wook77 | July 4th PSA

As most of you know by now, I work for a Humane Society.

Our busiest time for lost pets is around July 4th. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.

So, I thought I might post a PSA on Pet Safety around July 4th...

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches, for example, contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing.

* Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes and raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

* Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.

Fireworks are NOT enjoyable for your animals. The noise can cause normally placid animals to freak out. Please secure your animals in an area where there is no chance for escape. If you have outside only animals, insure that all gates are locked and fences have no holes.

Don't think it won't happen to you? Here's my story -

I'm an experienced pet person. I've ALWAYS had dogs and always will have dogs.

I've taken on the hardcases at work. The ones with behaviour issues, socialization issues, aggression and any other issue you could name. There is very little that I can "toot my own horn" over but dogs and dog training is it.

July 4th, two years ago, I was fostering two dogs. Frankie was a pit mix that was eager to please and amazing. Flora was a lab mix that was super smart and placid.

I locked them in my garage as it was roomy and escape-proof. I gave them toys, treats, rawhides and food and water. Basically, doggie Valhalla.

The fireworks were amazing and I came home completely in awe of the display to see the corner of my garage door missing. As in, eaten. As in a huge hole with no dogs in the garage.

The dogs were GONE. What I had thought was escape proof had been a fairly simple matter for two panic-striken dogs to break their way out of.

It took me almost a day to recover my dogs and I'm one of the lucky ones. Far too often, the dogs are never located and returned to their owners.

Shelters and animal control will quickly become overrun with lost pets around July 4th. We do our best to reunite animals with their families but we'd like to not see that happen at all.

Beyond the heartbreak of losing a pet, it can also be very expensive to recover your animal. If your dog is not licensed or up to date on its shots, animal control or the shelter will charge you for these items. Here in Tucson, that can result in over $100 of fees. In addition, these places will charge you a certain amount per day that your animal has been in their care. This doesn't even begin to cover the cost of sheltering the animal (we charge $25/day and it costs us $75/day to house/feed the animal).

So keep your animals secured and safe, yeah? Do all us shelter folks a favour because we really don't want to see your animal with us. We'd rather they stay happy at home with you.