While the bombs are bursting in air all over America this Fourth of July, pets everywhere will be in agony. Many unfortunate beasts, victims of noise phobia, will be crashing through plate-glass windows, smashing past screen doors, disrupting Venetian blinds, and in general making hasty and destructive tracks between themselves and the loud, menacing sounds of fireworks. And the cacophonous celebration may go on for days and days,
The days surrounding the Fourth of July consistently see the highest surge in stray animal intakes nationwide. Data from Shelter Animals Count confirms that shelters experience a 30 percent to 60 percent increase in lost pets, making July 5th the busiest day of the year for lost dogs and cats. “This data is critical to highlight because it reveals a clear and consistent trend,” said Tori Fugate, Director of Communications at Shelter Animals Count. “By showing a clear increase in lost dogs around the holiday, the data helps shelters and rescues better prepare for the seasonal spike and respond effectively. It also underscores the importance of asking the community for their support during this time to help reunite lost pets with their families quickly and reduce strain on shelter resources.”
A trend in recent years is the banning of fireworks in some neighborhoods, cities and counties such as Portland, Oregon; San Jose, California; Detroit, Michigan; and King County, Washington. New York State completely bans all consumer fireworks that fly, explode or shoot into the air, such as firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets and aerial devices. While non-aerial “sparkling devices” are legalized statewide for those 18 and older, many local jurisdictions ban them entirely.
Most recently, The Netherlands has passed legislation to implement a nationwide ban on most consumer fireworks. Their big fireworks day is of course not July 4 but New Year’s Eve, when individuals buy and set off pyrotechnics. Moving forward, the focus will shift entirely to professional and organized municipal displays. Lawmakers enacted the legislation to protect public safety, reduce the severe strain on emergency services and hospitals and minimize air and noise pollution. Animal welfare groups heavily advocated for the ban, citing the extreme trauma, panic and escape attempts experienced by pets and wildlife every year.
Multiple studies show that a large percentage of dogs — more than half — exhibit observable signs of fear from fireworks. Perhaps because of their sensitive hearing, dogs seem to be terrified by noise: firecrackers, cars backfiring, thunder. Cats can be frightened, too, but being more sedentary, they don’t hurt themselves the way dogs might. While some dogs will simply crawl onto a warm, reassuring lap and refuse to move, slink under a bed, hide in a closet or shudder in a corner, others will take active measures. Fourth of July animal ailments include: nails and teeth broken or torn in an effort to gain freedom from wire kennel crates or enclosed rooms; bloodied paws from trying to dig under doors or walls; lacerations from window blinds, broken glass, or screen doors and diarrhea from the nervousness (or partaking of too many holiday food scraps). And many animals who do escape become hopelessly lost.
A survey of companion rabbits and guinea pig guardians found that a significant number of these animals also appeared to exhibit stress responses during fireworks displays.
There have been numerous reports of horses being fatally injured after being “spooked” by fireworks. Cows have even been known to stampede in response to the frightening sounds.
Companion animals aren’t the only ones affected by fireworks. Farm and wild animals, including birds, have been lost, injured, or killed during fireworks displays. Animals bolting in panic are at risk of becoming disoriented, running or flying into objects, and facing other perils. In Rome, New Year’s fireworks heralding the arrival of 2021 were met with mass bird deaths of an unknown cause. “We know what to expect, but wildlife don’t,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes, adding that “[t]he abrupt lights and sounds are often seen as a threat by nesting bald eagles and easily startle great blue herons and other colonial nesting birds.”
Many humans are also bothered by fireworks, including people with post-traumatic stress disorder, those on the autism spectrum, and others with sensory processing challenges.
To help prevent the post-holiday surge, shelters and vets across the country are urging pet owners to take precautions:
- Keep pets indoors. Locate them in a quiet, interior room with a TV, fan, or music playing to mask the noise.
- Secure yards and gates. Backyard parties and frequent comings and goings create more opportunities for startled pets to slip through open doors.
- Confirm ID tags and microchips are up to date.
- Tire Them Out: Exercise your dog early in the day to help them stay relaxed in the evening.
- If you know your pet gets terrified, talk to your vet about possibly giving them a calming medication
- You can support shelter pets in need this 4th of July by purchasing care packages on the iHeartDogs 4th of July page. Their Greater Good Charities Care Packages allow you to donate bowls of food, beds, and toys for shelter dogs. They even have pet tracker collars to find your pet if he or she gets lost.
