Tips for calming fireworks fears
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What’s a July 4th dog? (Hint: we don’t mean a patriotic dog, even though this Chihuahua looks pretty decked out). Here’s the answer, according the the Humane Society:
Pets often become frightened and frantic amid the noise and commotion of Independence Day. In fact, animal shelters across the country are accustomed to receiving ‘July 4th’ dogs—dogs who run off during fireworks celebrations and are rescued by animal control officers or good Samaritans who take them to the safety of a local shelter.
So to make sure your pets don’t get freaked out by the hisses and booms of the fireworks and take off, we’d like to reprint these suggestions from the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.:
1. Don’t take them to fireworks displays.
2. Bring them inside before the fireworks begin. 3. Create an enclosed ‘safe place’ for your pet to hide when the noise starts. 4. If you leave your pet inside, leave a radio or TV on to create some normal background sounds.
--Tony Barboza
