Pets: Fourth of July dog and pet safety to keep in mind this holiday

I personally love this time of year and plan to spend it outside with Assistance Dog Storm as much as I can, so don't in any way take this is a negative post to scare you. I just feel its important to remind people about a few safety tips this time of year that we may not have thought of for a while.

The number one thing to remember during this time of year is to be careful and smart when handling fireworks. Careless use of fireworks has lead to many people burning down homes, losing body parts, or harming their animals. Always handle explosives with the respect they deserve. They are fun to look at, but we must always remember that they are not toys.

When it comes to your animals, I do want to share with you a few more tips that will help them get though the holidays just as healthy as they went into it. These don’t just apply to dogs, but to every house hold pet that you may have.

The first is, in all honesty, it is better to leave your pet inside when there are fireworks around. While it personally gives me comfort to have my pets around me when I’m outside, they just don’t know how to behave around explosives.

I’ve seen dogs who get terrified from the loud noise, dogs who chase and try to catch fireworks, and dogs whose curiosity gets the best of them and who will smell lit fireworks. None of these things are going to create positive situations and can quickly turn into a tragedy.

Bringing your animal around explosives just isn’t smart thinking.

Since you should most likely leave your dog or other pets at home, there are a few things you can do for them to give them a comfortable night.

1. Have your animal in a room with few or no windows. The sudden flashes from fireworks getting set off can startle and upset quite a few pets.
2. Put on soft music or a TV so that the sudden bangs from fireworks don’t upset your pets. Anything that is usually making noise at home and can help cover up the booms and bangs will help your pets see this as just any old night
3. Make sure your pets get plenty of exercise the day you know fireworks are going to be around. The idea here is to get your pets worn out and ready to call it a night before most of the partying starts.

While we love Independence Day and the fun it brings, for most of our animals, it's best if they do not have any idea anything is going on at all.

The final pet tip — make sure that the day after after fireworks have gone off you are on your guard. As the old saying goes, “What goes up, must come down,” and this applies to fireworks.

Used fireworks still contain chemicals that are dangerous to your pets, so make sure they do not try to eat any of the leftover components that may be laying around. Spent fireworks lying around are dangerous to both domestic and wild animals, so take a little time and collect them from the night before to avoid accidents.

Thinking about your pets is a huge job as always, but I also want to remind you to look out for yourself this holiday. Always remember that your Uncle Fred, while fun at a barbecue, is not in fact a trained firework handler, so don’t trust that everything will always go as planned.

• Don’t let people who have been drinking set off fireworks. This is a no-brainer, but we all know this rule does not always get followed.


• Have a fire extinguisher or a hose at the ready in any area fireworks are being used in. This can help stop a small fire before it can spread to your home or someone else's.
  
• Make sure you know the number for your local fire department or emergency response in case anything should happen.


• Keep track of all children and pets who might be outside at the time. Its much better to have everyone accounted for then screaming “DUCK” and hoping for the best.

While I have pointed out some hazards to watch out for this holiday, don't forget to enjoy yourself. I love fireworks and the shows that many places put on for us to all enjoy. I just hate to think of anyone getting hurt or injured on a day that is meant to be celebrated.

Storm and I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Independence Day.

Ron Wiedbusch is a regular contributor to AnnArbor.com's pets section and works in the community to raise awareness about Assistance and Therapy Dogs and the Americans with Disabilities Act with his certified Assistance, Service, Rescue and Therapy Dog, Storm. The pair can be found at various places in the community throughout the week, and each day patrolling the area around Ypsilanti Public Schools as part of the Safe Schools Program.