How to Get Your Scary Season Thrills Without Harming Animals
Get ready for dark and chilly nights, howling winds, and spine-tingling thrills—it’s officially scary season. 👻💀 This is one of the most fun times of the year, especially if you love a good fright. But no matter how you celebrate scary season, let’s all make sure not to disturb or harm any animals. They’re just trying to enjoy their lives, y’all.
Which seasonal festivities put animals at risk, and what can you replace them with? By the time you’re done reading these eight do’s and don’ts, it’ll be clear that we can easily enjoy eating, decorating, dressing up, spending time outside, and partying without harming animals:
1. DON’T Use Faux Spider Webs
DO Carve Animal-Friendly Pumpkins
When you’re decking out your yard or dorm room in creepy decor, steer clear of faux spider webs. Animals can eat or get caught in them and experience painful, panicked deaths. Instead, go with the OG fall decoration—carved pumpkins—and personalize them with animal-friendly messages. 🎃 Think of all the folks who could see your message and be inspired to make compassionate choices in their lives.
2. DON’T Add Toxic Paint or Other Chemicals to Pumpkins
DO Donate Pumpkins to Sanctuaries for Animals to Eat
If you’re gonna leave your pumpkins outside, squirrels, rabbits, and other small animals are gonna snack on them. That’s why you should never add chemicals to your pumpkins—you wouldn’t want a small animal to get poisoned. 😢 Thankfully, there’s a great way to make sure all kinds of animals can get the safe food they deserve: Donate your pumpkins to an animal sanctuary! Animals like pigs absolutely LOVE pumpkins, so you’d be making their day. 🐷😊
3. DON’T Eat or Give Out Nonvegan Candy
DO Go for Vegan Candy
Scary season = candy season. 😋 And great news: Tons of candies are vegan. From chewy sweets like Airheads and Dots to rich delights like TCHO Chocolate and No Whey! Candy Bars, you can eat or give out dozens of delish options. Wondering whether a certain candy is vegan? Here’s an easy guide: Don’t buy it if the ingredients list dairy, eggs, or gelatin (boiled animal bones, skin, and ligaments). 🤢 If it’s free of all animal-derived ingredients, munch away.
4. DON’T Make Crafts That Go in the Trash
DO Make Eco-Friendly Crafts
Making crafts is a super-fun activity for all ages, but the fun stops when the waste starts. When we throw out crafts after only a few days (or hours), we’re adding more garbage to massive landfills that spill over into animals’ homes and threaten their safety. The best way to avoid this? Use upcycled materials for no-waste projects. You could make tin can candle holders, mason jar ghost lanterns, old shirt pumpkins, or a ton of other creative crafts.
5. DON’T Litter While Out
DO Pick Up Trash While Out
Whether you’ll be trick-or-treating, going to patio parties, or just vibing outdoors a lot this fall, remember that you’re a guest in animals’ homes. Don’t leave anything behind that wasn’t there before—even small candy wrappers can choke and kill tiny animals. And if you want to be a real hero to animals, pick up trash that others left behind. All it takes is a few minutes to help animals get the safe, clean home they deserve.
6. DON’T Dress Animals Up
DO Dress Yourself Up
We’re very pro-costume—for humans. But dressing up your animal companion in a cringe costume is a whole different story. 😬 They can’t consent to being dressed up, and they can feel really uncomfortable and stressed out when people stare and laugh at them. To keep your animals happy this Halloween season, just let them be themselves while you enjoy dressing up with other humans.
7. DON’T Go to a Petting Zoo
DO Go to a Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze/Hayride
No cap, you’d be surprised how fun classic fall activities still are. We’re talking pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides, and other seasonal activities in the fresh fall air. But be on the lookout for places that also have a petting zoo or other attractions that exploit animals. Imagine how frustrated you’d feel if you were locked in an enclosure and strangers were constantly touching you. 😒 Animals don’t deserve that, and you can help end this exploitation by taking your business to an animal-friendly location.
8. DON’T Make Baked Goods From Animal-Derived Ingredients
DO Make Vegan Baked Goods
Know the best way to warm up your home on chilly fall days? Make some heavenly smelling baked goods. 🍪 You can start with an easy vegan recipe like mouthwatering vegan pumpkin muffins or find a recipe on your own and swap out some ingredients to make it vegan. Try replacing cow’s milk with almond, soy, or coconut milk and eggs with bananas, applesauce, or even tofu. We never need to harm animals and steal what’s rightfully theirs to bake irresistible treats. ❤️
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Want one more reason to love the fall? Pumpkin spice–flavored foods and drinks. 😍 Cozy up with a blanket, a good TV show or book, and a tasty vegan pumpkin spice treat for the most authentic fall feeling ever!
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