x
Breaking News
More () »

Fourth of July Busy Time For Sebastian County Animal Shelter

FORT SMITH (KFSM)- The Fourth of July is a busy time for the Sebastian County Humane Society. According to Executive Director Joanna Barton, every year after th...

FORT SMITH (KFSM)- The Fourth of July is a busy time for the Sebastian County Humane Society.

According to Executive Director Joanna Barton, every year after the Fourth they get dozens of runaway pets.

“They'll get scared,” Barton said. “They'll jump the fence, dig under it when people shoot fireworks.”

Barton said she keeps her TV on for her dogs to distract them from the loud noises, and she has this advice for other pet owners.

“I recommend in the first place, that they not leave them outside,” Barton said. “They don`t take them any place where they`re shooting fireworks and that`s the best thing you can do.”

She said ‘thunder shirts’ are also good option for nervous pets.

“Some pets require thunder shirts, which is if they’re terrified then you can put that shirt on them, and they’ll relax a little bit,” Barton said.

Pet owner Terrance Richardson has taken some extra steps just in case his dog goes missing.

“She is micro-chipped, has all of her tags and has all of her vaccinations, so if anything was to happen, if she was to run off, she has all the identification on her,” Richardson said.

He also has a plan to keep his dog from getting scared this weekend.

“I just keep in the house that way she`s not exposed to the loudness of the fireworks that go off because we do have fun and celebrate the Fourth of July,” Richardson said.

If your animal does run away, the Humane Society might be able to help reunite you with your pet.

“The first thing that they can do is contact us or make arrangements with the girl's next door to come in and fill out a lost-and-found report and come do a walk through and see if the animal is here,” Barton said.

All dogs turned into the Humane Society are held so their owners can claim them.

Before You Leave, Check This Out