LIHUE — Today’s fireworks won’t be the first that Nika the 14-moth-old German Shepherd has experienced, but sharing them with owner Bill Scannell will be a new experience.
He didn’t have the dog last July and recently got a taste for her reaction to loud noises during a small preemptive fireworks show this week.
“She didn’t really like it,” Scannell said. “She didn’t freak out, but the fireworks were annoying, I think.”
He said he’ll be keeping an eye on Nika as the explosions start and thinks as long as she isn’t in the middle of the action, she’ll be OK.
She was playing with a newfound friend, a 9-month old hound mix named Mele Girl, on Tuesday afternoon in the shade of Freddie’s Dog Park at the Kauai Humane Society.
Mele Girl hasn’t experienced fireworks, either.
“We don’t know how she’s going to react but I’ve been thinking about it and talking with my friends about it,” said owner Sibohan Thielen. “I have a barbecue to go to and I think I’ll bring her with. If not, I have a big open area in the backyard for her.”
Keeping an eye on your pets during holidays with fireworks, like today and around the New Year is exactly what the experts at Kauai Humane Society suggest, and that’s just one of the ways to make sure your pet stays safe during the action.
“Basically provide a safe environment for (your pet) and ideally be with them as that provides comfort in and of itself,” said Diann Hartman, president of the KHS Board of Directors. “Though it’s hard not to, it’s best not to coddle them, just act normally as if the sounds are not scary and it’s just any other night.”
For those that know their animals become agitated during fireworks, or during events like thunderstorms, KHS staff members suggest pet owners keep them indoors with the windows closed and TV or music on.
It’s not just fireworks that you have to watch for on July 4. The holiday — and the summer months themselves — brings more people outside on trails in warmer weather and with that comes increased risks.
Burned paws, dehydration, and leash laws are all things to keep in mind as we move through the summer and there are ways to make sure your pet enjoys the summer as much as you do.
“Bring plenty of water for the dog. Be conscious of the temperature of the ground, if it’s very hot the pads on their feet can burn off. Be aware of potential signs of heat exhaustion or stroke,” Hartman said.
Whether taking on one of Kauai’s trails or walking along somewhere like the coastal path, Hartman said it’s important to keep your dog on a leash.
“A dog should always be leashed so it doesn’t break the law, run off chasing something or eat something bad,” she said. “If (you’re) passing people on a trail, sidewalk or path, pass person to person, so the dog is distant from passersby.”
For example, if the dog is walking on the left side of the handler, pass people on the left so the dog is not between the people and you, the handler.
Thielen and Scannell both said they strategize when they take their dogs out to play or walk so that they’re not out in the hottest part of the day. Both of them give the dogs plenty of chances to get into the ocean and cool themselves off.
“If it’s bothering you, it’s bothering them, that’s what I think,” Thielen said. “If you’re hot, they’re probably really hot.”
