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Three Easy Things You Can Do To Keep Your Dog Safe On Fourth Of July

Friday, June 24, 2022 | By: Tracy Allard

Your Dog Would Like To Talk To You About 4th of July Pet Safety

There are lots of reasons to be excited about the 4th of July around the metroplex; swimming pools, brisket and gathering with family and friends over a long holiday weekend. In addition, lots of cities around the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex put on major fireworks displays such as Kaboom Town in Addison, Texas and the City of Carrollton Independence Day Fireworks Display over Josey Ranch Lake for our enjoyment. This all sounds great, right? Unless you're a dog. Dogs hate change and a holiday weekend filled with people coming and going, disruption to their normal routine and loud, scary noises in the night sounds like anything BUT fun. Read on for some simple tips to help keep Fido happy and safe at home over the holiday weekend. 

1) Make Sure Your Pets Are Wearing Identification

Whether they are inadvertently let out by a visitor, escape, or bolt out of fear, more pets go missing July 4-6 than any other time of year and animal control officials across the nation report a 30%-60% increase in lost pets each year between those dates according to PetAmberAlert. I see it in my own home town of Coppell, TX. Every year community Facebook pages are full of posts about lost, and found pets. 

The frustrating part is that when a pet is found, the owners cannot be easily contacted to be reunited because the animal is not wearing identification. So even if your dog runs around naked like mine do at home (nobody is a flight risk in our pack and we prefer the quiet versus the jingling tags of 3 dogs), we put their collars on them for those few days in July because you never know. 

Microchips are great and they're a good backstop should your pet loose it's collar, but it does require the finder to then bring your pet to a location where they can be scanned for a chip. If your pet is found after hours or on the weekend, that could further delay your reunion. 

While we're on the subject of microchips, another common problem is that either a) the microchip is blank because nobody ever registered the information or b) the information is not accurate because the owners have moved, changed their phone number, etc. I suggest that every year during your pet's annual wellness exam at the vet, have them scan the microchip and confirm all the information is correct. 

Make sure your dog is wearing their identification tags during the 4th of July weekend

2) If You Love Them, Leave Them At Home

"I'm so excited about the big fireworks celebration at the park this weekend" said NO DOG EVER. Fireworks can unnerve some people, imagine how a dog feels about random explosions going off in the sky. I cannot think of one good reason to bring a dog to a fireworks celebration, but here are a few why you wouldn't want to: 

  • It's a long night. In July. It's hot, especially here in Dallas. Your dog may not be able to tolerate hours of heat with no good way to cool themselves (especially brachycephalic, or "smoosh-faced" dogs like French Bulldogs, Pugs and Bulldogs)
  • There will be a LOT of people there, is your dog comfortable with large crowds, strangers approaching them and trying to pet them?
  • They will have a front row seat to VERY LOUD NOISES and bright lights in the sky, if they don't react well, you're stuck - literally - you will have to fight crowds to get back to your car and then traffic to get home
  • If your dog runs off, it will be dark. For hours. There may be heavy traffic in the area increasing the risk of being hit by a car. 

 

I love fireworks, said no dog ever!

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

3) Don't Give In To Those Puppy-Dog Eyes, Limit Table Scraps (and no alcohol!)

Of course we'd talk about fireworks safety measures for your pup in a 4th of July pet safety post, but danger can lurk closer to home as well with backyard barbecues. There are 3 main things I'd like you to be aware of if you're hosting guests for a party over the holiday weekend.

The first is the grill; literally your charcoal or gas grill. Grills smell great to a dog, after all it's full of delicious smelling meat! But it's also hot, if you have a counter surfer who regularly puts his paws on the counter to check out what's for dinner, he may do the same on the grill and burn his paws. If you're going old school with charcoal briquettes, you should know that lighter fluid and matches are harmful to pets if ingested causing breathing problems or, in severe cases, kidney disease. Even inhalation of the fumes can be dangerous, so keep Fido away from the grill! 

Second up is alcohol; just say no to giving your pup sips of a cocktail or beer. Thirsty dogs might help themselves to an unattended beverage which may be poisonous to them. Alcohol intoxication symptoms include weakness, depression, respiratory failure, coma and possibly death. This applies to beer as well, so be watchful, educate your guests and keep your pup safe. 

Lastly is the abundance of food that accompanies a 4th of July celebration and how it might harm your pet. Whether your dog helps himself to low-hanging fruit (that plate that someone left on a chair while they went to get another napkin) or well-meaning guests giving in to begging for scraps, too much rich food that is not part of their regular diet can upset their tummy (and nothing puts a damper on a party quite like hearing "that sound", you know the one, "Hurk...... Hurk.... HurUUUUUAAAAAGHAGHUUUUUUH gasp"). 

Further, some foods that are commonly found at summer gatherings such as onions, avocado (hello guacamole) and chocolate are toxic to dogs. While we're on the subject, here's a list of 16 things you should never feed your dog, worth printing out and putting on the fridge to make everyone aware. 

 

 

Too many table scraps can give a pup an upset stomach

All Around The Pet Photography Blog Circle

Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography is a Certified Professional Photographer with the organization Professional Photographers of America; a designation held by fewer than 2,000 photographers nationwide and a hallmark of consistency, technical skill, artistry and professionalism. Being a former dog trainer and having a thunder, and therefore fireworks phobic dog as well means that she's keenly aware of the steps needed to take to keep your dog comfortable and safe during the 4th of July holiday weekend. 

Penny Whistle specializes in both on-location and studio photography providing pet, equine, family, couples & engagement and high school senior portraits as well as corporate headshots and commercial photography services in her studio located in historic downtown Carrollton as well as on location in Coppell, Grapevine, Southlake, Flower Mound and surrounding communities in Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas.

Let's talk about photographing your family pet!
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