I was somewhat surprised to not see any press releases from any of the local shelters about the dangers of fireworks and your pets.
It is simple, from the week before til the week after there are going to be people who are letting off fireworks which can be extremely distressing to pets.
Keep your pets inside.
It is really that simple. If your pet is extremely sensitive, pet stores offer thunder shirts, or your vet can prescribe a few pills of Alprazolam or you can buy Rescue Remedy at any pet store or natural food store.
Some of the tricks I have used is to simply turn up the television or a radio and give my dogs some melatonin. The dosage should be decided by your vet and do not give your pets the human gummies of melatonin which contain xylitol and is deadly to pets.
If you can’t get to a pet store or can’t afford a thunder shirt take a small t-shirt put it on your dog, take up the slack at the ends and tie it snug or use a hair tie to tie it snugly around them.
It costs 365.00 to get your pet back from the city of Everett Shelter, if they make it to the shelter and are not run over and killed or stay somewhere hidden and starve to death, or even in some cases eaten by pedators.
Another thing you should be aware of is that dog fighters love this time of the year and they scour the streets looking for wandering dogs because they know they are timid and can be used to train their aggressive dogs to give them confidence in a fight and to give them a taste for blood.
There is no reason for anyone’s dog to be lost at this point, you should know your pet well enough to know if this time would be stressful for them and take appropriate measures but sadly most pets are lost by the family who knows there pet is terrified of fireworks and are still doing them themselves.
IF YOU HAVE LOST A PET:
1) Notify neighbors
2) Notify local vets
3) Notify you local shelters
4) Notify your local rescues
5) Check craigslist and place an ad
6) Check Ebay Classified and place an ad
7) Check Backpage.com and place an ad
8) Check offer up and place an ad
9) Check your local papers
10) Post flyers within atleast a 2 mile radius on bright neon paper covers with plastic shield covers or get them laminated
11) Run an ad in your local paper.
12) Notify local grocery stores and small stores because some folks will still sell dogs outside of these places that they have found
13) Check with the Washington State Department of Transportation, and you county or city works dept who pick up deceased animals which is a sad reality but it’s better to know then to wonder for years…
Always keep a current picture of your pet on your cell phone.
If it’s a pet that requires grooming keep photos of before and after.
Contact companies that can do a personal email blast to your local community like Bring Fido Home
Check the online papers listed above because people will often post found dogs or try to sell stolen dogs through these mediums.
IF YOU HAVE FOUND A PET:
1) Most local papers will let you post a free ad for up to 2 weeks.
2) Look on craigslist, backpage, offer up and ebay classifieds to see if the pet is listed on there
3) Notify the local shelters, rescues and vets.
4) Walk the neighborhood to see if any of the neighbors know the animals or to see if there are fliers
The shelters have a book where you can write down that you have found an animal. We highly suggest that you keep the animal with you if you are able to. We never suggest taking the animal to the shelter unless it is injured, because it is a very stressful situation for the animals who is already lost and afraid.
Everett Animal Shelter is going to raise the redemption fees to 380.00 and if the owner is senior, low income or disabled that almost guarantees the animal won’t get redeemed and if it not adopted out in 72 hours it will be killed in most cases.
If you can’t keep the animal, contact a local vet or rescue to see if they could perhaps keep them. We have reunited over 150 animals this way over the past 4 yrs.
