Caddo Parish Animal Services offers July 4th pet safety tips

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – As fireworks light up the sky this Fourth of July, a local animal shelter is urging pet owners to take extra precautions to keep their furry companions safe.

Kim Freeman with Caddo Parish Animal Services says the holiday is one of the busiest times of the year for lost pet intakes. The loud booms and flashing lights can easily startle animals, causing them to run away in fear.

“It’s a really scary time for pets. They don’t understand, of course, what’s going on. Sometimes they get out of their yard, out of their house, and they get lost and they could end up at the shelter,” explains Freeman. “We encourage people to microchip beforehand. That way, if they get lost, they can be scanned at the shelter or any vet clinic and hopefully get them back home with their family.”

She also suggests keeping your pets indoors and avoid leaving them out in the yard during their fireworks so if they are startled, they won’t run away and become lost.

If your pet does go missing this Independence Day, Caddo Parish Animal Services has a tool on its website that allows you to search its shelter intake records to see if your animal may have ended up there.