Fireworks Not a Dog’s Best Friend, Authorities Warn

Dog owners should be prepared on the Fourth of July for strange or wild behavior in their canines, which may panic and try to flee the sounds of fireworks, animal control authorities say.

Dogs have acute hearing and may respond to the sounds in unusual ways, said animal control officers, who have reported incidents of spooked dogs jumping through screened doors and windows and over walls, or running away and becoming lost, according to Sally Hazzard, director of the county’s animal control department.

To minimize such responses, pet owners should give their dogs food, water and extra attention and confine them to a safe place, officials say.

They should also make sure their pets are wearing identification tags, including a license. If a dog runs away, its owner should contact the animal control department, which can use a computer to track the animals, Hazzard said.

The computerized system will be especially valuable to people who find animals and report them, she said.

“We’re going to be so busy on Tuesday that we won’t be able to pick up all the dogs that are found and called in,” Hazzard said. “What we hope to do is do the reuniting over the phone, by giving the finder the owner’s address and phone number. That’s why a license is your dog’s call home.”

Authorities say they expect an additional 100 dogs a day to be brought to the county’s three shelters Tuesday through Thursday. Some 525 dogs a day normally stay at the shelters, Hazzard said.

On Tuesday, pet owners can call the county’s emergency line at 278-9760. After that they can call the South Bay shelter at 263-7741, the central shelter in San Diego at 236-4250 or the Carlsbad shelter at 438-2312.