OWOSSO — The duality of Fourth of July fireworks is well-known at this point.
Humans, by-and-large, are able to appreciate the visual wonder of the annual pyrotechnic displays that signal Indepencence Day. Animals, on the other hand, typically are not.
Indeed, the cacaphony of booms and crashes that accompany the light show can so distress our four-legged friends that they may attempt to flee the scene. According to the Humane Society of the Univet States, the days surrounding July 4 typically see a spike in runaway pets of around 30-60%.
This phenomenon was recently acknowledged by Michigan’s State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland.
“When celebrating Independence Day, we need to be mindful of the health and safety of our animals,” Wineland said via press release. “The intense heat, unexpected sounds, flashing lights, and unfamiliar environments can all be a source of stress. Taking steps to ensure animals are cool, hydrated and calm is essential to their overall health.”
The holiday can be especially stressful for shelter pets — already in a less-than-ideal environment.
To help reduce the anxiety of the animals they are currently housing — and to free up space for potential runaways — the Shiawassee Humane Society has a special foster program ongoing.
SHS is seeking to pair shelter pets with area residents on a short-term basis, to help them get through the holidays.
“It’s already tough for cats and dogs to be here in the first place, but it’s even worse for them during the long 4th of July holiday weekend. This event gets them out of their kennels for a few days and into the hands of people who probably have the holiday off and maybe haven’t fostered before,” said Lori Beard, manager of the Shiawassee Humane Society.
SHS is asking interested fosterers to call ahead and speak to its receptionists about the program. Staff will then arrange a “meet-and-greet” with one of the shelter’s residents.
There aren’t strict requirements for fostering a pet, but shelter staff will be looking for signs of a good match, including home life, past adopting history, and so on.
“Obviously, if there’s a dog that isn’t used to cats and you have cats, then it’s not going to work. Or if it’s a rambunctious dog and you have an infant. It just helps to be mindful of your situation before diving into this,” Beard said.
Beard said they’ve already fostered out at least four dogs to local families, along with several cats.
There’s always a hope that participants will want to adopt their foster pet afterward.
“We dream of that, of course. But also, their neighbors meet the dog, their parents meet the dog, their best friends meet the dog … the dogs get so much more exposure, which opens the fast track to them eventually being adopted,” Beard said.
“We had this one lady pick her dog up for the holiday and, very soon after, she fell in love with him. We’re now finalizing papers for his adoption.”
For dog owners who want to make sure their pooch doesn’t fly the coop this week, Beard advises that they “do a once-over of your yard and make sure it’s dog-safe, with secure fencing. You’re safer just keeping your dog indoors but, when that’s not possible, be outdoors with them,” she said.
Wineland recommends “keeping a close eye on (pets), ensuring they have up-to-date ID tags or registered microchips with current contact information and taking extra steps to keep them calm.”
