ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Animal facilities across South Georgia are preparing for one of their busiest times of the year as fireworks send frightened pets running from home. Experts say a few steps now can help keep pets safe ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

Local shelters said the Fourth of July holiday typically brings an increase in pets that get loose, adding to South Georgia’s illegal dumping issue as more strays are reported and posted about on social media.

Dr. Paige Thomas, a veterinarian with Bush Animal Clinic, said anxiety is often what causes pets to bolt when fireworks start.

“Dogs have anxiety and fear just like any other animal, and so they don’t know where that sound is coming from. They don’t know what it is,” Thomas said. “They flee, run off, get out of places. A lot of times they can even hurt themselves trying to escape. Definitely heightened in those couple days that people shoot fireworks off around the Fourth.”

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What shelter officials recommend

Local veterinarians said even pets that normally stay close to home can panic when fireworks begin. They recommend keeping dogs and cats indoors before dark, making sure collars fit properly and checking that microchip information and ID tags are up to date in case a pet gets loose.

Sylvester pet owner Karen Carr said she can tell her animals are uneasy as soon as the noise starts.

“They’re jumping and hiding when it starts out,” Carr said. “The ones in the house, they feel a little better. But the cats outside, they don’t like thunderstorms and they definitely don’t like the fireworks.”

Humane society leaders said the days surrounding the Fourth of July are among the busiest times of the year for lost pets.

Jamie Pope, director of the Moultrie Colquitt County Humane Society, encouraged owners to avoid leaving animals outside during fireworks and to get pets microchipped before celebrations begin.

“As you guys know, we do have Fourth of July coming up and everybody’s going to be shooting off fireworks and having a good time,” Pope said. “Fireworks are kind of scary for dogs and cats in our community. So we want to make sure that all of our pets are safe and are either microchipped just in case they do happen to run away.”

If pet owners are concerned their animals may try to escape, veterinarians recommend calling a local animal clinic to see if a prescription is available to help keep pets calm or keeping animals inside throughout the night.

Stray animals and illegal dumping remain challenges

The holiday also brings attention to an ongoing problem for many South Georgia shelters: stray animals and illegal pet abandonment.

According to data from Shelter Animals Count, Georgia continues to rank among the states with the highest shelter intake of dogs and cats. Animal welfare groups say many rural shelters operate at or above capacity because of stray animals, owner surrenders and abandoned pets.

Abandoning an animal is illegal in Georgia and can result in criminal charges.

Shelter officials said collars with updated identification tags and microchips greatly increase the chances pets will be reunited with their owners if they become frightened and run away.

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