The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year, but they can quickly become troublesome if your dog gets into the holiday chocolates and becomes ill or your cat climbs the Christmas tree and gets cut on an ornament.

Beth Ward, vice president of customer and animal care at Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV), offers tips on how to keep pets safe during the holidays.

Ward says pet owners should never leave their pet home alone with a real Christmas tree with breakable ornaments.

Ward also recommends hopmeowners avoid using tinsel. It’s sharp and can cut through an animal’s intestines if swallowed.

She suggests taping tree light cords to the wall and across the floor so pets don’t chew them and get burned or electrocuted.

For more information, visit www. hssv.org.