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Fireworks unnerve dogs, officials warn
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Pet stores are offering sedation pills to calm dogs during the booming July 4th fireworks, according to Manteca Animal Control Officer Les Rowe.  

He noted the pills are usually given a couple hours before the onset of rockets being launched into the air at nearby stadiums.

Illegal fireworks going off in residential neighborhoods can also be a source of fright for family pets.

Rowe said there were some five to 10 dogs that ran away during the night’s festivities last year.  Escalon reported having to look for up to 75 of the community’s canine friends that were spooked by fireworks throughout its neighborhoods.

He suggested that pet owners put their dogs in quiet rooms in their homes with music turned on to keep them calm throughout the night. 

 “If you have an outdoor kennel and the dog gets spooked they may jump the fence,” he warned.  “To me it’s the medium sized dog like the Beagles and the Hounds that seem to be the most sensitive to noise.”

 A dog owner should place themselves in their dog’s position, it has been suggested.  Everything at night normal sounds looks and smells familiar as the seasons gradually change.  With the coming of the Fourth of July an acrid aroma fills the air with loud bangs surrounding the animals along with flashes of light – all for no understandable reason.  

It has also been noted that a frightened dog can show signs of aggression and children or other pets should not be allowed to tease them due to an unpredictable reaction.