Fourth of July —because many communities are already experiencing amateur fireworks displays night after night, PETA share the following lifesaving tips. They are especially important as many shelters are operating at limited capacities because of the pandemic and cannot cope with an influx of lost animals.
Fireworks are meant to represent “bombs bursting in air”—and to dogs, cats and horses that’s exactly what they sound like. When animals hear those explosions, many of them panic and jump over fences, break chains, or even break through windows in an attempt to escape the terrifying noises.
Every Independence Day, animal shelters see a spike in lost animals who have fled from fireworks, and some are run over or killed in other ways.
Fireworks also cause wildlife to flee onto roads and into buildings or abandon their nests—and because of the excessive fireworks this year, the fear isn’t limited to July 4.
People can help protect animals by taking the following precautions:
- Keep cats and dogs indoors. Never leave animals tethered or chained outside—they can hang themselves if they leap over a fence while trying to run from the noise.
- If you witness someone setting off illegal fireworks, call the authorities right away.
- Never take animals with you to watch fireworks displays! If you know in advance that there will be fireworks in your area, try to stay home with your animals and calm them.
- Close your windows and curtains. To help drown out the sounds, turn on fans and air-conditioning units as well as the TV or a radio that’s tuned to a classical music station.
- Make sure that your animal companion is microchipped and wearing a collar or a harness with an up-to-date identification tag—just in case.
- Take dogs for a long walk or a run in the evening, before fireworks start, to help tire them out.
If you are using fireworks, please be responsible and considerate.
