DAHS: Keep your pets inside on the 4th of July

DANVILLE, Va. – The Fourth of July can be a rough holiday for pets, which is why the Danville Area Humane Society urges pet owners to keep their pets inside while fireworks are going off.

Every year, the humane society takes in pets that ran away or escaped because fireworks scared them.

The humane society's Executive Director Paulette Dean says even if you have a fenced in yard, sometimes pets can still get out - especially when they're scared.

She also says pets may also get so panicked that they end up hurting themselves.

"Fireworks are very scary for pets; very scary," Dean emphasized. "There aren't words strong enough how much we encourage pet owners, any pet owner, keep your pet inside."

To keep animals calm when the fireworks are going off, Dean recommends pet owners use the same calming techniques that work during thunderstorms.