KEEPING PETS SAFE & HAPPY
OVER THE 4th OF JULY HOLIDAY!

We all love the smell of a barbecue, the company of friends, and the colorful, loud explosions of fireworks on this special holiday. But for our pets, the 4th of July is one of the most stressful and dangerous times of the year. Not only will thousands of pets in San Diego be terrified by the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers, but they will jump through windows, dig out of backyards, run into streets and be killed by cars, and many will wind up in shelters miles and miles away from their homes, never to see their families again. It happens every year.

So, what can families do to prevent this fate? Responsible pet owners will realize that even their most well-behaved dog or cat may NOT behave like the calm pet they know and love the rest of the year. Here is a list of tips to keep your pet safe:

• Keep pets away from doors where they can escape in a panic.
• Keep all pets indoors in a quiet, cool room, with the noise of a radio or TV playing in the background, to block the noise of the fireworks & firecrackers.
• DO NOT take dogs to crowded beaches, parks & parties where they can panic and run away.
• Do not leave a pet in the hot car....it is unsafe AND illegal in California.
• Don't feed pets scraps from the barbecue. Sauces can make them sick.
• DO NOT tie pets up (tether) in a manner that will cause them to panic and choke themselves to death. Tethering is illegal in CA under most conditions.
• DO make sure pets have ID tags, are microchipped, & information is accurate and up to date, in case the pet winds up in a shelter over the holiday.

Many boarding facilities specialize in accommodating pets on the 4th of July, by providing quiet rooms with televisions and radios, calming tranquilizers if necessary, and 24 hour web surveillance. For those that do lose their pets over this holiday, the best advice is to post flyers throughout the neighborhood, make sure to have plenty of photos on hand to make these posters, and check municipal shelters (those that take stray pets) every day for several weeks, as some pets may not be immediately turned in by the public. A full list of all shelters can be found on the San Diego Animal Support Foundation's Website.