Whether it’s a backyard party or a community display, the noise associated with Fourth of July celebrations can cause your pet to become frantic and run away, trying to find a safe haven.
According to national statistics collected by Pet Amber Alert, an online nationwide system for reporting lost pets, the country sees a 30 to 60% increase in lost pets each year between July 4 and 6.
While there are no statistics for the increase in lost pets in Butte County during the holiday, Greggor McGrath, lead animal control officer for the Northwest SPCA, said there is a “very high increase in call volume” for missing and found pets on July 4 as well as in the following days.
“People get out and start setting off fireworks well before dark,” said McGrath. “It’s not uncommon for us to get six or more calls by the end of the night and last year we got a lot of calls well after the community fireworks displays ended.”
In addition to lost and found pets, McGrath said they also receive a lot of calls for injured animals.
“Their senses get deluded by the sound from the fireworks, and they react off of instinct to get away and run into traffic,” said McGrath. “They’re afraid. Their anxiety level is heightened and they just, right into a vehicle. Cats, dogs, horses they all do it. Those are the calls I don’t like to go out on.”
Prevention
If you own a pet that reacts with anxiety and fear to loud noises, you may wish to consider contacting your veterinarian for medication to keep them calm.
“We used to prescribe ace promazine which is a sedative but really not all that great for dogs,” said Keira Troxell, veterinarian and owner of St. Francis Veterinary Housecalls. “It’s better to get something in the anxiolytic class of drugs, which reduce anxiety, like valium, trazadone or gabapentin. These will not just keep them quiet but also calm and happy.”
If you are unsure how your pet may react to fireworks, Troxell said it wouldn’t hurt to have an over-the-counter calming supplement treat on hand. For her own animals Troxell uses and recommends Rescue Remedy Pets, homeopathic drops.
“There are umpteen calming treats out there with more being introduced every day,” said Troxell. “Obviously you want to get one that has ingredients like chamomile, tryptophan, melatonin, Valarian and hemp, to name a few, in them. Above all though, you want to make certain that what you’re buying is made in the United States so you don’t have to worry about additives that may not be good for the dog.”
McGrath and Tracy Mohr, Chico animal services manager, both have the following pet safety tips for the Fourth of July:
• Do not take your pet to fireworks festivities.
• Keep your pets, both cats and dogs, indoors in a cool, familiar place and leave the radio or television on to mask the sound of fireworks.
• If leaving your pets outdoors is the only option, make certain they are in a secure pen or kennel, not a crate. Crates, while secure, get very hot and animals left in them can die. Double check the area where you’re leaving your pet to make certain that it can’t jump over or dig under a fence. Make certain they have plenty of shade, water and food. Horses should also be left in fence-secured pasture with shade, extra hay and plenty of water. If they are stabled turn on a radio to help mask the fireworks noise and check on them regularly.
• Make sure your pet has a collar with an ID tag — a dog license is important, and can be traced back to you, but for a quick return of your pet without a stop at the shelter, an ID tag with your contact information is the best. Have your pets microchipped, and if they have already had a microchip implanted, make sure that your information is up to date with your local animal shelters as well as the microchip company.
• Have a current photo of your pet in case your pet goes missing and you need to make flyers or post on online.
“It’s important that the company whose brand chip is implanted has your most up-to-date contact information as well as the local shelters,” said McGrath. “Because so much of Butte County falls in unincorporated areas, outside city limits, and dogs can travel pretty far, we recommend you make sure all the local shelters have your information.”
Shelters in Butte County include the Chico Animal Shelter, the Gridley Animal Shelter, the Paradise Animal Shelter, the Butte Humane Society and the Northwest SPCA.
“Having ID tags and microchips can really make a difference in getting your pet back sooner and saving you fines and shelter fees,” said Mohr.
Mohr also cautions against leaving pets in cars, even for a few minutes, even with a window cracked because “Even on a relatively mild 72 degree day, the temperature inside the vehicle can soar to over 110 degrees, and an animal can suffer irreversible brain and organ damage after only 15 minutes.”
“A dog in the bed of a pickup truck can become overheated as well, and the hot metal or even a rubber mat could burn your dog’s feet,” she said.
Lost or found
If you lose or find a pet contact animal control and the local shelters. Check their websites first, and if your pet or the pet you found is not listed, visit the shelters to either turn in a found pet or search for a lost pet. If after a visit you do not find your missing pet, “fill out a lost report to keep on file with the shelter so they can contact you as soon as possible if in the event that your pet is found,” said McGrath.
The Chico Animal Shelter’s newly introduced Pet Pals program is another service designed to help unite lost pets and their owners.
“Through this program we are providing microchip scanners to businesses and members of the public who are willing to scan stray animals for microchips,” said Mohr. “These are people who are willing to be contacted by people who have found or lost a pet.”
The program is brand new and currently there are just a handful of volunteer Pet Pals, but Mohr is hoping the program will grow.
“If we have more people, in addition to animal control officers, out there with scanners, we can get more animals home faster without them having to come to the shelter,” said Mohr. “It helps with overcrowding at the shelters and owners don’t have to pay fees so it’s a win-win and owners and pets are happier.
To reach a Pet Pal about a lost or found pet or to volunteer for the program visit http://www.chicoanimalshelter.org/pet-pals.html.
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