JULY 4th STRIKES TERROR IN MANY DOGS, HERE'S WHAT TO DO

4th of July weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for animal shelters. Many dogs and cats act unpredictably out of fear. That's one reason why an enormous number of pets get lost over July 4th weekend and shelters fill up

Nooooo Fireworks, please!

4th of July Fireworks can be Terrifying for Dogs and Cats


Virtually nothing bothered my little dog Phoebe.  My dog Icy on the other hand, is terrified of thunder and fireworks!  July 4th is around the corner.  If your dog is anything like Icy, you're already creating a plan of action to avoid your dog going Bonkers over the fireworks.

Here's a wonderful Info-Graphic the folks at K9 Of Mine
sent me to share with all of you. Download it, Print it out & tape it to the fridge, Pin it, Tweet it, and Share it with other parents of dogs in the I HATE FIREWORKS club!



THANKS TO K9 OF MINE FOR THIS WONDERFUL PET SAFETY INFO GRAPHIC!



Poor Icy, she's a total train wreck during fireworks. But Phoebe? She was fearless!

If your pet, or the pet of someone you know gets lost over 4th of July weekend, follow these tips to Act Now and Get Them Back Home!

Are your pets afraid of Fireworks?  How will you keep them safe over 4th of July weekend?  Leave us a comment and share!

33 comments:

LaylasWoof said...

Layla is petrified, what I do is put a t-shirt on her, it calms her, I make her up a bed with water etc in the shower (she always hides there) and I keep the TV on with music. I also make sure last walk is before 8 pm and the chaos is starting.

The Army of Four said...

Yes to all of the above -- and please MICROCHIP!!!
Cam and I do really well. We came from a terrific breeder who worked hard to desensitize us to all kinds of stuff. That being said, Mom and Dad will stay home with us, windows closed, Air Conditioning on, and we'll probably do family movie night!
Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Hailey and Zaphod and their Lady said...

We are blessed that Phod is totally unphased by fireworks and thunder. He balances out Hailey's terrible fear. We have had fireworks every night for a week now (last weekend was St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec and today is Canada Day). We will likely have fireworks for the rest of the centre at least a few times a week. The joys of living in cottage country!

Lapdog Creations said...

Great tips! We live in a state where people can buy fireworks that are much larger than any private person should be using... and they aren't very smart about using them either. I used to love fireworks, but now really despise this time of year.

M. K. Clinton said...

This is a terrific infographic! Bentley is not looking forward to all of the fireworks. We are trying something new this year and have our paws crossed.

Unknown said...

I hate this time of the year! Making sure I'm safely in the house and wearing my ID tage are of up most importance. Thank you so much for helping spread the word to keep your animals safe this 4th of July.

Three Chatty Cats said...

Great info, thank you! We're all chipped up here. I'm glad that fireworks don't bother our pets.

Mary @ StaleCheerios said...

Great tips!

My parent's dog, Ginger, is very scared of storms. Luckily, the fireworks don't bother her too much. However, we are still cautious at this time of the year!

Also, I am working with a pug currently who is very scared of fireworks, though. For him, turning up the TV or music helps a great deal.

Anonymous said...

Desensitization and safe space were two helpful tools we used for our golden retriever who used to want to crawl into a corner and disappear into the walls, if she could! Even thunderstorms can provoke this reaction in some dogs, even before we as humans hear the thunder. Thank you for sharing these tips far and wide!

Jane ♡ Pawbellish said...

What a wonderful infographic, pinning! I have been fortunate to have dogs with little to no anxiety over the years. I hope Icy makes it through okay and you can enjoy your holiday weekend ❤

Tenacious Little Terrier said...

We stay home with Mr. N and we're taking him out early.

Sweet Purrfections said...

Truffle and Brulee stay indoors., My mom's dog wears a thunder shirt and stays indoors.

Sadie said...

Great infographic - thank you. Unfortunately, there were several lost/found posts over the weekend here in Canada due to Canada day celebrations.

Rugby James said...

Great info and graphic! I really liked the link you provided to help owners just in case their dogs really DO get lost this weekend! Rugby has done pretty well this weekend so far, but I will likely use his Thundershirt tonight, since it's the 4th! I'm also really big on distracting with puzzles games and trick training. Those things really help Rugby too!

Unknown said...

Great graphic! We are in the midst of it right now and keeping them as calm as we can!

Kia said...

That's an awesome infographic! Simba isn't really bothered too bad, but we keep him inside. He usually just barks a little if he hears them...other times he ignores it. It's so sad that so many dogs get lost during this time :(

Beth said...

This is a great infographic, I shared it as well!

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Sounds like a great plan!

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Sounds good to me Margaret, LOL! I'm a big supporter of microchipping.

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Oh good Lord, that's too many fireworks! Same situation here: Phoebe is totally unphased but Icy is terrified.

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

I hate that they've become so available, you can buy them at Target in many cities! I don't like them very much anymore either.

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Thanks, M.K, I'm glad you like it. I was happy to be given the opportunity to use it & share, by K9 of Mine

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Yes, so important to stay inside & have identification!

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Glad you like it, thanks! We're all chipped here too. Phoebe doesn't care about fireworks but Icy is terrified.

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Interesting that Ginder is fearful of thunder but not fireworks! Hope it went well with the Pug this weekend.

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them said...

Interesting that Ginder is fearful of thunder but not fireworks! Hope it went well with the Pug this weekend.

FiveSibesMom said...

Great post and graphic! I'm a huge advocate of pet safety with fireworks and holidays. I'm lucky my FiveSibes have always been fine with fireworks, although, our partially deaf girl is now starting to sometimes become a bit irritated by them. My shelter dog, now a furangel, Chelsey, had a terrible fear of them as she aged. We stay home and keep them in now, wit A/C on and TV, and they thankfully snooze right through them. It's good for us all to always share awareness, support, and tips to help those who are affected by the fireworks. Having been there, it can be a terrifying ordeal for some dogs. Hope you all had a safe, wonderful, and fairly quiet Fourth!

FidoseofReality said...

The more who spread the word, the better. I am so happy to see fab folks like you helping pets with this nightmare of a holiday!

Michelle & The Paw Pack said...

My dogs do ok during fireworks, thankfully. Kitsune has gotten a bit more sensitive towards loud sounds as he's aged, though. I'm always extra careful around the 4th of July, just in case. Great tips.

LaylasWoof said...

I hate fireworks big time and I think they are a waste of money also. It so upsets me to see how they affect animals and I wish people would take that money and donate it instead. In Israel this year 2022 all fireworks displays were banned to respect those that suffer from PTSD and I think that was awesome. Be safe

Kamira Gayle said...

I had no idea July 4th time of year was the worst time when many pets go missing or end up in shelters. It's so sad. This infographic is great. Very helpful. I'll definitely pin and share!

Beth said...

Fireworks can be so scary for pets, wildlife, and many people. I wish they would just stop having fireworks displays. Our dogs are not bothered by fireworks, but my sister's dog was terrified of them.

Tail Wag Wisdom said...

This is great information to help your dog during scary situations. You the infographic makes a great point about desensitizing your dog to loud noises. I never thought about doing that but I did it all the time with my horses. Crazy that never hit me until now.

I also changed my cell number a few years ago. I would also recommend that your dog is not only chipped but that the information attached to it is up-to-date. It's easy to overlook when you move or update something, like a phone number.

Great article and lovely photos of Phoebe and Icy!

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