How To Keep Fido Safe On The Fourth

PITTSBURGH, PA - For most people the Fourth of July is characterized by food, fun and fireworks. But for pets, the holiday can provoke fear and prompt flight.

More pets go missing around Independence Day than any other time of the year, according to Pet Amber Alert, a lost pet finder that uses phone and fax broadcasts to help lost pets find their way back home. In fact, animal control officials across the country report a 30 to 60 percent increase in lost pets each year between July 4 and July 6.

“Sadly, only 14 percent of lost pets are returned to their owners,” company founder Mark Jakubczak said. “And worse, 30 to 60 percent of lost pets are euthanized because they cannot be properly identified and returned to their owners.”

Animal Friends in Ohio Township advises leaving pets in a calm place where they won’t be exposed to the panic that can be triggered by pyrotechnics.

Animal Friends also recommends:

• To prevent any escapes, ensure that your pets are contained to areas where they will be safe and unable to wander out of your home or yard unsupervised.

• Be sure that your pet is wearing a collar with legible and updated contact information at all times. In the event an escape does occur, proper identification will allow neighbors, animal control and law enforcement agencies to contact you if your pet is found.

• If your pet does run away, enlist family, friends and neighbors to hang fliers and post photos and information on online message boards. Social media is a particularly powerful tool to reach a large number of people and quickly locate a lost pet. Be sure to send a photo of the pet along with your contact information to local animal shelters so that you can be notified if your pet is brought in.

• If your pet goes missing or if you have found a lost pet, visit Animal Friends online for valuable tips and resources.

Photo by Lulu Hoeller via Creative Commons.