Holidays are so much for us humans, but what about our furry friends? With July 4th right around the corner, now is a great time to talk about potential dangers to your pets around the holiday and how to keep them safe.
Did you know July 5th is the busiest day for animal shelters across the United States? All the commotion and excitement from our human fun can be absolutely terrifying to pets: fireworks especially, which is why more pets escape their homes on this holiday than any other time of the year.
Many pets get anxiety from all the noise. Some will hide or want to cuddle up to their favorite person for comfort. But some will react dangerously– breaking leashes, jumping fences, even busting through windows– racing away from their homes due to intense fear reactions. You’ve probably seen horror stories on social media so I will spare the details, but suffice it to say these fear responses can be absolutely fatal to your furry family members.
So what can you do to keep your pets safe on the holiday?
- Keep your pets indoors! If you need to take them outside to potty, keep them on a leash, even if you have a fenced yard. Under no circumstances leave them outside unattended.
- If you can’t stay home with your pet, set up a safe relaxing place for them. Keeping them in their crate with their favorite blankets and a frozen peanut butter kong or antler is a good option; otherwise confine them to a small safe room without many windows like a bathroom or laundry room. Leave the TV on or music playing to comfort them.
- Make sure your pets are wearing appropriate identifation. Keeping tags on your pet with proper contact info will help a good Samaritan who finds them return them home quickly without taking them to a shelter. If they do end up at a shelter, tags and/or a chip are the fastest and easiest way for them to contact you to come pick them up.
- If you have to be gone for a while, consider hiring a pet sitter to come check on them and keep them comfortable in your absence. Prefurred Pet Care Services is always happy to help keep pets safe and calm during stressful times.
- Finally, if you know your pet suffers considerably from the anxiety and stress of the holiday, talk to your vet about ways to help medically. Always keep an eye on your pet after medicating them to monitor any side effects. You may also consider consulting a trainer for behavioral methods to help reduce reactive behavior.
These steps will help you and your pets have a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday! As always, if you need any help or have questions, we are here to help!