SAVE ANIMAL LIVES-KEEP PETS SAFE 4TH OF JULY

If hosting a gathering with friends, try creating a safe place in your home where your pet can have some quiet space away from your company like a room that is off-limits to guests, or a familiar crate with their favorite toys or comforting blanket. For bunnies, provide extra places for them to hide within their living spaces (like an extra hidey hole). You can also play calm and soothing music and keep the room as quiet as possible. In addition, closing doors, windows, and blinds will also help to distract pets from the sounds of fireworks.  

Look for your lost pet right away. According to an ASPCA survey, about half of missing dogs and a third of missing cats were found by searching their local neighborhoods. 

We encourage people who have lost their dog or cat to post a photo and description of the pet on Petco Love Lost, LA City Lost and Found Pets, Nextdoor.com, or Pawboost.com, to improve the chances of reuniting with their companion animals. 

In addition to using social media, LA Animal Services also suggests that individuals who are able to do so, provide temporary home care for lost or stray companion animals in their neighborhood through our Shelter-at-Home program. Shelter-at-Home expands LA Animal Services’ foster program and increases community involvement in helping animals find their owners while enabling pets to be held in less stressful environments. 

If the pet appears sick or injured, please bring them to the closest Animal Services Center immediately. DO NOT LEAVE the dog or cat in an unsafe place. 

4th of July Horse Safety

Fireworks and the 4th of July celebrations may also frighten and cause injury to horses. It is estimated that around 60 percent of all animals become distressed by the loud noises and streaking lights of fireworks, and horses are no exception being outdoors. 

To keep your equine friends safe, here are some key tips:

• Consider moving your horse indoors for the evening if a fireworks display is due to take place in a location adjacent to where your horse grazes.
•  If you will be leaving your horse outside, make sure all fencing and gates are secure.
•  If you decide to stable your horse make sure they have a thick bed with high banks and that there is nothing obvious on which they could injure themselves.
•  Give your horse plenty of hay to keep him/her occupied
•  Play music or leave a radio on to muffle the sounds of fireworks and help to keep your horse calm.
•  Ear covers can help to reduce the noise.
•  After a fireworks event has taken place, check your fields/arena for spent fireworks as these could cause injury if ingested.

 Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as we post reminders to keep these pet safety tips top of mind and safety tips or visit our 4th of July Pet Safety Page.

LA Animal Services Centers will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024 to observe the 4th of July holiday. 

For more information about LA Animal Services, visit: laanimalservices.com.