Food. Fireworks. Fun. That’s the scenario for millions of people who celebrate U.S. Independence Day on July 4, one of the year’s liveliest holidays.
Unfortunately, for pets that get frightened during the festivities, it can be anything but a celebration. Driven by a fearful reaction to fireworks and other loud sights and sounds, dogs and cats that flee from their homes often end up in municipal animal shelters.
“Nationwide, July 4 weekend is the busiest shelter intake time of the year. So, while many of us are celebrating a holiday, the shelters will be flooded with pets, many of which will never find their way home,” said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. “In order to avoid this heartbreaking scenario, we encourage owners to make the holiday as safe as possible for their pets.”
The Best Friends Animal Society offers the following tips to help keep your pets safe over the holiday weekend:
» Bring all pets indoors whenever neighborhood fireworks displays are likely. Secure dogs in a room and play music or turn on the television to drown out the frightening sounds.
» Keep pets away from lit fireworks at all times, including your own backyard, as some will chase after the bright moving objects and are at risk to be burned or blinded in the process.
» Ensure that pets are wearing current identification tags.
» For the ultimate identification protection, all pets should be microchipped so that they can scanned at an animal shelter or veterinary office.
» If your pet does go missing over the holiday, check with local animal shelters immediately. Go to the shelter in person to identify your pet, rather than calling or emailing the shelter, as staff may not be able to respond in a timely enough fashion to ensure your pet’s safety.
To maximize lifesaving efforts in July, the Best Friends Animal Society and the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society are offering $25 “Celebrate Freedom” adoptions. All adult cats and all dogs heavier than 40 pounds will qualify for the $25 promotion throughout the entire month of July.
“The Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society is thrilled to be a part of this celebration to help find homeless pets forever families in this critical time,” said Emily Grossheider, executive director at the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society, “We have dozens of animals patiently waiting-and we know we have the community dedicated to finding them homes!”
The Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society is a participating member of the No More Homeless Pets Network, a program of Best Friends Animal Society that offers help and support to animal rescue groups that save lives in their communities. The Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society is the valley’s only animal shelter that provides pet adoptions, low-cost spay and neuter, clinic services, and more. The SYVHS hopes to see the day where all animals have healthy and happy homes. For more information, please “Like” your Humane Society on Facebook by clicking here.
“Adoption isn’t just the most humane option when adding a four-legged member to your family, it’s convenient and cost-effective, too,” Castle said. “Our hope is that potential adopters will band together with The Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society to declare this Fourth as Inde-Pet-Dence Day for shelter pets in their community.”
— Emily Grossheider is executive director of the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society.