This is going to be a very busy 4th of July weekend. People want to get outside, celebrate, and socialize. There will be lots of firework displays, concerts, picnics, and neighborhood Bar-B-Qs. As everyone prepares for the holiday, #1 on your to-do list should be: Keep pets away from fireworks. All animals associate loud noises with danger. Fireworks can cause fear, anxiety, prolonged stress, and fatal accidents.
Protect Your Best Friend Fireworks can traumatize pets with extreme anxiety and stress. Pets are very sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights, and strong smells. Bring them inside and muffle the sounds of fireworks by closing windows and blinds, putting on the TV or playing music, and creating a quiet space where a pet feels in control. If you can’t bring your animals inside, partly cover outside cages and pens with tarps and provide a place where they can feel safe.
Fright/Flight Keep all doors, windows, pens, and cages securely closed. When animals become frightened, they will take flight, attempting to run from the unknown danger. More pets get lost around July 4th than at any other time of year, but they tend to stay close to home.
If You Find a Lost Pet If you find a lost pet, keep the disoriented animal for at least 48 hours; this gives the owner a much better chance to find it. File a found report and go to any vet to get the dog scanned for a microchip. Contact the owner if the dog has a registered chip or is wearing identification on their collar. Walk the dog around the neighborhood so their family can see them if they’re out looking. Knock on doors near where they were found and ask if they look familiar. Post the dog’s picture and where they were found on neighborhood social media platforms. Put up found dog signs in the immediate area where you found the dog. Communicate with your local shelter about how else you can help. If it takes longer than two days for the dog’s owner to be located, you may be able to foster the dog for a longer term.
Although firework displays are identified by some as symbols of Independence, Patriotism, and Celebrations, fireworks are viewed by others as a noisy nuisance, a fire hazard, and a danger to bodily harm to humans and animals.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
