More Dogs And Cats Go Missing On The 4th Of July Than Any Other Day

The 4th of July is a time to celebrate Independence Day in the United States. Celebrations often include parades, barbeques, and of course, fireworks.

Fireworks are a lot of fun and they’re a classic way to celebrate the summer holiday. While fireworks may be all fun and games to humans, they can be terrifying to animals and it’s important to keep your pets in mind as the holiday approaches.

In fact, pet owners should properly prepare for the holiday and fireworks by securing a place for their animals indoors, as far from the noises as possible.

Growing up, we had a dog that we locked in the laundry room on the 4th of July while we went to the beach to do fireworks. It was a comfortable room for her to sleep in, but she was so stressed by the loud noises that she bit her way through the wire vent in the laundry room and escaped!

Thankfully, we were able to find her and she was ok (minus a little mouth trauma from biting through the wire), but that’s not the case for all pets. Some dogs and cats go missing on the 4th of July, never to be seen again. It’s heartbreaking and authorities are warning pet owners to keep a close eye on their furry friends this holiday to ensure that doesn’t happen to them!

Wichita Police Department in Kansas issued a warning about it on Twitter, writing:

“More pets go missing around July 4 than on any other Day!

July 4 is coming, and we want to remind you how to care for your furry friends.
Dogs can hear more than twice as many frequencies and can hear sounds four times further away compared to humans.”

More pets go missing around July 4 than on any other Day!
July 4 is coming, and we want to remind you how to care for your furry friends.
Dogs can hear more than twice as many frequencies and can hear sounds four times further away compared to humans. pic.twitter.com/5DfaVSDGkJ

— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) June 24, 2022

They went on to say,

“The booming sounds of fireworks elicit a fear or anxiety response in pets.
Dogs are most at risk for noise aversion reactions, although cats may also respond to specific noises with anxiety. For example, your pet may react by hiding, and many pets may become confused about the direction of the sounds and react by looking for an escape route. Their fight-or-flight response puts them at risk of becoming lost. The Wichita Police Department Animal Control is asking pet owners to secure their furry friends, create a comfortable hiding place.”

While it’s unclear just how many pets go missing over the 4th of July, a press release and infographic from PetAmberAlert claim Animal Control Services throughout the United Sates see a 30% increase in lost and missing pets from July 4 to July 6. That’s a pretty huge increase!

Check out the infographic below: