Keep noise down, put dogs inside
Who doesn’t love the sight and sound of fireworks exploding in the night sky? Dogs, of course. The noise scares them, and this Fourth of July, some 30 dogs had to be picked up by animal control officers, upset as the Fourth of July fireworks streaked across the night sky. Two became injured, one so badly it had to be put down. The dogs had to be housed at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society (at a time when the shelter already was overcrowded). Other dogs likely are loose; they just didn’t have the good luck of being rescued. This was a noisy Fourth in Santa Fe.
Animal services officers from both the city and county, along with workers from the animal shelter, toiled hard through the night to care for the frightened dogs — even a larger-than-usual crew proved too little to handle the demand. The humans of this city need to take more care. That way, dogs won’t become as shaken on holidays such as the Fourth or New Year’s Eve.
The noise can bother humans, too, and some are calling for city ordinances to further restrict the types of fireworks that can be used. There are likely enough laws on the books. Better enforcement of current city laws, which limit firecrackers, roman candles, skyrockets, torpedoes and other explosives that shoot up more than 15 feet in height from the ground, need to be part of future Fourths of July. It is obvious that people were ignoring the ordinance. Santa Fe County has similar restrictions; again, many people were not following the law, causing both fire danger and upsetting animals. Increasing fines for the use of illegal fireworks is one way to try and decrease the noise. That’s why legal fireworks shows are important — they light up the sky and are fun for all those who love fireworks. We don’t want the sizzle in the sky to go away, but people should be more careful.
Even without new ordinances, the humans who keep dogs as companions need to do a better job of caring for them. First and foremost, make sure dogs have a license and/or microchip so that if they do get loose, their owners can be tracked. Keep information updated, too, so that you can be found if your dog gets out. On a holiday such as the Fourth, when fireworks and loud noises are likely, bring dogs indoors. Keeping them in a small-ish room, with some sort of white noise or music to cover up the bangs, will go a long way to helping them stay calm even in the most exuberant Fourth of July.
After all, it is hardly a celebration when animals become so frightened they run loose in the night — some to their deaths.