Keep your pets safe during the Fourth of July weekend

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Many pet parents are dreading nighttime now that fireworks have been lighting up the sky, and this weekend, the quantity will only increase.

The sound of fireworks exploding, known for bringing joy and awe to the ears of onlookers, but that joy is not shared by everyone.

If you have a nervous dog or other animal, that noise may fill your mind with dread.

Some dogs refuse to go outside to the bathroom, others hide and whine.

And while a local veterinarian says the best choice for a nervous pet is a medication to help calm the animal, many pet parents don’t want to or cannot use the medication on their animal.

So, the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society says there are several ways to help calm your pet on what they say is the biggest time of the year for pets to go missing.

Playing the television over the booms can help tame the shock of the noise.

Crating your pet can help the animal feel secure and keep the pet from getting outside and running away.

“We get in more stray animals around the fourth of July than any other time of the year because they get spooked and run away. I would definitely recommend, make sure that your pets are properly identified, keep them inside if possible and definitely not take them to any kind of fireworks shows,” said Leah Lawrence with the humane society.

In the event that a pet gets out the door and runs, or if you have outdoor animals that cannot be brought inside such as a horse, putting updated identification tags on the collar of the animal can help you get your beloved pet back quickly.