With the Fourth of July fast approaching, I want to remind people that their pets don’t enjoy fireworks and loud festivities as much as we humans do (actually, I don’t really like that sort of thing much, either).
When Joe and I have been up to Pastime Park in Plain City for the fireworks and the parade, I’ve noticed a lot of people who bring their dogs along–some of them not even on leashes. All it takes is that first firework exploding in the air to spook even a very laid back dog. And when that happens, often the animal’s first instinct is to bolt.
I can’t imagine how much scarier things must be for dogs at the giant fireworks extravaganza “Red, White, and Boom!” in downtown Columbus! Our Plain City festivities are minuscule by comparison!
Even dogs in their own homes can become frightened and leap fences, break through windows in a panic, or hurt themselves trying to escape the noises of public fireworks displays or even just back yard fire crackers.
So rather than bringing your dogs to fireworks events this year, please leave them at home out of the heat in a safe, quiet spot (crate, bedroom, etc.) where they will not get scared and end up as one more missing pet.
Besides confining your dog to a “happy” place to reduce their fears, there is a product that helps relieve stress in dogs (and cats with anxiety) that are afraid of thunderstorms and other loud noises (which would be perfect for fireworks). The Thundershirt for dogs (and cats!) wraps the dog tightly and applies a gentle pressure to the body. The constant pressure of the shirt causes the brain to release chemicals that have a calming effect. The Thundershirt can be used for anxiety from loud noises, owner separation, travel, or other stressful events. It can currently be purchased at PetPeople (all locations), Moochies (all locations), and Mutts & Co. at 7549 Sawmill Road. Buy one now in preparation for the Fourth holiday.
Humane societies always have an increase in the number of lost pets coming into the shelter and being reported missing directly after Fourth of July celebrations. In fact, sadly, it is one of the busiest times for missing pets.
If you do decide to take your dog with you to the park, please make sure they are either microchipped or have a collar that fits well with identification tags attached. If your dog does get away, it will be much easier to relocate them if they have some way to be identified. If you cannot find them and the shelter doesn’t know who the dog belongs to, you may never see your beloved canine again.
Because the 4th of July holiday is the worst day for losing pets, especially dogs, and because microchips help to get pets safely home, a new program, Safe Pets Ohio, sponsored by SAVE Ohio Pets and several other local rescue groups, will offer FREE microchipping of pets this coming Saturday, June 28.
The microchip clinic will be held at the Hilltop Bean Dinner in Westgate Park, 455 South Westgate Avenue, in Columbus from 10 am to 5 pm.
Along with a FREE Microchip and registration for your pet, you will also get a FREE bag of Lay’s Chips and a FREE Dirty Franks coupon with the microchip!
Safe Pets Ohio is also being sponsored by Peace for Paws Ohio, PetPromise, PAWS (Powell Animal Welfare Society), Faithful Forgotten Best Friends, Columbus Dog Connection, BarkPark, and Pets without Parents.
Cats are also affected by the noises. Happily, most people don’t bring their cats to see the fireworks, but, even at home, the noises can cause them fear. My sister lives on Main Street here in Plain City and the fireworks are so loud and so close that the vibrations shake her house and panic her cats. She closes up her windows, pulls the blinds, and plays soft music and runs a fan to help relieve the anxiety caused by the rattling fireworks.
For more information on making Independence Day a happy affair for you and your furry babies, check out the links below. And please take your pet to be microchipped this Saturday for FREE!
Click on either of the posters to enlarge them.
Read the ASPCA’s tips HERE.
Read a great article from the Vet Depot HERE.
Read tips from the American Kennel Club HERE.
And from the Humane Society of the United States HERE.
For helpful tips on how to find a lost or stolen pet in Franklin County, please click on the poster below to enlarge it. If you have lost a pet in Union or Madison Counties, please call their shelters to check on your pet.
Union County Humane Society: 937-642-6716
Humane Society of Madison County: 614-879-8368
We want to wish all the Cat Daddies we know a very Happy Father’s Day.
Thank you for all that you do and for showing the world that real men are kind to animals.
Have a wonderful day covered in cat hair and surrounded by all the furry faces who love you.
The event you have been waiting for is finally here: Kitty Palooza! Where else can you find love, lots of furry faces, and good companionship all in one place!?
To celebrate “Adopt a Shelter Kitty” in the month of June, the very first Kitty Palooza will take place at Capital Area Humane Society on Sunday, June 8 from 12 pm to 2 pm in the upstairs training hall.
All cats featured at this event will be spayed and neutered and current on vaccinations.
The groups participating in the very first Kitty Palooza are:
2. CHA (Citizens for Humane Action) Animal Shelter
3. Colony Cats
4. Columbus Pet Rescue
7. Pet Promise
8. Perfect Pet Adoption Center
Black and Orange and Capital Area will also round out the ten groups that are participating.
You can also buy t-shirts at Kitty Palooza that are being sold by the groups as a fundraiser. The shirts, created by Outfit Good, feature a quote from Pam Brown: “One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to Coming Home.”
The t-shirts sell for $28 and the groups get $7 from each sale. Outfit Good will be joining us at Kitty Palooza on Sunday, so you can pick up your own shirt while you are there!
And take home a kitty to love, too!
Alley Cat Rescue in Maryland started Free Feral Cat Spay Day (FFCSD) in 2010. This is their fifth year of asking vets to provide two FREE spays or neuters of feral cats to the public. In 2012, FFCSD went international. Not only did vets in the United States participate, but also those in South Africa and Canada, as well.
Over 700 vet clinics in the United States provided free or reduced cost sterilization services to 5,100 feral cats in 2013. Free Feral Cat Spay Day is meant to build and strengthen relationships between the public and the veterinary community. Sadly, many vets still do not provide low cost options for feral cats, a population that desperately needs all of us working on their behalf.
Last year, the wonderful staff at Health and Harmony Animal Hospital in Grandview participated in Free Feral Cat Spay Day and spayed two feral kitties for us for FREE.
To find out more about Free Feral Cat Spay Day, visit Alley Cat Rescue’s web site HERE.
To find vets in your area who will provide free or discounted services on May 27, go HERE. If you scroll down until you find Ohio (or just click the OH link at the top of the page), you will see that, so far, there are eleven vet clinics that are willing to provide surgeries on Free Feral Cat Spay Day. The clinic closest to us here in Columbus is Grove City Vet Hospital. There are also participating clinics in Pataskala, Heath, Newark, Chillicothe, Warren, Georgetown, Cleveland, and Gallipolis. Check out the site and call the vet offices to find out more.
To LIKE Alley Cat Rescue on Facebook, go HERE.
To read the official press release below, click on it to enlarge it.
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