KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fourth of July celebrations are already underway with many preparing grills or setting off fireworks.
But for those who have pets, it's important to prepare them, too.
“If your animals are scared of thunderstorms, chances are they are going to be scared of fireworks as well,” said Tori Fugate, chief communications officer at KC Pet Project.
Although many spectators are wowed by the visual display, the loud crackles and pops can be hard on the ears of four-legged friends.
“You'll see a lot of pets that are going through a lot of anxiety. So if a really loud firework goes off, and they are just cowering near you or just in the room, whatever, they’re really, really scared at whatever is happening,” Fugate said. "The 4th of July is really when we start to see a lot of pets that get lost. If they are out on a walk, they get scared by fireworks — we see that a lot. Suddenly, they learn how to jump a fence, and they haven't before because they are so scared of those noises that are happening.”
Fugate recommends a few options to help make the celebration more comfortable.
“You can do things such as putting them in an interior room of the house, maybe leave a TV or a radio on for white noise,” Fugate said. “Calming treats, calming collars, there's all sorts of things that you can purchase that may help your pet.”
She adds it's important to make sure pets have adequate identification on them in the event they are lost.
“Be sure to have a collar and tag on your pet at all times even if they live outside only,” Fugate said. "If you have a microchip, make sure that information is up-to-date if your pet does end up getting lost so that we can get them back home to you so much faster.”
Already experiencing a busy holiday weekend, KC Pet Project is ready to accept any pets that walk through its door. But in order to prevent that, Fugate says preventative measures are necessary to provide one's pet a "pawfect" holiday weekend.
“So taking these really, really simple steps will be able to help us get pets back home if they do become lost, and for your pets, fireworks are not a natural thing that they are used to," Fugate said. "It just would be best if you just leave them at home and make sure that they are happy and safe and secure — it will just help in the long run."
