County Animal Services Offers Fourth-of-July Pet Tips
Fireworks freak out our four-legged friends. Animal Services’ senior behaviorist has a few tips.
One tip: Keep pets in a quite environment, perhaps a back bedroom, and turn on a radio or television to help drown the sounds of the fireworks, Senior Behaviorist Teryn Hartnett said.
When the booming is happening, keeping your pet entertained with a new chew toy or opening up a can of cat food are also helpful ways to combat all the noise, Hartnett said.
Also, consult your veterinarian before the Fourth of July, Hartnett said. An especially frightful pet can be prescribed sedatives, she said.
Each year following Fourth-of-July firework celebrations, Riverside County Animal Services officers collect dozens of stray animals.
"It is, sadly, our busiest time," Field & Shelter Services Deputy Director Frank Corvino said. "So many animals get so frightened they bolt and then end up all over Riverside County."
Officers received more than 1,200 activity calls on July 5, 2007. Those activity calls are often people calling about the same stray dog.
All told, officers recovered 130 live animals on July 5, 2007. They responded to 23 dead animals. These statistics do not include all the animals recovered alive or deceased from the various other animal services organizations in Riverside County. In the past three years Riverside County Animal Services officers saved 370 stray animals.
Fourth Of July Tips For Pet Owners*
1. Every year we hear about pets are afraid of fireworks escape from there homes and yards. When animals hear loud sounds they will sometimes try to run away by jumping out of or digging under the fence. A dog in complete distress may even injure themselves jumping through a glass window or breaking through a fence to get away.
2. Be sure to have a collar with an updated ID tag and have your pet micro-chipped just in case they get out.
3. If you are having people over for a get-together keep your pets secured in a crate, back bedroom, etc. so they don’t escape out an open door when people are coming and going.
4. Keep pets indoor in a quite environment turning on the radio or TV may help to drowned out the sound of the fireworks.
5. Provide your pets with a place to hide like under the bed or in the closet. Make it an inviting area by placing his/her favorite bed there a few days before the 4th.
6. Keep your pet entertained by providing dogs with a special chew toy, feed your cat a can of cat food or play with them while the fireworks are going off.
7. DO NOT take your pet to a firework show; this can be overwhelming for some animals. While we hear sounds up to about 23kHz a dog hears sounds at 45 kHz.
8. Horses should be kept away from the sounds of fireworks, indoor in a barn may help muffle the sound.
9. If you know that your pet is seriously anxious with loud sounds such as thunder, consult with your veterinarian before the 4th of July. Veterinarians can prescribe sedatives for fearful pets.
10. With training pets can learn to be less anxious of loud sounds. This process of can take awhile and is best done with the help of a animal behaviorist or professional trainer.
* Compiled by Riverside County Animal Services Senior Behaviorist Teryn Hartnett