4th of July Pet Safety Tips

It's hot, Don! Summer has officially arrived, and so have the dangers associated with very hot temperatures. Here are some tips for keeping your pets safe and happy this summer!

First and foremost, 4th of July FIREWORKS! During the time of June 29th-July 9th in Vanderburgh County, fireworks can legally be set off during certain hours. So it's important to be proactive.. you never know when your neighbors or a nearby business may set off fireworks. While celebrations with fireworks are exciting for people, those same booms can terrorize animals. Nationally, the first business day following July 4th is the busiest at animal shelters for lost and found pets. 

 Fireworks Safety Tips 
When fireworks begin, even the most normally good-natured or calm dogs have been known to jump fences, dig out of their yards, break chains, and even bust through glass windows because of their fear. When pets are left alone to panic while owners are at holiday celebrations, ordinarily well-behaved pets may become destructive and unpredictable. Here are some tips for "fireworks season."

• Leave pets at home and inside. Do not take them to crowded celebrations with you – they are often not permitted anyway! They do not want to be there. You do, but they don't. Leave them at home.
  
  
• Create a home sanctuary. Whether you’re home or not, set up your pet in an area of your home where he or she is safe, comfortable and sheltered from any outside noise and lights. An interior room without immediate access to the outside is preferred. Close doors & windows securely. Playing a radio with relaxing music or a TV with ambient noise may help mask the sound of fireworks. 
   
• Take some time to check that your home is pet-proof. When scared, some animals may become destructive so be sure to remove anything from reach that can become damaged or may harm the pet if chewed or eaten.
   
• Consult a veterinarian for pets with anxiety. Reach out well before the Fourth of July to seek out potential medications for lowering pets’ stress level if this is a known issue. (Do not wait until the day before!)
   
• Wrap the pet in a Thundershirt. Similar to weighted blankets for humans, Thundershirts are a sort of security “swaddle” for pets. They are sold at most pet stores in various sizes!
  
  
• If you're setting off fireworks at home: Don't leave your personal fireworks unattended, or allow your pet to roam freely in a yard where they are being set off. If your pet gets a firework in their mouth, lit or unlit, the consequences could be fatal.
  
  
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification at all times! This includes a well-fitted collar and up-to-date ID tags, plus a microchip. Your pet can be microchipped at the VHS Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic on Saturdays, or for $25 at Evansville Animal Care & Control during business hours.

Identification is critical!!

Nationally, the first business day following July 4th is the busiest at animal shelters for lost and found pets. So what if the unthinkable happens and your pet does get lost?

Identification is essential. Updated identification is critical to ensuring lost pets are reunited with their families. There are 2 very important ways to keep identification on your pet:

1. A properly-fitting collar WITH an ID tag! The ID tag should include at least one current phone number, preferably two, along with your pet’s name.
   
   For pets who do not have ID tags, the Vanderburgh Humane Society sells engraveable MyFamily Pet ID tags in their lobby during business hours! Tags range from $10-$20 (plus tax) and come in a variety of designs. Tags take only 2 minutes to engrave!
   
   
2. A microchip! Microchips greatly increase your chances of getting your beloved pet home safely and promptly if someone finds them. Make sure that all of your contact information is up-to-date with the microchip company. (You can use a universal registry site like make www.petmicrochiplookup.org to check your pet’s chip if you have the number.) Put your pet’s microchip number as well as the name of the chip company and their phone number in your phone now so you have it handy in an emergency!
   
   For pets who are not yet microchipped, Evansville Animal Care & Control offers this service during business hours for $25. It is a simple insertion with a small needle and takes just a few moments.

If your pet is missing, notify everyone! Keep recent photos of them handy on your phone, and then:

• Share those photos on social media (make sure the posts are public so they can be shared.) 
• Post them in the Evansville Lost Pets 2.0 Facebook group. 
• Utilize online platforms like Nextdoor, Pawboost, and Petco Love Lost. 
• Make some quick flyers to post in your neighborhood and hand some out to your Amazon & USPS carriers. 
• Notify your pet’s microchip company that they are missing. 
• Lastly, check local shelters in person every day. Things are very busy in shelters, especially after the 4th of July. Keep checking!

Other tips for safe summer fun:

• Use caution with pool chemicals. Many common pool treatments are poisonous to animals 
  
  
• Beware of blue-green algae when letting your dogs play in ponds, lakes, or rivers.
  
  
• Animals are drawn to the delicious smell of what’s on the BBQ as much as we are. Keep an eye on your pet and make sure you keep them away from matches, lighters, and grills to avoid fire hazards and burns.
  
  
• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended. Alcohol is very toxic to animals and their curiosity might get the best of them with an unattended drink.
  
  
• Make sure you keep your own insect repellent and sunscreen out of reach of your pets. Some brands will be toxic.
  
  
• Don’t put glow products (i.e. sticks, necklaces, etc.) on your pet. Yes, these products aren’t highly toxic, but ingestion can result in excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
  
  
• Grapes/raisins, onions/garlic, and peanut butter sweetened with xylitol is harmful to dogs. Be sure your pet is not getting table scraps at family barbecues & gatherings.
  
  
• NEVER leave your pet in a vehicle, even for a few minutes. Temperatures rise much faster inside cars even with the windows down. Dogs (and children!) die every year in hot cars. Check out the graphic at right for more hot car tips from the ASPCA.
  
  
• Keep your dog inside in the air-conditioning. If you must leave them outdoors occasionally for any prolonged period of time, be sure they have adequate shelter from the sun and fresh cool water. They also need a grassy area to lay, as concrete or asphalt can heat up very quickly in sunlight and cause burns to paw pads.
  
  If you see an animal in distress on someone else's property or in a vehicle, call Evansville Animal Care & Control at 812-435-6015 (or the animal authority in your county) to request a welfare check.
  
  
• Make sure your pet is up-to-date on their heartworm and flea/tick prevention! Heartworms are very prevalent in our area of the United States, and all it takes is one mosquito bite outside going potty to transmit them. It makes no difference if your dog is an "inside dog." Ticks are also projected to be a huge problem this year. Get your dog's monthly heartworm /parasite preventative from your veterinarian or from the VHS Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic on Saturdays. You can buy various products either for heartworm and flea/tick separately, or one product to prevent multiple parasites. Heartworms are fatal if left untreated, and are much more expensive to treat than the cost of one simple monthly pill!

Help keep your own pets and other pets in our community safe this summer!