Who doesn’t love fireworks? Between the plethora of beautiful colors and the satisfyingly loud boom when they go off, fireworks are a popular way to celebrate good news, graduations, weddings, New Year’s, and Independence Day. Most people associate fireworks with a happy event and don’t think about how dangerous they could be if not used properly and safely, or how frightening they might be to those with PTSD, their pets, and other wildlife.
With the Fourth of July coming up next week and people out celebrating, we wanted to discuss firework safety, not only for your family but for your pets as well, since many pets tend to run away or go missing this time of year out of fear from being around and hearing fireworks going off.
The loud, unexpected noise can ignite the fight or flight response in animals, with many of them fleeing to “safety” by running off. It’s also important to be respectful of veterans with PTSD or others who may have had traumatic experiences with anything that sounds like fireworks, or fireworks themselves.
Firework-related emergencies account for an estimated 10,000 emergency room visits each year with most of them occurring around the month of Independence Day. Other holidays where fireworks are commonly used to celebrate have their fair share of injuries occurring as well, such as New Year’s Eve but July 4th takes the cake for firework injuries.
Most firework injuries generally consist of burns to the extremities and eye injuries, with children under the age of 5 most commonly being treated for severe burns from sparklers and kids ages 10-14 most commonly treated for other firework-related injuries.
Fortunately, there are ways to help prevent the incidence of firework-related injuries, including a special section for pet owners.
General Firework Safety for Families
1. Don’t drink alcohol while engaging in firework-related activities. It may be common sense, but many incidents occur when people are drinking and their judgment is impaired.
2. Don’t let kids play with or light fireworks, even sparklers. Sparklers can burn at 1,800-2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is enough to cause serious burns that can reach bone in a matter of seconds. Once fireworks are burnt out, don’t let kids pick up pieces after the event, as they could still possibly reignite and harm them.
3. Mortar-shell fireworks tend to be the most dangerous, with the improper usage of these types of fireworks being responsible for all 5 firework-related fatalities in 2018.
4. Don’t try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks.
5. Keep a bucket of water or water hose nearby in case of a fire, and when you’re done with fireworks, dunk them in the bucket to ensure they are put out.
6. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before purchasing any and steer clear of fireworks packaged in brown paper, as this usually indicates that they are meant for professional displays and could be extremely dangerous to use at home.
7. Don’t stand over fireworks when lighting them, as this could put you at risk for serious injury, and don’t point or throw lit fireworks towards other people or animals, even as a joke, because they could seriously hurt someone in the process.
Pet Safety During Festivities
Around Independence Day or anytime that fireworks are used for celebration, you should try and do your best to prepare your home in advance so your pets don’t escape and have access to appropriate places to hide during festivities. This includes purchasing a crate or pet carrier if you don’t already have one so your pets can hide, ensuring doors or windows are closed and locked, blocking off pet doors, and consulting with your veterinarian for anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, or thunder coats as needed. Some best practices for your pets to keep them safe during firework season are below.
1. Do a head count of all your pets in the home before festivities to make sure they are all inside or locked up outside in a secure carrier (not tied on a run or poorly built fence) to prevent them from bolting. Whenever possible, bring outdoor animals inside to prevent them from running away and put them in a room with no windows, and remove any potentially hazardous objects from the room before putting your pet in it, so they are protected from them in the event of intense anxiety.
2. Once your pet is in the house and put away, turn on the tv or radio to help drown out the noises from fireworks and give them a safe place to hide where they can feel more secure. Reward calm behavior with high-value treats to practice positive reinforcement. NEVER yell, hit, kick, punish, or harm an animal that is displaying signs of fear (or ever, for that matter) as this will only make the situation worse.
3. For small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, etc. cover up their cages with a towel or blanket and put them in the quietest room you can to help minimize noise. Small animals are especially susceptible to stress from loud noises, so check on them frequently and look for signs of stress such as rapid respiration, heart rate, shrinking or balling up of their bodies, freezing, and other signs of stress specific to the type of pet.
4. Know the signs of stress and fear in cats or dogs. These often present as panting, pacing, lick-lipping, growling or barking after hearing a loud noise, hissing, biting, hiding, shaking, side-eyeing, urinating or defecating in the house, general restlessness or anxiety, and trying to get away or running away from the stressor(s).
5. Make sure your pets all have updated contact and address information on their collars and tags and have them microchipped if they aren’t already. Having current information and a microchip will help your pet get reunited with you much quicker in the event they do escape. Current photos of your pet are also helpful in proving ownership, as well as copies of current vet records. When pets get loose, whoever finds them, whether they be an individual or a veterinarian or shelter, will likely ask you to provide proof of ownership before giving your animal back to you so keep that in mind when you're preparing for keeping them safe before an event.
6. Alternatively, if you find a “stray” or potentially lost pet after a firework display, capture them if it is safe to do so, and take them to a veterinarian or shelter as soon as possible to get them scanned for a microchip to see who they may belong to. If someone comes forward claiming the pet is theirs, it’s good practice to ask for proof of ownership, such as photos of the pet, vet records, etc.
7. Last but not least, NEVER take your pet to a firework show or leave them in a car unattended during festivities. Even animals who may not seem bothered by fireworks can be triggered unexpectedly by the bright lights and sounds they make.
We hope that after reading some of these tips you have a happy and safe 4th of July!
For more information on firework safety for you and your pets, we recommend you check out Kid’s Health here, RSPCA here, Live Science here, and Michigan State University here.
(Blog updated 6/27/23)