Tips for a Safe Fourth of July

The Humane Society of the United States reminds people that pets can become distressed by the additional noise and commotion involved with the Independence Day holiday.

In fact, animal shelters across the country are accustomed to receiving “July 4th” dogs — dogs who run off during fireworks celebrations and are rescued by animal control officers or good samaritans who take them to the safety of a local shelter.

Fortunately, preventing pet problems on Independence Day is possible by simply planning ahead and taking some basic precautions:

Leave them at home
First, resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.

Don’t leave your pet in the car
With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects — even death — in a few short minutes.  Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air, but they do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.

Gimmie shelter
Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area.  Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you’ve removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if chewed.  We’ve even heard of dogs jumping through a glass window!  Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep them company while you’re attending 4th of July picnics, parades and other celebrations.

Keep it quiet
If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays. 

Pay attention
Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain.  In their fear, pets who normally wouldn’t leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.

Tag it
Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags (or microchips) so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.  Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

An Important Addition to Our Website

We have included a LOST AND FOUND page under the COMMUNITY tab on our website.  We will continue to remind people in our newsletter (The Chit Chat) that we will post any lost or found item so a happy reunion can be arranged with the proper owner, whether the item be a pet, a baseball glove, a bicycle, or a wallet!

Our most recent FOUND item was a Beagle dog.  Click here to see if you recognize him.  This is, unfortunately, one more cute and cuddly reason why it is so important to have an electronic ID microchip inserted into your pet(s).  The cost is about $15 per pet at most animal shelters or vet offices – a small fee in the scope of things.  You will also buy your pet time at the animal shelter if he/she is picked up — usually a pet with a microchip is held for a few days longer than the other animals.

So please contact us via phone (951-205-4429) or email (aprilglatzel@remax.net) should you need to post a LOST or FOUND item.  We look forward to helping out in any way that we can!

–Tara and April

Interior Decorating with Pets in Mind

Pets have become more than just guard dogs or mouse-chasers to most of society; they have become friends and companions. It’s no wonder that you can find more and more ways to accommodate, accessorize, and modify your home to be pet-friendly.

Here are a few basic rules if you want the essentials for interior decorating:

1. Nothing touching the floor should be white; even white leather can become stained or scratched.
2. Use black sparingly. Getting light colored fur off of black furnishings and pillows is never fun.
3. Bold or bright colors will show more hair than softer neutrals.
4. Absolutely no velvet anywhere! If your animal sheds, this might as well be a hair magnet.

As for tables, try to find some that are sturdy or weighted, you never know when something may get bumped or run into. Put any accessories up where they are safe (mantles or high shelves will work).

For flooring, it’s preferable to use a hard surface like sealed stone (no slate!), hard wood, or engineered flooring. If you must have carpet, be sure to purchase cut pile, not loop pile. If loop pile gets snagged, the carpet will unravel, and this will surely entertain your cat or dog for hours and cost you hundreds to replace.

In a space not often seen, remove the doors to a larger cabinet and put your animal’s cage in it to free up valuable floor space (something many of us “Wood Street” homeowners are familiar with). This is a great idea for utility rooms that double as pet care centers. For a nicer look, you can have someone build the cage into the cabinet, but this could be a bit pricey. If you are re-doing cabinets, consider a multi-drawer cabinet in which the bottom drawer pulls out and houses the food and water bowls. If company comes over, simply slide the drawer into the cabinet and hide the mess. Think also of food storage, and get one cabinet with a built-in trash can or two, and store pet food in the cabinet next to the bowls.

You can modify your house plans to accommodate one of your pet’s most basic needs — needing to be let outside or into a room where they have food or a litter box. Usually there’s a trusty doggy door (which is also used for cats), but what was once a standard model with a soft plastic flap has now become more advanced with transmitters and automation. A transmitter can be applied to the pet’s collar which opens when the pet nears the door.  There are pros and cons to the transmitter: pro is that only your pet will gain access, thereby leaving those pesky raccoons outside; con is that some transmitters are too large for smaller pets and if the transmitter fails, your pet may be barricaded on one side or the other of the pet door.

So if you’re renovating or building a home from scratch, consult a design professional for some ideas on how to make your home really pet accessible and get the most out of your budget. Good luck!