Animal society: Keep dogs indoors on Independence Day

The dogs become alarmed at the sudden upsurge in loud noises, run away, and lose their way back home, the society said.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Dog 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Dog 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Independence Eve fireworks will once again light up the skies during celebrations of the state’s 63rd birthday next Monday – but they will also cause many dogs to become disoriented and lost in the streets, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warned on Tuesday.
The dogs become alarmed at the sudden upsurge in loud noises, run away, and lose their way back home, the society said.
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“This response is due to the dogs’ highly developed sense of sound... their hearing range and ability to hear frequencies is five times higher than those of humans, and they therefore become very alarmed by what sounds like huge explosions to them,” the society added.
Dr. Aya Peri, a veterinary specialist who works for the society, said “dozens of lost dogs reach us every year. Some of them set out from home with their owners towards Independence Day celebrations, and run off when they hear the fireworks. Others fled their homes.”
The society has launched an annual drive to reunite the dogs with their owners – but added that animals which do not have electronic implants have a lower chance of being reunited.
“The simple solution is to not take the dogs out [during Independence Day celebrations],” Peri said. “Try to time the walks with your dogs so that they take place before and after the celebrations. Dogs in yards should be brought inside to lower exposure to the noise.”
Doors and windows should also be firmly closed during the celebrations to lower the exposure to the noise, Peri said.