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Pet Safety Tips – New Years Eve
New Years Eve is a wonderful time of year - full of celebrations, cheers and anticipation of an exciting year to come. As fun as this night may be, our furry family members may not be as enthused. In fact, many pets become very frightened and overwhelmed with all the noise and commotion.
Please take the following New Years Eve tips into considerations during this special night:
- Bring ALL of your pets inside. Some pets may prefer to be outside, however, for this night we would recommend keeping them inside only. It is very common for fireworks, noise makers and other loud sounds to occur during this night which often spook pets - many times resulting in them looking for a way to escape.
- Secure your pets in a private room. Even if your pets love to be part of the action, this is the time of the year for pets to get out when guests come in. Keeping your pets in a room with the TV or radio on may help fuse out some of the commotion occurring outside. Consider setting up a pet safety place where your pets can escape from holiday hubbub, complete with a cozy bed, fresh water, and food.
- Keep your alcohol celebrations with your two-legged friends ONLY. Often a champagne bottle is popped as the clock hits midnight, and although you want to include everyone in your celebrations, pets should not be one of them. Alcohol can be dangerous for humans to consume, and it’s no different for cats and dogs. “If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them,” said AHS' Media Coordinator Ashliegh Goebel. “If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.”
- Mircochip your pet! Pets can easily be lost in the rush of the holidays, and should your pet escape on this festive night, you will want to improve your chances of finding them. Put on their collars and make sure their tags are up to date. Have their microchip checked by their vet and update their contact information if you’ve moved or changed numbers.The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association showed a return-to-owner rate of 52 percent for dogs who are microchipped, compared to a rate of just 22 percent for dogs who enter a shelter and are not microchipped. That means microchipping your dog more than doubles your chances of finding it if it’s ever lost!
Lost pets:
We know the sinking feeling that comes with discovering your furry best friend is missing. Should your pet escape on New Years Eve, the sooner you begin your search, the better your chances of being reunited with them will be. These steps can be taken both inside and outside your neighborhood to help improve your chances of finding them.January 5, 2016
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