“And so it is going to become an issue as far as strays, animals that have been hit by cars and just being left on the road,” Renteria said. “All of that’s going to be coming into effect soon with the holiday coming up.”
Oklahoma animal shelter preparing for influx of strays as 4th of July nears
ARDMORE, Okla. – An Oklahoma animal shelter is preparing to see an increase in strays as Independence Day gets closer.
“He was gone,” said dog owner Don Miller. “I didn’t know what happened. I found out that he squeezed in a space about that big.”
Miller says he lost his husky, Christmas, on the first 4th of July he had him.
“He’s a new dog,” Miller said. “Will I be able to find him? I was so worried about him.”
Thankfully, Miller found Christmas about five blocks away and says his four-legged friend will be inside this 4th of July with an ID tag.
The Ardmore Animal Care told KXII it takes in around 25 dogs each year who run away after hearing fireworks.
“People shoot off fireworks more than just one day,” said Kasey Renteria, Director of Ardmore Animal Care. “A lot people shoot them off in the days before and days after, when people aren’t expecting it, and that is when the animals tend to run off and escape.”
Shelter officials say pets should be indoors or in a safe place with music or TV at a comfortable volume to drown out the loud noises.
They also recommend residents telling their neighbors when they’ll be shooting off fireworks so they can prepare their pets.