Editor:

July 5 is the busiest day each year for animal shelters around the country. Pets who are frightened by Fourth of July fireworks and firecrackers escape the confines of their yards and run in a blind panic, often becoming lost. If the dogs have no identification on them, caring citizens and law enforcement will pick them up and deliver them to an animal shelter until owners can be located.

Sanders County Dog Training Club would like to remind all pet owners to keep their animals safely contained during fireworks season. Keep your dogs secure in an escape-proof fenced yard or, better yet, inside the house. Make sure your pets have current ID information on them so they can be immediately returned to you if they become lost. Microchipping is good, but collar tags are better because they can be read by any good Samaritan who picks up your stray dog. In lieu of tags, grab a Sharpee pen and write the dog’s name and phone number on his nylon collar or harness.

If your pets are hypersensitive to loud noises, try simple precautions like keeping your dog in the quietest room of the house, using essential oils for their calming effect, purchasing a “Thunder Shirt” for him, or even asking your vet for medication to ease your dog’s anxiety. It’s far better to take precautions than to assume your dog will be unaffected by the noisy July 4 festivities.

Jan Manning,

Trout Creek