By Khalida Sarwari
The Fourth of July holiday is right around the corner, and in the hubbub of all the associated festivities it’s easy to forget about pets. The Humane Society Silicon Valley offers a number of safety precautions to protect the four-legged members of your family.
Fireworks can be terrifying for some cats and dogs, according to the Humane Society. Dogs and cats tend to have super-sensitive ears, and the sounds of fireworks going off can make them feel like they are under attack. They respond by retreating, hiding and worse, running away. According to Humane Society CEO Beth Ward, more dogs run away on the Fourth of July than on any other day.
“The added noise and commotion that comes with fireworks, parties and parades tend to stress pets to the point where many run away to escape,” Ward said.
What’s worse, most dogs and cats are never reunited with their families, according to the Humane Society. Instead, hundreds of lost and frightened pets end up at an animal shelter, placing a sudden burden on staff to find space and care for them all at once, according to the city of San Jose’s Animal Care Center director Jon Cicirelli.
“Our stray dog intake always doubles or triples starting the day after the fireworks begin,” he said.
What’s more, a system that includes multiple municipal, county and private agencies makes it more difficult for owners to reunite with their pets. If any owner should find him or herself in such a position, the first thing they should do, according to the Humane Society, is seek the assistance of WeCARE, a coalition of six Silicon Valley animal shelters that helps reunite owners and pets. Visitwww.wecareproject.org and find the city where you lost your pet and then click on the local shelter’s up-to-the-minute lost and found listing.
Ward advised owners to act as quickly as possibly and to contact more than one shelter.
To further protect your pets, the Humane Society suggests the following recommendations:
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags that display current contact information.
• If you plan on going out to see fireworks or parades and other celebrations, it is better to leave your pets at home in a sheltered and quiet area.
• Pets should never be left outside unattended during the fireworks, because even those that normally would not leave a fenced-in yard may try to escape and get lost and possibly injured or killed.
• Never leave pets inside a car, even with windows partially opened; the heat can cause them to suffer serious health effects, including death.
• The Humane Society advises anyone who comes across a lost animal to take it to the local animal shelter immediately so that it has the best chance of being reunited with its owners.
Tips for keeping pets safe during upcoming 4th of July celebration
