High-risk situations
- Outdoor dogs — even fenced yards.
- Senior dogs, dogs on noise medication, recently adopted dogs.
- Cats with outdoor access — bring inside an hour before the show.
- Horses, livestock, backyard chickens.
- Service animals, especially newer ones.
60 minutes before the show
- Walk the dog. Tire them out before the noise starts.
- Confirm collars and microchip info are current.
- Move pets to an interior room with white noise, TV, or music loud enough to mask outdoor sound.
- Anxious dogs: a worn t-shirt or blanket in the room helps more than you’d think.
- Talk to your vet ahead of time about anti-anxiety meds for dogs with documented fireworks phobia.
During the show
- Keep the show short and tight — fewer minutes of noise is easier on every animal nearby.
- Give neighbors with pets or livestock a heads-up before you start.
- Don’t leave pets unattended outside in case they bolt through a fence or open gate.
If your pet escapes
- Check the immediate yard and adjacent yards first — pets often hide rather than run.
- Post to your specific neighborhood page on Nextdoor and Facebook within the hour.
- Call the local shelter — the intake spike on July 5 means shelters fill up fast.