Tips from Lubbock Animal Services on keeping pets safe on 4th of July

LUBBOCK, Texas — Fourth of July celebration is a day away and firework festivities can trigger many stresses in pets causing them to runway.

Associate Director at the Lubbock Animal Services, Taylor Ruggles spoke with EverythingLubbock.com on how you can keep your fur babies safe during the 4th of July.

Ruggles said if you know loud noises stress your pets it is best they are kept in a safe space where they are comfortable.

Another advice Ruggles gave to drown out the late night celebration was to play white noises or put on a TV show for your pets. Items that comfort your furry friends such as their favorite toy or blanket should be kept near to help keep them calm.

Medication prescribed from your pet’s veterinarian can also be an option if fireworks are an immediate stressor for your fur baby, said Ruggles.

When pets are stressed it can bring up gastrointestinal problems causing upset stomachs or even a suppressed appetite.

Ruggles suggested, to avoid your pet from not eating due to an upset stomach, feed them prior to firework festivities. Additionally, she said to make sure your pets don’t get into human foods which may cause more GI problems.

A big issue LAS sees during this holiday is an increase of taking in animals that run away as a result of fireworks.

“We do see a bit of an uptick of missing animals and get calls for it,” said Ruggles

She emphasized the importance pets wearing collars with an updated tag information in case they do run away.

Another helpful form of identification is to get your pets microchipped in case they are found and turned into LAS. If your pet is already microchipped, Ruggles said to make sure their microchip information is up to date.

“Just in case they do end up getting picked up, we know who they belong to,” said Ruggles.

To help keep your pets safe during the holiday celebration, a social media post from LAS mentioned it will offer free microchips for all pets the rest of the week.

To decrease the possibility of your pets running away, she emphasized to ensure all gates, doors, windows and fence holes are closed/patched.

Ruggles added to try and not let your pets out when fireworks festivities begin due to the loud noises.

“Let your dogs out earlier in the day. This helps them avoid being out when fireworks are going off,” Ruggles said.

Before leaving your home to celebrate 4th of July, Ruggles advised to take a current photo of your pet with their collar on for identification.

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