Before every “feast day” on the calendar—-Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc—-the local newspaper runs a reminder to its readers: Don’t include your pets in your over-indulgence!

For Thanksgiving and Christmas the cautions are against letting Fido chow down on rich turkey skin, ham fat, giblets, gravies, and other greasy goodies. Your vet will tell you that there is always a huge spike in pets needing treatment for painful pancreatitis as a result of gobbling down all those rich human handouts.

The approach of Easter requires another warning be issued: No chocolate for your pets. Chocolate is toxic!

Oh so true . . . when our daughter Soren was five she liberated a package of chocolate chips from the kitchen to secretly munch in her room. She thoughtfully shared her stolen sweets with …