Loud fireworks and holiday parties can easily spook pets on the Fourth of July. Animal-care experts offer tips to protect them.
Precautions for Pet Owners
Consider that fireworks often start days before the actual holiday. Starting your routine several nights before July 4 can help your pet know where their safe space is and what to expect.
It’s not just cats and dogs that react to fireworks; horses, livestock, rabbits, birds, and other pets can be easily startled by sudden booms and flashes.
Large animals like horses are safest in familiar stalls or paddocks with secure fencing, since panic can lead to bolting or injury. Smaller pets, including rabbits and birds, should be moved to interior rooms and kept away from windows, with cages partially covered to dim the light and soften the noise.
No matter the species, creating a calm, enclosed environment and checking on them periodically can help prevent stress-related accidents.
If you lose your pet, quickly post signs in the neighborhood and go to the city or county animal shelter nearest to where the animal was last seen with a photo and detailed information about the dog or cat.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
