Holidays can be difficult for your family pets | Letters | July 3

Published 11:09 am Friday, July 3, 2009

With beautiful weather and dozens of festive events unfolding, please remember that changes of routine and simple holiday activities can easily spell trouble for our family pets.

A few common-sense safety precautions can help our animal companions enjoy the holiday weekend with a minimum of stress:

1. Never leave pets in a closed car, even for just a few minutes with the window cracked. Outdoor temperatures in the 80s can easily soar to 140 or more inside a closed car in a matter of minutes.

2. Keep dogs and cats indoors from dusk to dawn on evenings when there are likely to be fireworks. Playing a television or radio in the room with your pet can help mask some of the noise. Keep windows closed and try to behave normally yourself, showing your pet that there is nothing to be afraid of.

3. Always make sure pets have plenty of cool water and shade.

4. Bones from your party’s chicken, or even corn cobs, can be deadly choking hazards for your pet. Put all picnic and party refuse into a sealed trash can immediately and don’t feed your pet leftovers.

5. Pick up fireworks refuse immediately. Don’t leave it until the next morning, as it provides shapes that are curiously attractive to pets and wildlife, and is highly toxic.

Mark Hufford

PAWS executive director