A reminder before July Fourth: Your fur babies don't like fireworks
Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Executive Director Anthony Sabia with Foxy, gussied up to celebrate the Fourth of July, a time when experts say people should pay extra attention to pet safety. Credit: John Roca
Some pets scurry under the bed. Others seek shelter in a bathtub.
For Westhampton resident Susan Lemonier, 68, the sound of fireworks used to send her family scrambling to find their Welsh terrier, Tipper. The dog, she said, was prone to peeing on family beds as a coping mechanism.
More than just a nuisance for pets, the thunderous boom of fireworks around Independence Day can pose a danger to them, particularly household dogs and cats that can escape a backyard or sneak out a door with an unsuspecting party guest, according to pet experts.
Reports of missing pets across the country typically spike around the Fourth of July and specifically the day after the holiday, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. It’s a trend that holds true locally, according to officials at East End animal shelters.
“Everything that we love about fireworks — the noise and the lights — that’s what stresses out animals,” said Kim Nichols, executive director of Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. “That noise is startling, it’s unpredictable, it’s scary for them.”
Nichols said animals also love to stay in a routine and when an owner hosts a large gathering around the holiday it can be “unsettling.”
In the Hamptons, where many people own second homes, pets often find themselves in new surroundings around the Fourth of July, Nichols said.
“Dogs and cats are very bright and they find ways to get out or run away,” she added.
Pam Green, executive director of Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton, said the Fourth of the July “is the biggest day for sure when pets get lost.”
“My dogs are terrified,” she said. “It’s a common thing. People have to be mindful of that issue.”
Kaitlyn Donnelly, lead trainer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, said the shelter sees “a lot more strays” than usual during July Fourth week.
“We get a lot more dogs because people don't latch their gates or they don't think and they bring their dog out for a walk and then the dog hears fireworks and backs out of its collar,” she said.
Mary DeGirolamo, 58, of Westhampton Beach, said her 9-year-old poodle, Funzi, a rescue from Puerto Rico, goes “crazy” at the sound of fireworks.
She said she's never lost a dog, but one of her friends has. The dog, she said, broke free from a chain in her friend’s backyard before a safe reunion later.
If a pet does escape, owners have more resources compared to years ago when putting flyers on neighborhood poles was a common way to seek its safe return.
Green said dogs should have identification, like a microchip, that allows a shelter to easily identify an owner if a pet is turned in. She said owners also can buy GPS tracking devices that attach to a pet’s collar or harness and sync to an owner’s phone.
Animal experts said social media is a key resource for owners trying to locate a lost pet. A Facebook group called Suffolk County NY — Lost & Found Pets has more than 32,000 members. Websites like Pet Amber Alert also help spread information to targeted ZIP codes if an animal goes missing.
Nichols said when an animal is turned into the shelter, the staff's first step is to check for a microchip. Then they post photos on the shelter’s social media pages and check in with the town’s animal control department and other local shelters. She said the microchipping is “probably one of the most effective things you can do to make sure that your pet, should they get away, is returned to you.”
To keep pets safe during the summer holiday, experts also advise:
Keeping pets in a room away from noise and guests, Using white noise from a sound machine or turning on a TV, Helping pets stay occupied with their favorite toys.
On the occasions when Nichols saw an owner and lost pet reunited, the moments typically were marked with “joyous noise” and “usually tears,” she said.
The pets were just as thrilled as the owners, she added.
“Their whole body starts wagging, and it makes you smile,” Nichols said.
Some pets scurry under the bed. Others seek shelter in a bathtub.
For Westhampton resident Susan Lemonier, 68, the sound of fireworks used to send her family scrambling to find their Welsh terrier, Tipper. The dog, she said, was prone to peeing on family beds as a coping mechanism.
More than just a nuisance for pets, the thunderous boom of fireworks around Independence Day can pose a danger to them, particularly household dogs and cats that can escape a backyard or sneak out a door with an unsuspecting party guest, according to pet experts.
Reports of missing pets across the country typically spike around the Fourth of July and specifically the day after the holiday, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. It’s a trend that holds true locally, according to officials at East End animal shelters.
“Everything that we love about fireworks — the noise and the lights — that’s what stresses out animals,” said Kim Nichols, executive director of Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. “That noise is startling, it’s unpredictable, it’s scary for them.”
Nichols said animals also love to stay in a routine and when an owner hosts a large gathering around the holiday it can be “unsettling.”
In the Hamptons, where many people own second homes, pets often find themselves in new surroundings around the Fourth of July, Nichols said.
“Dogs and cats are very bright and they find ways to get out or run away,” she added.
Pam Green, executive director of Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton, said the Fourth of the July “is the biggest day for sure when pets get lost.”
“My dogs are terrified,” she said. “It’s a common thing. People have to be mindful of that issue.”
Kaitlyn Donnelly, lead trainer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, said the shelter sees “a lot more strays” than usual during July Fourth week.
“We get a lot more dogs because people don't latch their gates or they don't think and they bring their dog out for a walk and then the dog hears fireworks and backs out of its collar,” she said.
Mary DeGirolamo, 58, of Westhampton Beach, said her 9-year-old poodle, Funzi, a rescue from Puerto Rico, goes “crazy” at the sound of fireworks.
She said she's never lost a dog, but one of her friends has. The dog, she said, broke free from a chain in her friend’s backyard before a safe reunion later.
If a pet does escape, owners have more resources compared to years ago when putting flyers on neighborhood poles was a common way to seek its safe return.
Green said dogs should have identification, like a microchip, that allows a shelter to easily identify an owner if a pet is turned in. She said owners also can buy GPS tracking devices that attach to a pet’s collar or harness and sync to an owner’s phone.
Animal experts said social media is a key resource for owners trying to locate a lost pet. A Facebook group called Suffolk County NY — Lost & Found Pets has more than 32,000 members. Websites like Pet Amber Alert also help spread information to targeted ZIP codes if an animal goes missing.
Nichols said when an animal is turned into the shelter, the staff's first step is to check for a microchip. Then they post photos on the shelter’s social media pages and check in with the town’s animal control department and other local shelters. She said the microchipping is “probably one of the most effective things you can do to make sure that your pet, should they get away, is returned to you.”
To keep pets safe during the summer holiday, experts also advise:
- Keeping pets in a room away from noise and guests
- Using white noise from a sound machine or turning on a TV
- Helping pets stay occupied with their favorite toys
On the occasions when Nichols saw an owner and lost pet reunited, the moments typically were marked with “joyous noise” and “usually tears,” she said.
The pets were just as thrilled as the owners, she added.
“Their whole body starts wagging, and it makes you smile,” Nichols said.
Holiday pet safety
- Pets should have up-to-date identification tags.
- Yards should be secured to keep pets contained.
- Checks should be done for debris from any nearby fireworks displays.
Source: American Veterinary Medical Association
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.