SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fireworks displays are a fun way to celebrate the Fourth of July, but the loud booms and bangs cause animals, especially those in kennels and shelters, to become distressed.
That's why Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento is seeking volunteers to read, sing, and just hang out with the animals in their care at one of their "Comfort Sessions" this Fourth of July.
"The human voice is so powerful," Celeste Ingrid, program coordinator at the Bradshaw Animal Shelter, said.
Ingrid said that this is the second time the shelter is doing comfort sessions. The first time, in 2019, was a huge success.
"We had more than a hundred people come in and sit in all of the kennels," Ingrid said. "And, you know, when they first walked in, the animals were very excited and amped up. And once they started singing and playing guitar, the animals would just fall asleep. It was the most beautiful thing."
The first session between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday is already fully booked. But there is still a need for volunteers during the 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. timeslot, which is an hour and a half that is sure to be filled with noise from fireworks. You can sign up here.
Bradshaw Animal Shelter typically sees a pretty dramatic uptick in animal intake following the Fourth of July because of the fireworks.
"All the festivities are really terrifying to an animal and they have a natural fight or flight instinct, so they're going to do whatever they can to get away from what is terrifying them," Ingrid said.
The pets run away from home, break out of yards, jump fences and end up becoming lost until they are brought to the shelter.
Inside the shelter, the animals do not feel much more comfortable. The kennels are already a stressful environment, but the loud bangs and pops make the experience worse.
That's why having people on hand to help calm the animals during this time can be crucial.
"We're really looking forward to the community coming out and spending time with the animals," Ingrid said. "And, you know, it may lead to some adoptions as well. And if nothing else, it leads to people becoming more familiar with our shelter and perhaps thinking about us later when they are ready to adopt."
Ingrid has some tips for pet owners to avoid having their animals flee from the house when fireworks go off.
Here is what to do to keep you pet calm at home:
- Have ID on your dogs and your cats, and/or get them microchipped
- Keep your pets indoors during the Fourth of July
- Turn on the radio to soothing music or a podcast
- Leave the television on at a higher volume than normal
- Be at home with your pets
- Exercise them before hand to relieve stress
- Keep your pets in a safe, quiet area of the house, away from screen windows or doors.
If your pet does get out of the house due to loud fireworks, there are some swift actions you can take to make sure you can get your pet back safely and quickly:
- If your pet is microchipped, call the microchip company to alert them your pet is missing. The company can then set up a kind of alert on the pet.
- Check all shelters, websites, and social media, and not just in your local area. Dogs especially can run far when their scared.
- Call shelters for updated information on animals in their care.
- Put up flyers or post on social media pages and apps to get the word out. Sites like Nextdoor and Facebook are good local resources to tap.
- Talk to your neighbors.
- Ask your mailman. He or she may have seen your pet while out on deliveries in your neighborhood.
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