Halloween is a great time for the family and should be fun for everyone -- including your pets. There are some precautions you can take to help keep your family and your pets safe.

Program your vet's emergency number in your phone. Having your vet's emergency phone number programmed in your phone is the first thing you can do to prepare for an accident any time of year.

Don't leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween. There are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen and even killed pets.

If you have cats, it's best to keep them inside all year long, but it is especially important to keep them inside this weekend and well into next week. The same goes for dogs and even the sweetest dog could bite an innocent trick-or-treater in a scary costume if the animal feels threatened. So it's best to keep them inside.

Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets. Chocolate is dangerous for dogs and could kill them and candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin -- pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Kittens are especially at risk of being burned around lit candles.

Keep your animals in a separate room. Too many strangers in strange costumes can be scary for a dog -- especially hats, wigs, masks and sun glasses.

Watch out for open doors so your cat or dog doesn't dart out as you pass out candy.

When dressing up for Halloween it's a good idea to leave your mask off around your dog. Believe it or not, you might actually scare them. And keep your costumes out of reach. Nothing is more tempting to a dog or cat than new rubber and crinkly plastic.