically and later leading to liver failure. Read labels before buying any sugar-free holiday fare. (And during the rest of the year, too.)

• Chocolate is a killer. No holiday horrors list would be complete without a mention of chocolate's toxic effects.

To cut down on your pet's risk, shy away from chocolates, especially the darker varieties. White chocolate, however, is OK -- no real chocolate there.

• Stay away from raisins. Don't give away little boxed raisins to the trick-or-treaters.

Not only will it mark your place for life as the house to skip, dogs that get into stashes of these can suffer kidney failure.

• Secure pets during trick-or-treat time. As friendly as your pets may be, Halloween is not the time to challenge some pets' fears with ringing doorbells and scary outfits.

Furthermore, opening and closing doors means they get a chance to escape into the night.

• Keep black pets indoors -- especially cats. Here in South Florida, as elsewhere, black cats and other pets are targeted on Halloween by vandals.

Don't let your loved ones become a target.

•  Candy wrapper hell. One year I extracted a sizable wad of balled-up wrappers from a cat's stomach. Enough said.

• Ornamental nightmares. Pet proof your Halloween decor -- everything's a chew toy for some pets. Exposed wiring is an especially common hazard, so keep any electrical wiring well out of reach.

• Channel your inner Martha. Design a pet costume. My favorite one this year? The lion. Buy a fluffy bit of faux fur at the fabric store and fashion a collar-attachable mane from it. For best results, get your long-haired cat a dramatic ''lion cut'' at the groomer's.

• Trick or treat with your buddy -- if he's amenable. Include your pet in your kids' costumes -- or your own (for example, dress up as a lion-tamer or safari traveler to match your lion buddy).

Or consider throwing a pets-welcome party for well-socialized dogs. But don't spike the punch, please!

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