LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Holidays like New Year’s and Fourth of July can be stressful not just for your cats and dogs, but animal shelters and wildlife sanctuaries too.
Wildlife experts at the Trout Lake Nature Preserve are urging people to think twice before setting off fireworks this Independence Day as they said the light and sound can be disruptive to animals.
“They’re going to panic and be scared,” said Eileen Tramontana, the executive director of the Trout Lake Nature Preserve. “They don’t know what’s going on. We know, they don’t.”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Tramontana braces for fireworks on holidays, because they can scare wildlife.
“Every year, usually New Year’s and Fourth of July, in that we often find dead animals that have either gone across the road and gotten hit or on our property,” Tramontana said.
[VIDEO: Fireworks rules to know before the Fourth of July]
Tramontana suggested staying away from wildlife areas when setting off fireworks, opting for fireworks that don’t make as much noise and not setting them off past 10 p.m.
“Well, when they hear it, all they can think of is their world is blowing up,” Tramontana said. “They don’t understand fireworks. They’re not trained to be tolerant of it.”
Tramontana is also reminding people to pick up any debris left behind by fireworks.
“There’s chemicals that are used to make it be the colors and shoot it off and everything and a lot of that falls on the ground, can get in our waterways and it’s not nice stuff,” Tramontana said.
It’s not just wildlife that get frightened by the fireworks; household pets can too. The Lake County Animal Shelter is prepping to keep the hundreds of animals calm on July Fourth.
[VIDEO: Fireworks rules to know before the Fourth of July]
“We do some enrichment items, so some nice Kongs and peanut butter to keep them busy, turn the radio up, make sure everybody is closed in securely so that they can get through the celebration,” said Whitney Boylston, the director of the Lake County Office of Animal Services.
Boylston suggests making sure your pets are kept at home with a nice, safe, space they can relax.
“Whether that’s a crate, an ice closed door in a room, close your blinds, turn on some white noise, maybe get your radio blaring so that they don’t, you know, are not so impacted by those fireworks,” Boylston said.
Boylston also suggested writing your phone number on your pet’s collar with a permanent marker if they run off on the 4th of July. She also said if you find a pet, try taking to social media to find its owner.
“File a found pet report with the local shelter, but we know that the best chance for that pet’s reunification is if it stays in the community where it was found,” Boylston said.