If any good has come out of our pandemic, it is from decisions from local communities to do away with their Fourth of July fireworks celebrations. This may be the first time in many years that our animal shelters do not fill up with terrified pets. All that remains is the persistent popping of firecrackers from neighborhood children, both young and old.
I liken a firecracker to a Twitter account: there are many people who become annoyed at your tweets, but you can’t stop yourself from firing off a tweet anyway. Due to the sensitive nature of pet’s hearing, firecrackers are quite annoying; to the point that some animals become terrified.
Every year, many animal shelters post instructions as to how pet owners should prepare for the Fourth of July. If you live in a mountain State, you also have to prepare for Pioneer Day. It comes down to finding a quiet place for your pets and placing identification on the pets.
Working in the animal welfare profession, you will become amazed at the large numbers of animals that enter your shelter without identification. You’ll will also be amazed at the failure of people to look for their lost pets. Cats are particularly troublesome because their return rate is less than fifteen percent. People just don’t seem to be interested in looking for their lost cat.
Animal Shelters go to great lengths to help pet owners find their lost pet, like posting pictures of animals during their intake process at the shelter and posting them on their website. Pet owners just don’t seem to utilize the tools to help find their lost pet. I had one pet owner tell me, “It is just too much work.”