Pet owners must deal with July

4

noise

When fireworks are popping, bursting and lighting up the sky, there are “members of the household” who aren’t nearly as thrilled to share in the revelry.

Pets are not wired to handle the immensely loud and sudden bursts and explosions. Stefanie Fisher, Boerne animal control supervisor, explains why, and offers tips for owners to deal with pets over the holiday.

“Bring your pet inside, well before the fireworks start,” Fisher said. “People believe their dogs are going to be OK ... but in a panic, they will dig, jump, break through a fence — anything to ‘escape’ the confusion and noise.” Fireworks, she said, are not something pets are set up to deal with.

“Their auditory system is different,” she said. Dogs hear more than twice as many frequencies as humans and can hear sounds roughly four times further away.

Mot animals, dogs included, understand that avoiding a threat is key for survival, even when the threat doesn’t directly affect them, as in the case of noisy fireworks. A dog’s basic instinct is to flee when threatened even when it’s not necessary.

July 5 is traditionally a busy day for animal care facilities across the country. Fisher said the Boerne facility will keep 5-6 kennels open for dogs who arrive the day after.

“We’ll keep them open ... for people who find dogs and bring them in, or when Boerne police bring them by,” she said.

Fisher offers a few hints for dog owners: Put your name and telephone number on the dog’s collar. A dog tag can get separated from the collar as the dog tries to flee — getting stuck on the fence, for instance, as the frantic canine tries to make its escape.

Her suggestion: Write the phone number on the collar with a Sharpie. If an owner does not want to write on the collar, she recommended using strips of duct tape on the collar, and writing the name and number there.

“And make sure you have a current photo of your pet, so if it does get out, you can put it on Facebook, on Next Door, get it on social media, and send it to us, so we know what we’re looking for,” she added.

Boerne’s animal facility, located at 330 S. Esser Road, will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Residents can contact the care facility at animalcontrol@ boerne-tx. gov, or 830-249-2456.