Many Pets Get Lost On The Fourth Of July. Here's How To Keep Them Safe

Forbes

11 hours ago

Many dogs and cats get lost on the Fourth of July.
Fourth of July frivolity and fireworks make it a fun holiday for human Americans and a scary one for our pets. The loud noises terrify many dogs and cats into running away — which is easier with more doors opening during parties. On average, animal shelters see a 30% spike in lost pets from July 4-6.
'It's a huge pickup weekend,' said Mirah Horowitz, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, which pulls pets from overcrowded shelters and prepares them for adoption. 'A lot of stray animals are picked up on the Fourth of July.'
Horowitz and the team at her nonprofit, which involves a foster program in Northern Virginia and a rescue campus in South Carolina, have heard many stories from panicked pet parents due to Independence Day.
'We've heard everything from, 'The dog jumped out my window through the screen,' to 'He went out the dog door and got through the fence' or 'bolted through the front door' to 'I was walking my dog for their evening walk and he got scared and pulled the leash out of my hand,'' she said.
One of her own dogs, Ruthie, was so terrified by fireworks and firecrackers on her first Fourth of July that she leapt from a couch onto a bookcase and tried to hide her head in the back of it. Naturally, it was upsetting to see Ruthie so traumatized.
'She was so, so scared,' Horowitz recalled. 'You can't provide reassurance in any sort of way other than to just sit there and hold them while they're shaking. It's hard.' (Now that Ruthie is older and is losing her hearing, the holiday is much easier — highlighting one of the advantages to adopting a senior or deaf dog, she noted.)
Ruthie is terrified of fireworks.
The other main cause of pets going missing on the Fourth of July is backyard parties, where guests are not as vigilant as the hosts about shutting doors and backyard gates to prevent pets from escaping, she added.
Tips For Protecting Your Pet On The Fourth Of July
To help your pets stay safe on Independence Day, Horowitz recommends the following:
Be sure to walk your dog before it gets dark and fireworks start on the Fourth of July.
Particularly anxious dogs might benefit from training to use dog earmuffs (which Horowitz likened to noise-cancelling headphones for dogs), compressing ThunderShirts or medication prescribed by your veterinarian (alternately, you can ask them about Benadryl dosages for your pet).
Consider leaving your dog home from parties. If they must attend, keep them on a leash at all times and make sure they don't eat table scraps or burn themselves on a grill — or, of course, run off.
'We ask our foster parents if they are having a party or a barbecue that the dog be literally on leash in their hands in the yard, or crated in the house,' she said, noting, 'The other challenge with barbecues is they get into the chocolate cake and then you spend your Fourth of July in the ER.'
Parents should be sure to have a conversation with their children about how important it is to not just let go of the leash (or simply be responsible for holding the leash themselves).
Be sure your pet wears a collar and ID tag on the Fourth of July. Don't remove the collar during the ... More holiday weekend.
What To Do If Your Pet Gets Lost On The Fourth Of July
If you discover your pet is missing, immediately contact your county shelter as well as shelters in neighboring counties to report your lost pet and share a photo, description and your contact information, according to Horowitz.
You can also upload a photo to Petco Love Lost, which uses facial recognition technology to match lost and found dogs and cats nationwide.
Ideally, by taking precautions, your dog or cat will stay safely at home throughout the holiday weekend.
'For adoption purposes, we think about the week of the Fourth of July as, 'Let's get pets out of shelters and into homes so they can celebrate their independence,'' Horowitz said. 'You don't want to be sending them right back because of July 4.'