The Fourth of July ... Are Your Pets Ready?

As you prepare the potato salad and gather your fireworks for those Fourth of July parties, make sure your pets are okay before you go.

While we anticipate fabulous displays of color and sound, your dog and cat are anticipating sitting on the couch or lounging in the backyard like they always do. They have no idea that the night is about to be interrupted by fireworks. To them, the sounds of the Fourth of July are terrifying. If they could talk, your pet might ask you if the world was ending. They don’t understand that we are celebrating our nation’s independence. Instead they just want to escape from the endless cacophony of sound.

Take my german shepherd mix, for example, who ran through a sliding glass door to ‘get away’ from the noise back when I was living in California. Every year, both cats and dogs have been found miles from their home as they try to outrun the sounds.

Don’t start the Fourth of July without...

• An identification tag for your pet. Even if they are licensed and microchipped, an ID tag is important, too. The King County Animal Control office will be closed on the Fourth of July so if your pet is found by someone, they won’t be able to call in with the license or get them scanned for a chip until the July 5. Often a neighbor has found your pet but without an ID tag that lists Fido’s or Fluffy’s address and phone number, and your neighbor will often have no idea where they live. The Sammamish groomer A Fur Affair, located near , has the ability to make ID tags as you wait. Down in Issaquah, both Petco and PetSmart also offer instant engraving machines. Make it a priority to get your pet a life-saving identification tag this weeekend. 

• Keeping your pet indoors. If possible, stay home with them.  If you are leaving, turn on loud music and make sure they are in a safe place inside your house. According to Jme Thomas from Motley Zoo Animal Rescue, keep your pets indoors and quiet. A bedroom or darker room that is more isolated is good so they can “hide out” and feel safer, away from the party and people. Keep them crated if they are used to a crate as they like confinement to feel secure. D'Arcy Dent of Sammamish's Civilized Nature pet store said that a cool spot indoors is the best place for a pet on the Fourth of July. "When a pet is anxious, they naturally get hot, so making sure that there is airflow as well as fresh water is very important. In a crate, a frozen water bottle can be placed inside it in order to keep your dog or cat cool." Don’t forget that the noise often doesn’t stop after the Fourth of July. As fireworks continue to go off the next several evenings, make sure your pets are safe inside.

• Looking  into products that will help your pet stay calm. Civilized Nature pet store offers a number of different products that might work for your frightened pet. The Thunder Shirt is a pressure point coat for dogs that helps reduce anxiety. Not only can it help for fireworks but any anxiety-inducing situation such as car trips. In addition, there are homeopathic medicines that can calm your pet. Anxiety TFLN is made specifically for noises.   Civilized Nature also offers a variety of chews and tablets that will calm naturally without making your pet drowsy. "A lot of products are available to make the Fourth of July easier on everyone," Dent said. 

If you do lose your dog or cat...

• Immediately put up flyers in your neighborhood and contact the families that live near you to let them know about your lost pet. 

• Lost dogs and cats in Sammamish will be brought to Animal Services in Kent. Call the King County Animal Services hotline at 206-296-PETS (7387) and press #3 for a list of animals in the shelter. IMPORTANT: don’t rely on just calling the hotline. It is best to visit the shelter as well. Your dog or cat might be described differently on the list or there might be several of the same type.  

• King County Animal Services is closed on the July 4. Starting on July 5, 6 and 7, King County Animal Services will be open from noon to 6:00 p.m. and will have volunteers there during that time from the nonprofit Missing Pet Partnership. The ‘Shelter Pet Detective’ volunteers will be stationed in front of the shelter to help reunite pets and owners. If your dog or cat is not there, they will also give you tips and support to help get your pet back to you.