July 5 Busiest Day For Prince William County Animal Shelters

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — When Prince William County residents break out the fireworks, bottle rockets and Roman candles to celebrate the upcoming 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 July 4-5 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.

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.”

The Prince William County Animal Shelter issued a statement on their Facebook page, telling pet owners to take caution. They also requested that community members use good judgement and consideration in their use of fireworks.

"The animal control bureau wants to remind community members that more pets go missing between July 3-6 than any other time of year," the animal shelter wrote. "Make sure your pets are prepared for the holiday weekend."

The animal shelter also included a list of tips from the national Humane Society to ease the holiday stress on pets. Anyone who loses a pet over the weekend should call the police department's non-emergency line at 703-792-6000. Residents can also, call 703-792-6445 or email animalshelter@pwcgov.org to file a missing pet report.

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:

• Prince William County Animal Shelter
  • 703-792-6445
  • 14807 Bristow Rd, Manassas, VA 20112

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.

Also consider checking shelters within a 60-mile radius of your home.

A number of online sites help reunite pets with their owners, including Pet FBI, or Pets Found By Internet. Others include:

• The Center for Lost Pets
• Fido Finder
• Lost Dogs of America
• Lost Pet USA
• Missing Pet Partnership

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.