Pet safety for the Fourth of July

It’s that time of year again. Fireworks are part of many celebrations and are tons of fun for humans, but not so much for our pets.

This Fourth of July, look up at the sky to see fireworks, but don’t forget to look back down at your furry friend.  Volunteer Coordinator at the Humane Society of South Mississippi Valerie Kattz says the loud screeching of fireworks can activate your pets fight or flight mode, causing them to not only engage in destructive behavior, but to escape. “More pets are lost on the Fourth of July holiday than any other time of the year. So, tomorrow we expect the shelter to be crowded. If you happen to lose your pet because they run off, they get scared of the fireworks please check your local shelters to see if they’ve shown up here.”

There are many preventative measures you can take to make sure your pet stays safe. “Make sure that there’s some other kind of noise in your home like a TV, leave some music playing for them, make sure your pet tags are updated,” said Kattz.

If your dog has anxiety, experts recommend a few calming aids. Supply buyer with Fazzio’s Home and Farm Center Rita Marshall said, “If they’re at home and they’re going to have fireworks close to their home and their dog gets scared of it then there’s a couple of things that they can give their dog in advance to kind of calm them down. The product is L-tryptophan and the other product that we have is vita-calm powder.”

“There are thunder coats too that you can use on your animal. You can buy those at pet stores and that will help reduce stress when they’re hearing the loud noise,” said Kattz.

Kattz also recommends letting your dog go to the bathroom before firework peak times and to keep them on a leash if you do need to take them outside.