EVANSVILLE — BOOM! Ceerr-ackboom`boomBOOM!
Yep, July Fourth will be fun — except for pets, who are annually confused or terrified by the whole thing.
It doesn’t have to be that way, said Amanda Coburn, the Vanderburgh Humane Society’s director of advancement. Coburn told the Courier & Press there are steps pet owners can take — soon in some cases, she cautioned — to mitigate the anxiety that Independence Day fireworks induce in pets and keep them safe.
ThunderShirt
Get a ThunderShirt for your pet, Coburn advised. A what?
“It’s kind of like a baby, like you swaddle them real tight and it helps them feel a little more secure,” she said.
It’s an “anxiety vest” manufactured by ThunderWorks, and the product is intended to “calm during fireworks, thunderstorms, travel, vet visits, separation anxiety and more!” the company says. “(The vest) applies gentle, constant pressure to calm all types of anxiety, fear, and over-excitement issues.”
It starts at $39.99 for dogs.
Keep them away from windows. And maybe consider a sedative
On July Fourth pets should be kept in interior rooms with ambient noise like a TV or radio, Coburn said.
“And if your pet’s anxiety is really bad, many people get prescription or over-the-counter sedatives,” she said. “But that’s something people need to do soon, because vet offices might be busy (in the days before the Fourth).”
What if my pet runs away?
If the worst happens and your pet runs away during fireworks, Coburn said, there are ways to efficiently and effectively respond. Usually it’s dogs, as Coburn said cats are much more adept at finding their way back home.
“First thing to do is post on social media,” she said. “Post its picture, make the posts public, share it to the Evansville Lost Pets Facebook group, tell your neighbors, your mail carrier, maybe go get some pictures printed or fliers printed that you can hand out to people.”
Checking at Evansville Animal Care and Control — in person, every day — is essential, Coburn said.
“Keep on checking, keep on sharing,” she said. “And then obviously make sure your phone number is correct on everything.”
Potato chips aren’t the only must-haves for a Fourth of July party — don’t forget the microchips.
According to PetAmberAlert, animal control officials see, on average, a 30% spike in lost pets between July 4-6. An identification chip is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to reunite a pet and its owner. If your pet is already microchipped, make sure it’s updated with your current address and phone number. You’ll also want to double check the contact information on your pet’s collar tags and, to cover all your bases, take an updated photo of your pet.
There aren’t many opportunities to do all that before the big day on Friday, Coburn said, so people should act fast.
Keep collars and tags on
The veteran local animal welfare professional bore down with emphasis on her next point.
“Remind people to have their pets’, especially their dogs’, collars and tags on,” Coburn said. “You would be amazed at the number of people who take them off because they just gave the dog a bath or they don’t put them on when they’re inside or whatever.
“I just want to emphasize: This week, do not take your pet’s collar off. For any reason, ever. I don’t care. If you’re giving them a bath, put a different collar on. Put the collar back on and make sure the tag is on it.”
VHS will sell collars and engravable tags in its lobby at 400 Millner Industrial Drive right up through Thursday night, Coburn said.
Suppose you find someone else’s pet in your yard? Coburn said many of the same principles of pet safety will apply.
Try to keep the lost animal safely contained in a temperature safe place, perhaps in a garage or carport. Check for a collar or tag. Call Animal Control to have the animal checked for a microchip.
“If you have time, you can walk the dog around the neighborhood, maybe, and just say, ‘Hey, do you know where that dog lives? Does it look familiar to anybody?'” Coburn said. “Keep a lease and a long tie out handy in case you do find a dog.”
Animal Control is where most people will check to find their lost dogs. If efforts to reunite a pet with its owner fail, Coburn said, “have them come get it so that people can go looking for it there if they’re looking.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: July Fourth in Evansville: Here’s what you can do to keep your pet calm during fireworks
Reporting by Thomas B. Langhorne, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
