Studer Community Institute

Keep pets safe this Fourth of July

July 1, 2015
/ Ron Stallcup
/ video

The Fourth of July is a time of celebration. It's all about food, family, fun and fireworks. However, it could be a dangerous and frightening time for your dog. Learn how to keep your dog safe during the holiday festivities. Animal Services Manager John Robinson shared the following tips to make sure your Fourth is fun for the whole family (even the furry members): • Make sure your pets are safe at home, secured indoors during the holiday, especially during fireworks. Make sure your pets have identification. • An implanted microchip is a great way to insure your pets get back home. Always make sure to keep your microchip information up to date. • Escambia County residents are required to keep a county license on their pet. The shelter can locate the owner of a pet based on this license information. • Identification tags, with current contact information on them, attached to a collar can be the quickest way to get your pet back home. • Make sure you have a recent photo of your pet. • Be careful to not leave alcoholic drinks unattended around pets. Consuming alcohol can cause a lot of medical issues for an animal. • If you are having a party with lots of guests coming and going, it is a good idea to put your pets in a closed off area of the house where they can be safe. This will prevent them from escaping, reduce stress from lots of strangers and keep them from being exposed to any dangers. • Make sure that dogs and cats are not being fed party foods as there are many that can be dangerous because of bones or ingredients. Also, a variety of strange foods can cause digestive upset. • Glow sticks and fireworks are not safe for pets. Unused fireworks can be dangerous if ingested. Never take your dog to a firework display! • If your dog has firework anxiety, put him in a quiet room in the house with a TV or a radio playing softly to drown out the noise. • Do not leave your pet in a car in this heat, regardless of whether it is running or not. • Keep all of the following out of reach of your pets: lighter fluid, sunscreen, citronella, mosquito coils, and other insect repellents not labeled for pets.

The Escambia County Animal Shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, please call (850) 595-3075 or email [email protected]. Stay in the know by following @MyEscambiaPets on Twitter.

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Keep pets safe this Fourth of July

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