Reply During holiday festivities, create a safe space for your pets to retreat to get some quiet time. (Lauren Traut/Patch) RESTON, VA — Pets are family members, and so they're usually part of our winter holiday festivities. But animal welfare groups are reminding folks that four-legged friends can be sickened or injured by our favorite celebratory trimmings. To keep pets safe, one California animal shelter shared an important list of safety tips. The following advice was shared by the Riverside County Department of Animal Services: Delicious dangers. Chocolate, fatty, sweet and spicy foods as well as alcohol and turkey or chicken bones can all be dangerous to pets.