Oh Dog! Rumpydog here!
I know I don’t have to tell YOU that The 4th of July is the time of year your dog or cat is most likely to go missing. And you know why too- fireworks!
But maybe your friends and family don’t know that, so please share this blog post with them!
Friends, I hope it never happens to you, but there could come a day when your beloved dog or cat goes missing! Even if you do everything right- keep cats inside, take your dogs out only into a fenced area or on a leash (and always supervised)-it could happen.
Best Friends Animal Society has a few tips to share with you to help keep your companion animals safe:
- Bring all pets indoors whenever neighborhood fireworks displays are likely. Secure dogs in a quiet room, close curtains and play music or turn on the television to drown out the frightening sounds.
- Keep pets away from lit fireworks at all times, including in your own yard or street, 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 microchipped and wear current identification tags, just in case they accidentally get loose.
- If your pet does go missing over the holiday, check immediately and often with local animal shelters. Go to the shelter in person to identify your pet, rather than calling or emailing, as staff may not be able to respond in a timely enough fashion. Kennel space is often limited around the 4th of July because so many pets panic, and some shelters are unable to hold animals extra time due to overcrowding.
That’s some good advice!
Now every one of you needs to go download the ASPCA’s new app for iPhone and Android that helps you finds a lost companion animal. The app allows you to store info about your pets, and if one goes missing, helps you build a flyer that you can easily share to social media sites! I downloaded it. You should too!
Remember, the first 24 hours are the most critical in locating a missing companion animal. So don’t wait around hoping he or she will “show back up.” Get to work!
Oh, and if you see a dog or cat that looks missing, help him or her find their way home.
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Great info…may not apply here in Australia but on Australia day and New Years the story is the same..hope people get the message! Hugs Fozziemum
Oh, I meant to tell you. This past weekend was “Vet Weekend” for us too. But unlike Rumpy, Jack was a terribly abused puppy, and he has fear-agression. Of course, he’s been to the vet before, and it’s never been a joyful experience, but I find that as he ages, his fears are getting worse – not better. It’s difficult to understand, because logic would tell you that since he’s had 5 good years now, following only 4 short months of hard living, he would start to improve. On the contrary, the opposite has occurred. Well, anyway, this visit was the worst I’ve ever seen him. even with a gentle leader leash, and a leather muzzle, he was a ball of furry razor blades. I felt so bad for him – so sorry – because he was looking at me. I’m his daddy. It wasn’t the evil woman in the white coat who was torturing and persecuting him, it was me. Finally, I made them stop, and they gave me some Acepromazine. I’m supposed to dose him 1 hour before we go in, now.
Two years ago a friend of mine had a dog jump into her car after a bout of neighborhood fireworks. The dog had no tags or microchip, but luckily we found the owner through craigslist. The owner and I had called the shelter too, but the shelter was too busy to make the connection between the two of us. Be careful about posting on craigslist. I left out some critical information on the dog I found and questioned the owner carefully when she called me. Calling veterinary offices in the area is also a good idea.
And this holiday is the worst night of our lives, now.
I hope all will have a safe 4th of july. I will try the app, butt I’m not got in managing that stuff, so we have to wait for dad :O)
Those are all excellent tips, thanks for sharing and I wish you a happy 4th of July!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
I am not afraid of firecrackers, so I’ll be fine. Mom and I will stay on the lookout for pets that seem lost or scared. That’s a great tip! Thanks!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
“way back when” i for one (and i think the whole family) LOVED the firewerx part of the holiday. in the intervening years, what with more dogs, cats, horses, we now DREAD that aspect of the holiday (and in our town, a few other holidaze …). we’ll keep the dogs close this weekend, and try to find all the cats to put ’em inside when we leave. (we used to worry about the horses, especially when one ran half-way through the fence once. but we gave ’em away …) sigh.
Sadly, we pray for rain every firecracker holiday. Sidney has trouble handling the noise. We have a Thundershirt, Rescue Remedy, and have tried Adaptil with little success.
This is great advice during a tough time for many. Please take care and think of your pets this weekend.
Great tips! Thank you very much Rumpy and June Buggie!