Pet-Safe Easter Celebrations

April 14, 2025 by OVRS Staff

Easter is a time for family—and that family also includes the furry members. As you start to make your plans for the holiday, consider safety considerations for your pets. With a little effort, you can create pet-safe Easter celebrations that everyone can enjoy.

Pet-Safe Easter Egg Hunt

Give the pets a chance to enjoy their own Easter egg hunt that includes them in the fun. Even plastic eggs can pose a risk to animal safety, so use plastic eggs too large for your pet to swallow. Fill with a small amount of pet-safe treats. Never use chocolate.

Alternatively, hide treats in pet-safe toys that can hold treats or just hide the treats directly. Make some of the eggs easy to find so that your dog gets the hang of the hunt and the rest can be harder to find.

You can also use scent-based games if you don’t want to give your pet extra treats. Scope out the location for the hunt before you get started to ensure no potential hazards are present. Monitor your pets the whole time to ensure the hunt remains safe from start to finish. Don’t forget to clean up after you’re done. If you’ve used real eggs for the human Easter egg hunt, clean them up so your pet doesn’t find and eat a rotten egg later.

Pet-Safe Easter Candy

If your Easter celebration is full of Easter candy, especially chocolate, keeping a close eye on pets is essential. A lot of candy is toxic for animals, and ingesting even a small amount can lead to health issues. When pets and candy are in the same space, be sure to:

Keep any sweet treats safely away from your pet’s reach
Alert guests to be cautious with the treats around the animals
Secure the trash so a curious pet can’t forage through discarded candy
Keep the number of an emergency veterinarian nearby just in case a pet manages to eat a toxic level of candy

Pet-Safe Easter Decorations

Decorating for holidays is a great way to get everyone into the spirit. Holiday decorations are attractive to our pets but in dangerous ways. Fake grass in Easter baskets, for example, can lead to gastrointestinal obstruction with hazardous consequences. If your dog tends to chew on small items, you should avoid filling your home with decorations with many small pieces to prevent choking hazards.

Easter Lilies

Lilies are highly toxic to both dogs and cats. While these flowers might be a typical accessory during Easter, use caution with them if you have pets. Keep them far out of reach from your pets. If you have a curious cat who can’t help but explore everything in the house, you might want to keep the flowers outside. Even minimal exposure can be fatal to cats.