Arizona Humane Society offers tips on what to do if your pet gets lost on 4th of July

PHOENIX — More pets are lost around Independence Day than any other time on the calendar. To prepare for the weekend’s explosive fun, the Arizona Humane Society has a few tips to keep your pets safe and in your care.

Tag your pets

Make sure that your pet(s) are wearing proper-fitting collars with identifying information such as your phone number and their name.

If you haven’t microchipped your pet, now is a good time to do so if they happen to get lost.

“This will greatly increase the chances that a lost pet will be reunited with their family,” AHS said in a press release.

Know location at all times

It is important that you know your pet’s whereabouts, especially if they are outside when firework displays are nearby.

Whether you happen to be eating barbecue foods inside or outside, be careful that your pets don’t eat foods that may be poisonous to them. If you aren’t sure if it’s a safe food for them, it is best to not let your pets try it.

Keep their focus with loud noises

To counteract the sound of fireworks taking flight throughout the weekend, AHS recommends pet owners crank up the audio on their radio or TV.

Whether you play your favorite Marvel movie or 1980s rock album, loud sounds can help distract your pets from what they view as outside terror.

Coolness lessens panic

It’s no secret that the heat is here to stay in the Valley this summer, and high temperature can make “panicked pets” more prone to heat stroke, according to AHS.

The animal shelter encourages pet owners to keep their friends indoors when possible and off of pavement during the hottest hours.

If missing…post flyers

If your pet does go missing, AHS has free online templates for lost dogs and cats that you can print and post around your neighborhood.

Besides nailing or taping flyers to posts around near your home, AHS also recommends you give them to neighbors and mail carriers to widen the search.

If missing…start search at local shelters, veterinary clinics

In addition to posting flyers, the best two spots to find your missing pet are local shelters and vet clinics.

Contact these businesses about your situation and do so in person if possible.

Preventative measure

AHS advises pet owners to register their friends in the national pet database Petco Love Lost.

“Petco Love Lost is the free and easy way to search over 200,000 pets with a single photo, thanks to photo-matching technology,” AHS said in the release.

Arizona Humane Society hosting free adoption for all pets on Saturday

On Saturday of this holiday weekend, AHS is hosting a free adoption at all of its locations in the Valley.

Last weekend, AHS saw a record 385 pets find new homes in another free adoption event.

All pets will be spayed or neutered and microchipped.

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