Don't lose your dog
A pet's most dangerous holiday? Fourth of July blows the rest of them away
Even if Independence Day falls in a most inconvenient mid-week slot, the holiday tends to be so dangerously full of booze, pyrotechnics and patriotism that one tends to lose one's sense of responsibility.
And sometimes one's dog.
BARC, the City of Houston's animal shelter and adoption facility, offers a few ever-so-serious tips for proper pet care during July Fourth:
- Do not bring pets along to events with fireworks, or leave them outside if firecrackers will be set off nearby. Neither dogs nor cats, nor hedgehogs nor cockatiels, like the loud sounds and bright lights, and they are apt to run away.
- In fact, it's best to put them inside the darkest room of the house, preferably enclosed within a crate and distracted with a chew toy.
- If all else fails, have a veterinarian tranquilize the anxiety-ridden animal.
The shelter also suggests that pet owners keep their four-legged friends away from dangerous human foods (that includes beer), and keep them cool with plenty of cool water and shade.
If Fido or Fluffy does go missing during the holiday, BARC suggests that owners visit the website or stop by the shelter to look for a lost pet. Apparently, plenty of people lose their pets on the Fourth of July.
