Pets are more likely to get lost on July 4th than any other holiday. Animal experts are warning pet owners to watch their pets carefully during the holiday.
Executive director of the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Gail Barnes said she goes to extreme measures to keep her dogs safe during the holiday.
“I have to tranquilize my dogs,” she said.
Barnes said that there is an increase in lost pets during the times that fireworks are being sold.
“Domestic animals get lost, they break through the fence, they get out of garages, they bolt, it’s just not a good thing,” Barnes said. “The moment they start selling fireworks, people start shooting fireworks. It’s not just on the 4th of July.”
The best way to keep your pets safe is to keep them as comfortable as possible and look for signs of stress.
But it’s not just cats and dogs that you need to be worried about. Fireworks also affect wildlife animals like birds, deer and prairie dogs.
“This is the worst possible time to shoot fireworks off when the birds have babies in the nest,” Barnes said. “The babies are starting to fly out of the nest. The fireworks go off and scare them, they fall and break a wing or can’t get back into their nest.”
If you find a lost pet, you can call the Lubbock Animal Shelter at 775-2057. If you find an injured wildlife animal you can bring it into the South Plains Wildlife Rehab Center.
