If your pet is terrified of fireworks, you probably know the signs: He or she cowers, trembles in fear or hides and appears disoriented. Some dogs become so frightened they take drastic action. They can crash through a screen door, jump out of a window or leap a fence.
Every year, animal shelters have their hands full dealing with lost dogs that bolted on July 4, cats that have gone missing and anxious owners looking for them. Some lost pets are never recovered.
Here are a few suggestions to help make sure fireworks displays and sounds don’t upset your dog or cat:
- Make sure your pets, even indoor-only cats, are wearing collars with identification tags. A microchip is also a good idea. You can even write your name and number inside their collar. Terrified animals will become confused and disoriented. They sometimes can end up miles from home or deep under a neighbor’s porch or hiding anywhere they find open shelter.
- Fireworks are now on sale, which means citizens will begin shooting them off early. Try walking your dogs in the early evening , before nightfall, to prevent undue stress from noise of the fireworks.
- During area fireworks displays, keep all pets safely inside. Dogs and cats who are agitated should be put into a room with the door secure. Soft music or “white noise” can be calming. Screen doors will not keep in a charging dog. Do not take a dog to a large, public fireworks display. This only increases the chances of the dog becoming lost in an unfamiliar area.
- In extreme cases, check with your veterinarian about tranquilizers.
- “Thunder Vests” have also proven helpful to some animals in these situations.
If your pet becomes lost during the holiday (or at any time) check the Owasso Animal Shelter at 918-272-4965. The Shelter also lists lost and found pets on their Facebook page. You may access that by CLICKING HERE.
