To dogs, cats, and other animals, Independence Day may seem more like War of the Worlds than a summertime celebration. Noisy Fourth of July fireworks are frightening to animals, who don’t realize that the explosions are entertainment, not danger. After
To dogs, cats, and other animals, Independence Day may seem more like War of the Worlds than a summertime celebration. Noisy Fourth of July fireworks are frightening to animals, who don’t realize that the explosions are entertainment, not danger.
After fireworks displays, animal shelters nationwide report an increased number of lost animal companions. Many of these animals panic and jump over fences or break chains, and others even jump through plate-glass windows to get away from the terrifying sounds. Lucky animals are reunited with their families, but others are never found, and some suffer serious injuries or even death from their attempts to escape from the noise. Many dogs and other animals are taken to animal shelters with bloody paws from running, torn skin from breaking through wooden fences, or other injuries from dashing into the road and being hit by a car.
PETA encourages everyone to take the following precautions to ensure the comfort and safety of their animal companions:
• Keep cats and dogs inside during fireworks displays, and if possible, stay with them.
• Leave your animals at home during the celebrations; never take them with you to watch fireworks displays!
• Never leave animals tethered or chained outside—they can hang themselves if they leap over a fence while trying to run from the noise.
• Close your windows and curtains. Turn on a radio that’s tuned to a classical music station, or turn on the TV to help drown out the sound of the fireworks.
• Make sure that your animal companion is wearing a collar or harness with an up-to-date identification tag—just in case.
