CENTRAL ILLINOIS (25 News) – While fireworks are a 4th of July staple, they can scare our furry friends, causing them to run away at the sound of an explosion.
“Animals can be fearful and anxious when they hear the fireworks, and their first instinct is to escape, and they don’t understand by running away, they’re not going to escape the noise,” says Holly Crotty, the executive director of TAPS No-Kill Animal Shelter.
Animal shelters in Central Illinois say this is one of the busiest times of the year. They say all shelters across the U.S. fill up with lost and found animals around this holiday.
While animal shelters prepare for a busy few days, they say they hope pet owners will take precautionary measures to keep their pets safe and comfortable.
“Create a safe space for the animals with music or the TV playing, some kind of muffle, some of those noises,” says the Peoria County Animal Protection Services director, Becky Spencer.
They also recommend leaving your pets at home and keeping them inside. They say even if your pet hasn’t shown signs of anxiety around fireworks before, they can develop over time.
They also recommend exercising your pets, especially dogs, throughout the day to wear them out so they are more likely to sleep through the noise.
“A tired dog is a good dog,” says Crotty.
Another way to keep your pets calm is to give them a lick mat or a kong filled with peanut butter to distract them.
But the experts say the most important step any pet owner can take around the holiday is to check that your pet’s microchips are registered and their collar contact information is up-to-date.
“That is one of the biggest dead ends we come up against, people come in to get animals scanned, but without the registered microchip, we can’t help get the animal back home,” says Crotty.
If your pet does not have a microchip, PCAPS offers free microchipping until the end of the year.
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