July 5 Is One Of Busiest Days For Local Animal Shelters

SUDBURY, MA — When the fireworks, bottle rockets and Roman candles come out over the 4th of July holiday, local animal shelters will be bracing for what usually ends up being the busiest day of their year.

More pets go missing over the 4th of July weekend than any other days of the year, according to the American Kennel Club. As a result, animal shelters across the country consistently report a huge uptick in the number of dogs and cats they take in over the Independence Day holiday.

"With 4th of July being right around the corner that makes us all think about fireworks. More dogs go missing this time of year than any other time of the year," the Hopkinton-based Baypath Humane Society said in a Facebook post Monday, which included advice about what not to do if a pet runs away during fireworks.

Dallas Harsa, vice president of sales and marketing at AKC Reunite, said on the organization’s website there are many factors that influence the increase in animals. Through the years, AKC Reunite has helped return more than 500,000 lost pets to their owners.

“Barbecues, many people coming in and out of the house, and even the noise of the fireworks, which may cause pets to panic and they will try to flee somewhere,” Harsa said. “They don’t know where the noise is coming from and they try to escape because they don’t understand.”

Here’s the issue: Dogs have a heightened sense of hearing that makes the booming, buzzing, hissing, crackling, humming and whistling of fireworks a traumatic experience.

While pet parents can easily plan around municipal fireworks shows, it becomes more challenging to prepare and calm pets during the spontaneous displays lighting up your street. If outside, dogs can easily bolt. Even dogs that are secured with a leash or chain can break loose and jump a high fence when frightened.

If fireworks send your dog fleeing, the Humane Society of the United States advises first checking with local animal shelters and animal control agencies. Places to check close to home include:

• Buddy Dog Human Society, Sudbury
• Worcester Animal Rescue League
• MetroWest Humane Society, Ashland
• Baypath Human Society, Hopkinton
• Medfield Animal Shelter

But the best place to start your search is on social media. The nonprofit Missing Dogs Massachusetts is extremely popular on Facebook with over 60,000 followers. MA Lost Pets is similarly popular.

Also, search your neighborhood several times a day, and ask neighbors, mail carriers and delivery people if they have seen your dog. It’s also a good idea to hand out recent photographs of your dog along with your contact information.

If you were considering a backyard fireworks display this year, at least one animal shelter is hoping you’ll bypass the noise in favor of supporting dogs and cats waiting to be rescued.

Oklahoma-based Sand Springs Animal Welfare Facility recently shared the idea on social media in hopes it catches on. The post suggests buying two bags of pet food for a shelter instead of fireworks:

"Make a difference instead of a noise," the post reads.

"It's a great time of year for fireworks and everything, but the animals really do get scared, so we always say, make sure your pets are very secure when it's fireworks time," Tracy Arvidson, animal coordinator with Sand Springs Animal Welfare, told Tulsa-based WTUL.