4th Of July Fireworks Terrify Your Dog; Leave The Pooch At Home

We get it: The family dog is part of your tribe, and you may be tempted to take Max or Bella along when they bolt toward the car as you’re packing it for a Fourth of July outing. Don’t acquiesce to their plaintive whining. Taking them along to experience the sights, sounds and a crowd of hundreds or thousands is a colossally bad idea.

Dogs have a heightened sense of hearing and the boom-boom-boom of fireworks is traumatic for them and they’re likely to bolt, according to animal welfare experts, who say July 4 and 5 are typically the busiest days of the year at local animal shelters.

“There are many factors that influence this,” said Dallas Harsa, the vice president of sales and marketing fort the American Kennel Club’s Reunite program, which helps return lost dogs to their owners.

“Barbecues, many people coming in and out of the house, and even the noise of the fireworks, which may cause pets to panic and they will try to flee somewhere," Harsa said in a news release. "They don’t know where the noise is coming from and they try to escape because they don’t understand.”

Here’s a tip: If Max and Bella run and cower under the bed at the sound of the first clap of thunder, the cacophony of fireworks will be “utterly terrifying,” according to the American Humane Society. Even dogs that are secured with a leash or chain can break loose and jump a high fence when frightened.

Many pets that run away on the Fourth of July are never reunited with their owners. The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy estimates that fewer than 2 percent of cats and 20 percent of dogs entering shelters are reunited with families.

Here are five things to do to keep Max and Bella safe:

• Take the pooches on extra-long walks and engage in extra play time to tire them out before the festivities begin.
• Leave the dogs at home when you and the family go out to watch fireworks displays. It’s best to sequester them inside and make a place for them where they’re shielded from loud noises. Run a fan or soft classical music.
• If you already know the dogs are frightened by loud noises, don’t leave them alone while you’re out celebrating. Make sure someone can stay behind with them.
• If dogs become highly agitated in noisy situations, consult your veterinarian in advance to determine if tranquilizers are an option. There are some non-prescription alternatives, like ThunderShirt anti-anxiety jackets (they make them for cats, too) that apply gentle, constant pressure similar to swaddling an infant, the makers say.
• Make sure the dogs are microchipped and that their licenses are current, and that ID tags with contact information are properly affixed to the pooch’s collar, which should fit securely enough the dog can’t slip out of it. This information is vital to a reunion if your pet does run away.