4th Of July Holiday

Happy Fourth of July to everyone. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. It always amazes me that the news channels and media markets run stories and series around the 4th of July holiday to remind people that pets need to be taken care of and watched out for. We have been asked several times to do news interviews to remind people why this time of year is dangerous for pets. We often have people call days before the holiday to ask to have their pet boarded because they are terrified of the fire works. There are always ways to help keep your pet safe during this holiday and this is what we recommend.

1.) To keep your pet safe always start by assuming this can be a scary holiday for them. Fireworks explode at a much lower altitude than most of your thunder storms. So if you know your dog is not afraid of thunderstorms do not assume they may not be afraid of fireworks. There is also the different volumes of fireworks. Storms are a BOOM sound where fireworks contain POP and WIZZ and much different frequency of sounds. These can be terrifying to pets and may make them act very nervous or afraid. Take steps to make sure they feel safe during these fun light shows tonight.

2.) Fourth of July holiday is the day most family pets are lost, it’s a sad but true statistic. We want you to know that we take extra precautions during the 4th including keeping someone on sight most of the night and keeping a close eye on all the dogs and cats boarding with us until the light shows die down. Although the fireworks are one cause of family pets running away it will not be the only one. The fourth is a very “social” holiday and many people get together with family and friends and their pets accompany them. They also are not used to the crowds of people and the open and closing door and gates and tend to have a chance to run off. Please be aware of these dangers and take precautions to prevent them.

3.) Lastly the dogs and cats have a natural curiosity about them that makes them want to explore everything that is going on. Where in people this is one of the highest days at the ER to see injuries dogs and cats are often seen by emergency vets as well. They want to chase the firework parts that fall out of the sky, or a cat will see a sparkler and think it’s a light to be chased. Where pets can often be comical and we enjoy a good laugh it’s not at their health that we need to enjoy those. These dogs and cats rely on us for all their needs and we need to keep them safe during this holiday.

So remember keep your pets in an interior room in your house. Safe from the doors and if possible help with blackout curtains so they can not see the flashes of light. Keep a radio or TV on in the room to help mask the noise to be had by the fireworks. And make it their special day and have a healthy treat or bone for them to occupy their time because after all, it is