Fourth of July is a huge day of celebration for U.S residents, but for pets — not so much

American Flags in the fireworksDina Alfasi/ Getty Images

(Casa, Grande) Humans love fireworks. They’re a bold combination of visually exciting and noisy. Most animals probably don’t care about what style designs they create when they’re set off, but they certainly are not fans of the loud sounds they make.

A Casa Grande animal shelter supervisor, Julie Stocke, talks about this on Casa Grande’s Gov. website.

“While traditional fireworks can be fun and exciting for us; for our pets, they can feel like the world is coming to an end,” Stocke.

Stocke then details what we as pet owners can do to prepare their animals for these celebratory fireworks.

It is crucial to create a safe haven for your pets to feel comfortable even if they are a little scared. The safe place must be indoors, if possible, in a room with no windows.

When animals hear these big bangs, they will enter fight or flight mode when they are scared.

“If you have no windows in a room, it takes away the flight option,” Stocke.

Before you begin your holiday festivities, try, and get your pets out for exercise in the morning. It is essential to get them out so they can get all their energy out. Try to do this in the early morning to avoid the noises and the Arizona heat.

A critical step is feeding them a little earlier than usual, so they can go out and use the bathroom before the fireworks begin. You can even feed them during the fireworks so they can be distracted and not run away.

“Pets typically need to eliminate within two hours,” Stocke.

The chaos of the fireworks and the Fourth of July, in general, can be scary for your pets, so distractions are key for your animals. It helps if you give them their favorite toys or turn on the television so they have a different point of focus.

If your animal does get scared during the fireworks, make sure to have a proper I.D tag to protect them. The tag needs to have your phone number or address so your animal can be returned to you.

If your pet goes missing, you can contact the animal shelter at acontrol@casagrandeaz.gov or by phone at 520-426- 9300.

Casa Grande’s Gov. website provides a helpful three-minute video to watch on pet safety and links to where you can report an animal control issue if needed.