Busy weekend for humane society

Gary Moskowitz

Ben Welch learned this weekend that the fence around the yard of his

Arcadia home is not completely dog proof.

Welch’s 8-year-old shih tzu, Cha Cha, squeezed through the

backyard fence and escaped Friday after being startled by the sound

of firecrackers being set off during Fourth of July celebrations in

the neighborhood.

Cha Cha was one of at least 56 dogs picked up by animal-control

officers during Fourth of July celebrations and taken to the Pasadena

Humane Society.

The Pasadena Humane Society is a donor-supported, nonprofit agency

that provides animal control and welfare in Arcadia, Glendale, La

Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and South

Pasadena.

“Oh, now you want to come home,” Welch said to Cha Cha on Saturday

afternoon when he arrived to pick her up. “I think the firecrackers

in the neighborhood scared her and she managed to find her way out.

She’s so pampered, so she’s not used to situations like this. This

really is a great service they provide here, and it’s not a burden on

taxpayers. This keeps dogs from getting run over or hurt.”

The noise of firecrackers and fireworks displays on the Fourth of

July, combined with dogs’ acute sense of hearing result in higher

numbers of escaped dogs in the area, society officials said Saturday.

The Fourth of July is typically the busiest day of the year for local

animal-control officers.

“This is the busiest [dog] pickup I’ve seen,” said Vanessa White,

an animal-control officer who worked Friday night. “It was actually

kind of fun, in a way, just because we were running around and

helping so many dogs.”

At least 16 dogs picked up on Friday were returned to area owners.

Five lost dogs were returned Saturday to their Glendale owners and

one dog was returned to its La Canada Flintridge owner, officials

said.

Humane society officers on Friday received a few calls about dogs

that choked themselves on leashes while trying to escape. Officers

got one call about a dog that became excited during a fireworks show

and jumped out of a second-floor window of an apartment building.

Karen Terpstra, the society’s assistant executive director, said

there are several things dog owners can do to avoid problems on the

Fourth of July.

Dogs should never be left alone and dogs should always have tags

that list their name, address and phone number. Dog owners should try

to keep their dogs in their normal place, close to the person who

cares for them the most, and dog owners should consult with

veterinarians about medications that can calm dogs, Terpstra said.