Showing posts with label fireworks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fireworks. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2016

Pixel's Top 5 Tips for Keeping Pets Safe & Happy on July 4th

Happy U.S. Independence Day friends! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I'm reprising my role as "Patricia Henry" this Independence Day in honor of the occasion.
The July 4th holiday is perhaps one of the top summer holidays in the U.S. and people absolutely LOVE it! But your pets? Not so much.

Dogs Fear Loud Firework Bangs

Dogs especially have a terrible time in most cases dealing with the loud bangs, hisses and pops that fireworks make. And people love to play with fireworks. According to a recent Time.com article, it is estimated that people spend an average of over $100 getting various fireworks, with many folks spending a LOT more. That is a great amount of scary noise for dogs. We've had people in the neighborhood and around town popping off fireworks for days and so my sisters and I are constantly looking up at in the air, barking at the bangs (that's what I do), or in little Dixie Mae's case, running around like crazy, trying to dig and hide through the tub, wall or floor on her way to China to get away from the scary sounds. All us pups feel like we are under attack, just like our forefather's did back during the Revolutionary War.
Many dogs and cats end up getting so scared, they run out of the house or yard, leap out of their pet parents' arms or break free from leashes and collars, then get lost forever and end up in homeless animal shelters. What a horrible scary thought!!
This year, let's keep our pets extra safe!

Pixel's Top 5 Tips for Keeping Pets Safe:

1. Bring any outside pets indoors during the evening hours and if you hear ANY fireworks going off.
2. Have safe places that your pets can "hide in" such as "blanket/bed caves", special corners made up extra cuddly, or just let them cuddle with you on the couch or chair.
3. Keep the TV on to mute the sound of outside noises, bangs and fireworks.
4. If you open a door, make sure your pet is secure before hand so they do not run outside out of fear.
5.  If you want to play with fireworks, do NOT do so near your pet. Go to a friend's house, or have someone watch your pet at another location where they will not hear it. It's not worth scaring them, just to hear loud bangs. There are quiet fireworks out on the market, and they are actually more colorful I hear. What a cool idea!

One extra note for comforting a scared pet:  

Use of a warming/heating blanket, or putting blankets in the dryer to warm them up can be extra soothing when cuddling your scared pet.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July, and I hope you pets enjoy it too! Just remember to keep their fears in mind, and everyone can have fun. 

Friday, July 5, 2013

The Joy of Freedom, Celebration & Safety - Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day America!!! As we celebrate this day, July 4th, and all through this weekend, people from all across the United States and the world spend time with family and friends at cook outs, picnics, and celebrations in towns and cities all over the place. For the next several days, people and pets are enjoying the outdoors and the joy of freedom that our country's brave forefathers fought to create.
As you know, I am an American Doggie, and a very patriotic one at that, so as I sit in front of my colonial Virginia home, I think back to my forefathers (even though I am pretty sure I only had one father) and I ponder what it means to be free. Free from chains, free from tyranny, free from living in a puppy mill. Freedom means so many things to so many people. It is a cherished gift and I salute all those who fought for my freedom, both in the past and today.
Now, with all of this patriotic celebration going on during the height of summer fun and vacation, we must always think of how to be safe, and how to keep our loved ones safe, especially with things like Fireworks and being outdoors. It's easy for us pets to get spooked, lost or hurt during this fun time of year.  A perfect example of how a dog could get lost is when fireworks are going off.
I live in the country, and some of the locals believe that recreating the original "Battle of Fort McHenry" (that inspired Sir Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner") with fireworks for an entire week before, during, and after Independence Day, is a grand idea. Luckily we've had heavy rain everyday for a week, so it hasn't been as bad as it could be.

My sister Dixie Mae is scared of anything that sounds even remotely like gunshots because, horrifically, she was shot when she was a forced resident of a puppy mill before she was rescued and became a part of my family. She actually still carries the bullet. She's a brave girl, but she gets so scared with loud bangs that she dashes off and hides. This actually happened to us this last night. As Dixie, Mommy and I stepped outside and off the porch onto the grass, we heard and felt "Boom, boom, boom!!" Poor Dixie literally ran and threw herself against the front door! Mommy scooped Dixie up into her arms, then more fireworks went off as Dixie dug her head into Mommy's arm and tried to "escape". We ran back inside and Dixie was shaking so bad. If Dixie had not been on a leash, we could've lost her easily if she ran off terrified. That is just a risk no one wants to make.
”Keep My good friends at PetFinders are always thinking of how to keep dogs and cats safe, and they have a great  "Summer Pet Safety Campaign" that has all kinds of tips and helpful advice on how to keep your precious furry loved ones safe at all times, and still have fun. Since PetFinders is the number one place to either look for lost or missing pets, or find a new forever best furry friend, they really have some fantastic information for keeping this summer fun and safe.
Some things you can do now to ensure your dog is safe:
1. Make sure they always wear a collar or harness with identification tags.
2. Always keep them either on a leash or in a secure fenced in area when outside. Even the most obedient dog can "catch a scent" and be gone in a a flash.
3. Keep your pet away from loud noises or Fireworks areas. Fear can be a highly motivating factor for a pet to run away.
Don't forget to visit PetFinders for more helpful hints to keep your pets safe from Independence Day festivities and other summer fun.
Speaking of  the "Star Spangled Banner" (I mentioned it earlier in this post) has really put me in a singing mood. It is such a magnificent song to sing, don't you think?
"O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
~ "Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key

Thank you everyone who fights for freedom, justice and democracy! Your service and sacrifice, wherever you may be, is greatly appreciated! And thanks to everyone who makes a special effort to keep their pets safe. May we all take a moment to be grateful for what we have and cherish our freedom and loved ones. Happy Independence Day!!!! Now, go have fun, stay safe, and remember your heritage and history.