(Photo By Flickr User Alan Levine)

Whether you have your poodle in an ugly Christmas sweater or your turtle wearing a Santa hat, making sure they are safe during the holidays is a must.

According to WEEK-TV,  PCAPS says that holiday pet safety (and of course keeping them from drinking the Christmas tree water and away from the tinsel), are a must; but also there is also many ways on how to correctly give a pet as a present.

By this we do not mean wrapping them up and putting them under the tree, but how to make sure you are making the right choice for them and their new owner.

“If you’re thinking about gifting a pet at Christmas you can always purchase a gift certificate that way you have paid for the adoption, maybe even buy some fun toys and supplies, put that under the tree and let the family pick out the pets themselves just to make sure it’s the right fit,” Education Coordinator for the Peoria Humane Society Kitty Yanko said.

Another way to maintain pet safety is by keeping you and your home safe as the Peoria Fire Union said that during the holiday season, Christmas tree fires and carbon monoxide calls make up the bulk of their emergencies.

“One in four fires right now, this time of year are caused because the tree is under watered. Make sure your tree is watered. I know Christmas is two days away so hopefully you’ve been watering your tree or else it’s probably not going to be your ideal “greenful” Christmas tree it’s going to be the Charlie Brown tree,” Firefighters Local 50 President Ryan Brady said.

To avoid carbon monoxide during the holidays Brady recommends taking breaks when cooking or opening a window to let the fumes out.