Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) shelters are over capacity and unfortunately, the busiest time of the year is still ahead with the coming of the July 4 holiday and an onslaught of lost pets resulting from fireworks festivities.
MCACC advises that pet parents take special precautions on July 4, particularly if they are going to be away from home. Make sure your pet is secured indoors, and that all doors (included the dog door) and windows are latched. If your dog is particularly anxious, crating him or her could help keep them calmer and also prevent damage and destruction to the interior of your home.
It’s also a good idea to keep your pet indoors even if you are home on July 4. The sound of fireworks even a few blocks away may terrify your pet. Explosive noises may damage your pet’s hearing, or pets may be injured by fireworks.
In the event your pet does get out, it is critical that he or she is wearing current ID tags to make reunification a much smoother process.
Should your pet become lost, members of the public can visit www.maricopa.gov/pets and search for their pets in a variety of ways. Circles for dogs and triangles for cats show the approximate location where stray animals have been found and brought to MCACC shelters.
In addition, members of the public can add lost and found animals of their own onto the map.
