WACO, TX — From cats to horses, all pets can get scared of fireworks. With Fourth of July on Thursday, there will be plenty of sounds to scare the pets that you call family.
The loud booms and bright flashes of color are enough to scare most pets. If they aren't properly taken care of, they could run away. New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July are days when people lose their pets most because they ran away during the celebrations.
"If a door is open, they're gone, I've had a couple of stories that clients have told us about they have gone through plate glass windows they are that traumatized by the noise," Veterinary Technician T.J. Mallard said.
To make sure they feel safe this week, keep them in a room in the center of the home. Play music or the television to drown out the noise of fireworks. You'll want to acclimate them to that environment before hand because if not Mallard says they will know something is up and become anxious anyway.
There are thunder shirts for dogs and cats and also instant remedy drops to help calm your pet. If you think being in the backyard is good enough for your pet remember that if they are scared enough they will scale walls and gates to get out of the current situation.
Carli Luce has had her dog, Kasonn, for four years. When her sister was lighting off fireworks and they were on the front porch, Kasonn became scared and started acting out of the norm.
"I was scared for him because I thought he was going to run off or get vicious, I didn't know, I really didn't but he turned out just being anxious and he breaths really hard," Luce said.
Luce now keeps Kasonn in her room and she will sometimes stay with him as well if she knows fireworks are going to be lit.
Although fireworks are sold in Texas, there are cities where lighting off fireworks are illegal. In the city limits of Waco, Temple, Belton, Killeen and Copperas Cove all prohibit the use of fireworks. Contact your local fire or police department to learn more about the fireworks laws in your city.
For more information on keeping your pet safe, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association website.
