The Oregon Humane Society urges all pet owners to keep their pets indoors, in a safe and secure area.
Here are some additional suggestions to keep pets safe:
- When walking your dog, make sure their collar and harness are extra snug and secure. Using two leashes, one clipped to the harness and one to the collar, can help keep hold of your dog if they panic.
- Dogs and cats who are distressed should be placed inside a room with closed windows and a secure door. A screen door will not stop a frightened dog or cat. Turn on fans, music or other noise to help distract from the fireworks outside.
- Make sure all pets, even indoor-only cats, wear a collar with an identification tag that includes your name and telephone number. An identification microchip is even better, as it is embedded in your pet and cannot be lost. These simple precautions will go a long way towards ensuring a quick reunion with a lost pet.
- At home, a ThunderShirt, flower essence like Rescue Remedy, pheromones or gentle touch can also help ease a pet’s anxiety.
If your pet becomes lost during the holiday:
- Check with your local animal services agency. Many agencies have lost-and-found listings on their website.
- Post on Nextdoor, Craigslist, and other neighborhood websites.
- Put up flyers with a photo and description of the missing pet.
- Search your neighborhood and your own property thoroughly. Lost cats, for example, are often found hiding under a bush in front of their owner’s home.
If you find a stray animal, please keep them with you and search our lost/found page to reunite them with their owner.
As we near firework season, pet owners should still prepare for the possibility of loud noise in local neighborhoods. The best place for pets is inside in a safe and secure area. If this is the first Fourth of July with a new pet, it is particularly important to be prepared and stay home with your animal if possible.
Tanya Roberts, OHS Training & Behavior Manager, cautions pet owners to be vigilant. “Assume there could be a loud, startling noise anytime you are outside with your pet,” she says. “Be prepared and have dogs securely leashed at all times, even when going out into your own yard, and keep cats indoors.”
On July 5, animal shelters across the country will face the daunting task of caring for the many lost dogs and cats who bolted from their homes because they were terrified of fireworks.
