PREPARING FOR FOURTH — Brandi DeNoon-Damewood, development manager at the Jefferson County Humane Society, prepares her home for the Fourth of July holiday. In addition to placing gates around the most frequently used doors in her home, DeNoon-Damewood creates a “comfy cozy” space with treats and a worn shirt her pets can go to when frightened by the sound of fireworks. Immediately before and after the holiday is when most animals run away and are brought in to the shelter, she explained. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — The Fourth of July … a time for cookouts, parties and, most of all, … fireworks.

Families, friends and neighbors throughout the Ohio Valley are preparing to celebrate the birth of America Friday by continuing the tradition of setting off aerial fireworks, Roman candles, sparklers and firecrackers of different varieties. However, not everyone loves a fireworks display, especially pets.

This time of year, animal shelters across the country experience a huge spike in stray dogs who run away after hearing fireworks.

According to Brandi DeNoon-Damewood, development manager for the Jefferson County Humane Society, dogs are terrified of the loud noise, and that, in turn, “triggers the fight or flight response,” causing them to take off and seek a place to hide.

“These are dogs that would never even think about running away or escaping the fenced-in yard unless they are frightened by an overzealous neighbor celebrating the Fourth of July — before and after– the big day,” she stated. “This makes it very difficult to prepare your pets because fireworks are let off without warning.”

“The first thing you want to do, is get your dog microchipped, which is the first thing we do when a new dog enters the shelter,” DeNoon-Damewood said. “We scan them for a microchip. If they have one, we immediately contact the owner to reunite the pet with its owner.”

“If your pet is already microchipped, you should log in to the online account connected to the microchip and update your contact information,” she continued. “Sadly, we have come across a few dogs with microchips but are unable to reach their owner because the phone number is no longer in service. Also, put your contact information on your pet’s collar. Then, the microchip is the backup plan if your pet loses their collar while running.”

DeNoon-Damewood suggested pet owners should put a pet gate around the doors frequently used in the home. “This will ensure your pet cannot run to hide outside when you answer the door,” she explained.

Another tip she offered, “Try to get potty time and walks in before dusk. If you have a fenced-in yard, we recommend standing outside with them so they can run to you if fireworks would go off next door.”

The humane society has seen far too many dogs wind up at the shelter, become lost or get hit by a car, when running away from the sound of fireworks.

“Keep all of the local shelter phone numbers saved in the contacts on your phone, and take a new photo of each of your pets to be used to get word out that he or she is missing,” DeNoon-Damewood continued. “When you know there will be fireworks, you can prepare a comfy cozy spot, such as a place where they usually hide when they are scared, since that is likely where your pet will go first. If you are not going to be home, keep a worn shirt with the cozy area to help instill a sense of safety. Turn on white noise, calming music and a fan to help drown out the noise. Busy toys and treats can be helpful, too, including a kong filled with treats or a lick mat with different flavors spread in sections across the mat.”

There are several calming products on the market pet owners can purchase, she noted, instructing owners to try items prior to the Fourth of July, in order to know if the product will help.

“Some dogs and cats are simply way too terrified from fireworks and need medication from the veterinarian,” DeNoon-Damewood concluded. “Typically, the pets that are terrified of storms will also be terrified of fireworks. Before trying holistic products labeled for anxiety, it is always a good idea to consult your vet to make sure it is OK to give your pet the product. We hope you have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July.”

DeNoon-Damewood stated JCHS has new business hours to accommodate more residents. She explained additional hours will afford people more time in the evenings to adopt a pet. The change in hours will help those surrendering pets, anyone wanting to volunteer, people bringing in or picking up donations and giving students and groups more options as to when they can tour the facility.

Previous hours saw the shelter close at 5 p.m. weekdays and at 4 p.m. on weekends. Now, the humane society will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“It has been a major issue for adopters who work to adopt during the week, causing significantly busy Saturdays and prolonging the animals time they are spending at the shelter,” DeNoon-Damewood concluded. “This is the case for our volunteers. Every weekend, the dogs get walked multiple times by many volunteers, but during the week, the volunteers cannot come due to our hours. We are hoping this will help make things better for the darlings in our care and lead to shorter shelter stays.”