CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Standing under the illuminating night sky and looking up to see bright colors exploding in the night is an annual tradition for the Fourth of July.
However, enjoying fireworks could also come with barking, meowing, and maybe even some oinks, if you have pets that are sensitive to the loud noise.
The Humane Society and Adoption Center of Rockport-Fulton administrative coordinator Hailey Graff has worked for the organization for about two years and knows all too well that some pets can be more sensitive than others.
“Most of the time dogs are pretty sensitive to sounds and stuff versus, like cats. I know my cats really don’t really care about much of anything if it’s like a loud sound, quiet sound. But mostly dogs are more fractious,” Graff said.
She said some pets could have post traumatic stress disorder from hearing fireworks in previous years or from experiences with loud noises.
Graff said over the counter calming treats with CBD can hep them stay calm. She said turning on a diffuser with lavender oil or applying it to their skin can also calm them down.
She also said a Thunder Shirt, a tight-fitting garment that uses pressure to calm down dogs or cats, can help them feel like they’re being hugged.
Suchovksy said having other noises to distracts pets from fireworks could also be helpful.
“Maybe have an ambient noise in the back, have like the washer, dryer, have some music playing,” Suchovsky said.
The Humane Society said they get an increase in calls after the Fourth of July because pets run away due to being frightened of the loud fireworks.
Tia Suchovsky with the humane society suggested microchipping your pets, is the best way to find them should they get loose.
