With the Fourth of July week kicking off this past weekend with all types of hoopla including the Klyde Warren Park Independence Day Celebration Saturday night, the MySweetCharity pollsters conducted a survey. And, no, it didn’t deal with political views.
Rather, it was conducted among a group that in no way or fashion could ever participate in anything that involved a ballot.
The pollsters were sent out to homes, alleys, pastures and nests on how those of the paw, hooved and claw set regarded this annual event. The results were 99% that none were keen on this night of sounds and blasting lights in the sky.
In reaching out to mediators, it was learned that while the Independence Day celebration had to carry on in the spirit of tradition, there still were steps to take to make it less daunting for the area’s critters.
Their suggestions included:
- Have outdoor dogs and cats brought indoors and during the evening have windows covered and turn up the music and/or TV sounds at least until midnight to drown out the fireworks displays.
- People living in high-rises should not put their animal on the balcony.
- If you’re out of town, have your pet sitter and/or kennel make arrangements for the possibility of challenges.
- If you really must take your pooch pal to an event, make sure that you have them on a sturdy leash and understand that once the display of fireworks gets underway, their needs and fears may demand a very quick exit for home. What’s spectacular to you can be perceived as a sky on fire for them.
- Check with your vet about their recommendations on how to ease the anxieties of the night.
- Make sure that your animal pal is microchipped.
So, why is all this necessary? According to Four Paws,
- Sounds are simply much louder to dogs and cats than they are to us humans. The average dog’s hearing is four times more acute than a human’s, and cats can be even more noise-sensitive than dogs.
- Animals struggle to make sense of firework noises as they are not only extremely loud but also unpredictable. They associate such noises with danger, and all their instincts tell them to run to a place of safety.
- To animals, the flashes of light produced by fireworks seem just as threatening as the noises.
- The overall effect is comparable to thunder and lightning during storms, except that they last much longer (up to 48 hours before and after the festivities) and often trigger astraphobia (the fear of thunder and lightning).
- Fireworks are closer to the ground than thunderstorms, so the impact can be even more overwhelming. What’s more, the lights and noises are accompanied by smoke and acrid smells.
This occasion is a true memory-maker for rescue groups and shelters with the reports of animals MIA due to the fireworks displays. If your animal is one of those breaking loose, do not hesitate to report it to your vet, your neighborhood association and area shelters.
And even if you don’t have an animal in your world, consider veterans or others who also suffer from what so many consider breathtaking flashes and sounds.
Please enjoy the week ahead, but also consider that such beauty also can conjure up a different, fearful take in some.
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