Long after becoming man’s best friend, dogs still haven’t learned to enjoy sudden, deafening explosions in the sky.
Fireworks are not the only problem that pets face around the Fourth of July. The bewildering sounds and smells of parades can also lead pets to get over-excited, scared and to run away from their owners. Even when they stay close, dogs come across errant firecrackers and open beer bottles, which can be both tantalizing and dangerous.
Cindie Jobe, a volunteer at the Flathead County Animal Shelter, had her dog run away during a violent thunderstorm. Although Millie had identification tags and was well trained, she couldn’t be found. Only days later was Millie returned to her owner; she had bloodied paws from all her running and was severely dehydrated and exhausted.
If a volunteer at the animal shelter can lose her animal, so can you. And if thunderstorms are frightening, the smells, sounds and lights of the Fourth of July can be even more overwhelming for pets, and thus it is no surprise that the busiest day of the year for animal shelters across the country is July 5th. Even if your dog is lucky enough to end up in a shelter instead of on the street, according to ASPCA, only 26 percent of dogs that enter shelters as strays are ever returned to their original owners and 31 percent of them are euthanized.
With all this in mind, the Flathead County Animal Shelter has some simple tips for protecting your pets over the Fourth of July celebrations:
1. Make sure all your pets have up-to-date identification tags or microchips.
2. In the days leading up to the holiday, walk your dog early in the evenings so that it is not surprised by early revelers.
3. Keep your pets inside when you or your neighbors have fireworks and don’t take them along to neighborhood fireworks displays.
4. If your pet is particularly sensitive, keep them in a room with no windows and play soothing music or white noise. In extreme cases, you can talk to your veterinarian about using tranquilizers.
5. Lastly, if despite precautions, your pet does go missing, call the Flathead Animal Shelter at 752-1310.