Karen S. Kim
BURBANK -- Fireworks.
They're bright, they're colorful, they're tradition, but, boy, are
they loud to the sensitive ears of dogs and cats.
In fact, the noise of the fireworks is frightening enough to send pets
leaping over backyard fences, breaking through wooden gates or crashing
through glass windows or screens, according to local animal experts.
If residents don't want to spend July 5 frantically searching animal
shelters for their runaway pets, they need to take certain precautions.
"On the fifth [of July], so many people are in a panic here, looking
for their animals," said Glendale Humane Society Executive Director
Leslie Eppick.
To make matters worse, runaway pets can be vulnerable to injury and
even death, said Madeline Bernstein, president of Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.
"Animals freak out at the loud noises. They tend to escape, they get
hit by cars, they get lost and there's always people who think it's funny
to throw cherry bombs at loose animals," she said.
Residents who live near a fireworks shows should take extra care to
make sure their pets are protected from the loud noises.
Pets should be kept indoors in the evening in a cool, well-ventilated
room, and owners whose pets are particularly sensitive to noise should
ask their veterinarians for mild sedatives, officials said.
Eppick added that animals shouldn't be allowed unleashed outside for
even a minute.
"If you take them outside to do their business, keep them on a leash,"
she said. "They'll jump the fence before you even know what happens."
BOX
Residents near these fireworks shows should protect their pets:
GLENDALE
Crescenta Valley High School, 4400 Ramsdell Ave.
SUNLAND-TUJUNGA
Verdugo Hills High School, 10625 Plainview Ave.
BURBANK
Starlight Bowl, 1249 Lockheed View Drive
Lakeside Golf Club, 4500 Lakeside Drive
