Keep Your Pet Safe During New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Noisy parties, loud music, and of course, fireworks – these New Year’s Eve traditions are great fun for people, but they are traumatic and dangerous to pets.

New Year’s Eve is a busy time for lost pets and in some states, it is almost as busy as the Fourth of July. Backyard, neighborhood and public fireworks displays can cause many pets to flee in terror.

Many dogs experience similar phobias during thunderstorms or when loud music is being played. Your dog may show the following signs: shaking, drooling, howling or barking, finding a place in the house to hide, and loss of bladder or bowel control.

Lost Dogs of America offers the following tips to keep pets feeling safe and secure during fireworks or thunderstorms.

  • Take your pet for a walk or play date before the fireworks start. This allows your dog to exercise, release energy and, of course, go “potty”.
  • Keep pets indoors. They may even feel safer if they are placed in a smaller interior room with a radio/tv playing.
  • Close your windows. Dogs, in particular, can try and get out of the house by pushing out the screen.  Dogs have been known to bolt through screen doors so keep your inside door closed.
  • Resist the urge to take your dog to the local parades and festivities.  Loud, crowded activities are no fun for your pets.
  • Check your fence line for loose boards or openings that your dog could slip through or dig out of.  We suggest  during these activities, you even keep a leash on your dog  and walk him/her in the fenced yard.
  • Make sure your pet has a license and a readable, up to date identification tag on his/her properly fitted collar and consider having a microchip identification inserted into your pet.

If your dog does accidentally escapes, file a report with our partner, Pet FBI at www.petfbi.org to create your free flyer and social media links. One of our volunteers will post it to the appropriate state Facebook page. Then check out the following article for tips and suggestions to help you find your dog.

The volunteers at Lost Dogs of America wish everyone a safe holiday and a Happy New Year!

12-29-2020