Fourth of July approaching in Thurston County

Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz with friends.

The JOLT News Staff

Well, another year has passed and once again we will celebrate our great nation’s birthday on July Fourth. It is a wonderful time for friends, families and neighbors to get together for barbecues, games, music and fireworks. 

As we all know, fireworks today are not like the ones of our youth. Today’s noisemakers are bigger, brighter and more powerful. Especially the commercial, public displays. Those ones are set off in a controlled environment, and for a set time period and length. 

As pet owners, who live near one of the largest local displays, we deal with it in our own way with Trish comforting her dogs thru a variety of ways, while Thom’s cats listen to Albert Collins “Live in Japan” with the curtains closed. 

Sadly, many pets go missing on this holiday and never return again. 

Of course, there are some things we can do to try and prevent this. So, let’s go over some of the simple rules we can all follow. 

Rule No. 1: Keep your pet indoors. Even if your pet normally spends their time outside you should try to keep them inside for any large, outdoor, public displays and, unless your animal is conditioned to the sights and explosions, you should avoid the large festivals during the display time and maybe only go during the daytime.

If you must take your dog out, please make sure they are on a leash or in a fenced environment, but please remember dogs can jump or climb fences taller than we think when frightened. If your cat is not already an indoor cat, then bring them in for this one night, plain and simple. 

Let’s not forget the neighborhood people who, usually against local ordinances, light off fireworks for hours, sometimes days before and after. They don’t care about our, or your, pets so it is up to us. 

Rule No. 2: Escape proof your house by shutting windows, doors, curtains, and cat and dog doors. If you have a catio, now is not the time to use it. 

Rule No. 3: Establish a safe room for your cat or dog. Try not to use a small room like a closet or a laundry room, or any place where they could get stuck. Give them a safe place to hide, like a box or under the bed with their favorite blanket or toy. Keep the curtains closed.

If your dog or cat is crate trained, then put that in the room as it is already a safe spot for them, but make sure to leave the door open. We have found that music in the background is good but remember, if you live near where the big stuff goes off, like Ruddell Road or Tumwater Valley, the soothing music may be drowned out.

And no "1812 Overture" as that would defeat the purpose. If your pet has an accident while in their safe room, then please do not get angry at them. Put some pads or a towel down instead. It’s only for one night. 

Rule No. 4: If you have the option, and are not entertaining guests, then try to stay with your pet. While petting can be soothing, if possible, we don’t recommend picking them up, especially cats, as increased stress levels could cause sudden moves. Cats, in particular, need a long time to calm down. So just leave them alone until the next day. 

Optional rule: If your animal, especially dogs, is prone to anxiety attacks then some vets may recommend prescription medicine, such as Trazodone or safe CBD (cannabidiol) or pets. There are many over-the-counter calming products available at pet stores, but the results could vary among individual animals. 

Golden rule: Make sure your pet is microchipped as that is one of the most assured ways of having your pet identified and returned to you if, heaven forbid, you were to lose your pet on this holiday or any other day. Collars with tags, easily purchased at almost any pet store, are a relatively cheap and easy option, but remember that most cat collars, along with some small dog collars, are now made to break away if they become trapped. 

Update: Last year, we made the statement that the trauma our pets may go through during this holiday time was due to careless owners. One of our readers pointed out our narrow view of the problem, and they were correct. We were thinking of only our dogs and cats and completely oblivious to the impact on our neighbors, who have livestock and other forms of pets.

Many of these rural areas, which were once peaceful, now have growth through urban development, which in turn has brought fair-sized communities close by. These communities then bring in local fireworks, which are lit off with no regard to the horses, cattle and other livestock, who are traumatized by our celebrations. Until our local elected officials deal with this, and not just by passing a meaningless ordinance, we are not sure of the solution.  

We do hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July, and please think about not only our domesticated pets but all of the animals. 

Paws for thoughts

God bless the United States of America.

Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at  pets@theJOLTnews.com.