ROANOKE, Va. – While most people are looking forward to the firework displays during the holiday weekend, pets aren’t as excited. To combat animals’ fear and anxiety, experts have a few recommendations.
If your dog, cat, or other pet gets anxious at the sounds of the Fourth of July weekend, experts recommend getting an anti-anxiety prescription from your veterinarian.
Other tips include closing windows, turning on the TV or music to drown out the noise of fireworks, or put your pet in a “thunder shirt,” which is a type of tight clothing for your pet to make them feel held and secure. You can also consider getting your pet microchipped by your vet.
“The best thing to do for them is to get them microchipped. If they were to get loose on the night of or the weekend if they are brought to an animal shelter, veterinarian, or if animal control picks them up they will be able to scan that chip and figure out who the owner is and bring them back to their family,” said Angels of Assisi’s director of community engagement, Kathleen Legg.
If an animal does run away out of fear of fireworks, local officials say owners should check the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection right away to prevent the shelter from reaching max capacity.