In one of our local newspapers, I spotted a public service announcement asking for volunteers for the 5th of July. This caught my eye because the big events, celebrations and fireworks shows are all over. Was an organization in need of volunteers to clean-up debris from the local parks or fairgrounds?

Not at all. It turns out that the 5th of July is a busy day for animal shelters.

We’ve all heard the tragic stories of frightened dogs smashing through windows to get out of the house or cats acting like they’ve sniffed the nip all day long. Shelter workers are doing their best to get the word out about keeping animals comforted during the noisy 4th of July celebrations.

Their main piece of advice is to insulate your pets from the noise by putting them in an interior room of your house. If you’re staying at home this year, you may want to stay near them or hold them. Last year, my cat, Chairman Meow, kept her face buried in my shirt and her claws buried in my forearms. To be honest, I can’t stand those screaming fireworks either, they hit a pitch or tone that gives me a headache!

But in the worst-case scenario, volunteers are needed to help the shelters that will inevitably be overflowing with lost and/or distressed pets. Most dogs and cats run away from their homes in fright and then roam the neighborhoods. Well-meaning people find the time to drop off the animals at shelters in hopes of reconnecting them with their owners. The staff is then overwhelmed and needs an additional boost of support.

Volunteers can help with general care such as feeding, cleaning and watering the dogs and cats. There is also a need to answer the many incoming calls from frantic pet owners searching for their beloved animals.

For an extremely nervous pet, veterinarians can prescribe drugs to help them cope. But if your pet does run away, hopefully they are wearing collars and tags for identification. I, for one, could not imagine losing Chairman Meow because she didn’t have tags.

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