4th of July Pet Safety
The 4th of July: An amazing day to honor America and our freedom with friends, family, and furbabies! Whether it be hosting a party and grilling, heading out into nature for an adventure, attending a parade and fireworks, or just kicking back water-side, people can be found celebrating all across the country from sunrise to sunset. Although the holiday is fun for us humans, it can actually be quite stressful and possibly dangerous for our pets.
What types of things should you do and keep an eye out for on the 4th to keep your pet safe?
Identification Tags
If you plan on taking your pet anywhere with you, especially a crowded location, make sure its identification tags are up to date! This means the tags on its collar as well as microchip information if it is chipped. As pet owners and animal lovers, we never want to think about the possibility of our pet getting lost, but in the event that it should happen, it’s always good to be prepared.
Leave Your Pets Home
Even though we previously discussed preparing your pet with updated ID tags for going into public, it really is best to leave your furbabies home if possible. Loud, unfamiliar places with a ton of stimulation and strangers can be extremely frightening and overwhelming for pets. Sure, it’s nice to have your pet by your side while you celebrate, but it would most likely feel much more content in the comfort of its home.
Watch Out For The Inedibles and Edibles
The inedibles? Fireworks, sparklers, glowsticks, charcoal, grill tools, empty bottles and cans, etc. The edibles? All of those table scraps left over from the appetizers and barbeque. Basically, if your pet is around while the celebration is in full swing, keep a watchful eye and make sure they aren’t eating or chewing on anything, even those table scraps. Your pet may love human food, but its stomach won’t, and allowing it to eat what you’re eating will only cause it discomfort/sickness.
Create A Safe Place
Fireworks are loud and most animals do not like those loud popping and hissing noises. If you know that loud noises make your pet anxious or scared, prepare a quieter safe place for it ahead of time. Make the space comfortable, either with blankets or its bed, and fun with toys and treats. It may not ease your pet’s anxiety completely, but it will help a lot.
