How to keep your pets safe over the July 4th weekend
The Fourth of July is a big day for barbecues and fun but as you enjoy the weekend make sure you take care of your pets.
Best Friend's Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization, has a few tips to keep your furry family members safe.
- Make sure you bring your animals inside when fireworks start to go off. Put your pets in a secure room with comforting toys. You could also put on the television or play some music to help drown out the sound from outside
- Consider a Thunder Shirt. It applies gentle pressure around a pet's torso and can help with anxiety and stress
- If you're going to give them medication, make sure it's prescribed by a veterinarian and pay attention to the dosage
- Do not play with things like sparklers around your pet. Not only could they get burned, but they are toxic if ingested
- Always keep alcohol and harmful human foods out of reach from your pets
Before the festivities even begin, it is advised to double-check that your pet is wearing a collar and an identification tag with your contact information in case they get out.
Best Friend's Animal Society says to make sure to have a plan in place in the event that your pet does get out. That plan should include using social media and checking local shelters.
