Patrick Camp’s dachshund-mix Gucci, the day of his adoption from the Birmingham Humane Society in 2019.

With the upcoming weekend’s packed agenda of cookouts, firework displays and cooling off in a backyard pool or taking advantage of Cullman’s plethora of lakes and rivers, your mind may be more focused on the dogs that will be thrown on the grill than the one curled up at your feet. But for our four-legged companions not all of the Independence Day festivities are as fun as taking advantage of the extra table scraps at the family barbecue.

According to the Cullman County Animal Shelter’s Andrea Hudson the weeks following July 4th’s widespread firework displays have in the past caused an hefty increase in the number of calls and strays for the shelter to handle.

“Last year we had as many as 12 animals in the couple of weeks after the 4th of July,” said Hudson.

Through the efforts of shelter staff as well as local “lost and found” online sites from social media platforms, Hudson says that luckily the majority of those were reunited with their families. For the rest, they were put into custody of the shelter to begin the adoption process of finding new homes.

The American Kennel Club says pets should remain indoors and as far away as possible from fireworks.

Hudson said that in many cases pet owners felt tat their animals were secure because of being inside of a fence or on a runner inside the yard.

“When fireworks get going and they get scared, it will surprise people what they get out of,” Hudson said.

The best practice is to set up a comfortable area inside your home away from windows to act as a safe haven when the action starts. Large closets and basements tend to be the best areas according to the AKC. However, if your pet is accustomed to a crate and feels safe there, those will serve this purpose.

Pet owners can also attempt to drown out any outside noises in that area by playing white noise, Hudson said that turning up a television set or radio louder than normal can have the same effect.

Pet owners are also encouraged to alleviate their pets excess energy during the daylight hours by taking longer than usual walks, and participating in active play time with their pets leading up to the fireworks.

Finally, both Hudson and the AKC strongly recommend attaching identification on your pet’s collar prior to the any fireworks displays. The tags should include the owners contact information including name, phone number and address to ensure a swift delivery home in the event they are able to escape.

Hudson says that microchips are another way to easily identify and locate a lost pet, but tells pet owners to be positive they have activated the chip.

“Sometimes people will have had a pet microchipped and they thought that was all there was to it. But there is a set up process you have to go through to activate it and to make sure you put in your current information,“ Hudson says.

If all else fails, Hudson says that medications such as over the counter calming treats and chews are available from local pet stores. According to the AKC Benadryl is also sometimes used to treat mild-to-moderate anxiety in dogs. However, both of these options come with a recommendation to consult a veterinarian to verify safety.

For more information visit AKC.org.

To check about lost pets or the adoption of one, call the Cullman County Animal Shelter at 256-734-5448 or visit their facebook page.