July 1, 2019 - Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control wants pet owners to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday while keeping their pets safe and secure. Dogs, cats, and even small animals can easily become overwhelmed by the sudden explosions of fireworks causing panic and fear leading to a spike in runaway pets. The celebrations and picnics can also put your pets at risk.
Here are tips to keep your pets safe:
- Keep pets inside your home or inside an air-conditioned building as much as possible when fireworks are being used in your area.
- Secure gates and supervise your animals while outside.
- Keep current identification on your pet’s collar.
- Ensure your pets are microchipped and all the information is current.
- Give pets a safe place to hide (a bedroom or other quiet space) turn on a television, radio, fan or other ambient noise to drown out the sound of fireworks.
- You can also talk to your veterinarian about medications that can help keep your pet calm during fireworks.
- Pets should not be taken to any parade or celebration where fireworks or sirens occur. Loud noises increase the chance of your pet fleeing and becoming lost in an unfamiliar area.
- Never take your pet in the car with you. Even on a 70-degree day the inside of a car can reach temperatures of 120 degrees or more in a matter of minutes. Partially opened windows won’t provide sufficient air, but do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen, experience a seizure or even death.
- While fireworks have the potential to cause serious toxicity for pets, common concerns with exposure to fireworks include gastrointestinal upset, corrosive injury, dermal burns and possible foreign body obstruction.
- Keep pool chemicals and products away from your pets while celebrating at pools as these can cause serious toxic exposure when pets come into direct contact with them.
- Keep pets away from picnic foods to avoid toxic exposure - Summer festivities include a plethora of foods pets should not get into: Grapes/raisins, onions and garlic, xylitol (an ingredient commonly found in candy and chewing gum), macadamia nuts, chocolate, avocados, cherry pits and alcohol to name a few.
Animal Care & Control will be CLOSED on Thursday, July 4th for the Holiday.
If your pet is missing, our business office will be open Friday, July 5th from 11am-6:00 p.m. for people to search for a lost pet. You should also reach out to Lost Dogs of Fort Wayne or Lost Cats of Fort Wayne on social media to spread the word of your missing animal.