4 Things to Do 4 Your Dog on the 4th

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2 min read

Ah, Independence Day. Old Glory, veggie dogs, and terrified canines cowering under the bed. At least, that’s usually what it consists of in my household. For animals, fireworks aren’t festive—they’re frightening and sometimes even fatal. Many dogs and cats flee in terror during fireworks displays, jumping over fences and even breaking through windows. They can be injured, struck by a vehicle, or lost and never found.
 

dennis_matheson/cc by 2.0

 
Here are some suggestions for keeping furry loved ones safe this holiday weekend:

  • Keep animals indoors in a quiet, secure room, and stay with them during fireworks displays. Never leave animals outdoors unattended, even for a second, and don’t take them to fireworks displays. The deafening booms may cause even normally calm animals to panic and bolt, dig under a fence, or injure themselves when they become tangled in their chains.
  • Close blinds and curtains, keep the lights on, and play classical music at a normal volume or keep a loud fan running.
  • Make sure that all animals are wearing collars with current identification tags. A microchip is even better, since it can’t fall off like a collar or tag can.
  • Encourage your city to switch from fireworks to safe and dazzling laser light shows.

Happy Independence Day to you and all your family members.
 

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

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