Red, white and...boo! say our helpless pooches

By MOXIE
AS TOLD TO ATHIMA CHANSANCHAI, P-I REPORTER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/276068_doggone03.html


The first time I heard it, I was only a pup.

I was small but spunky, so my owners called me Moxie. I am a friendly dog, but I developed a pit-bull snarl and used it on anyone who tried to take my toys away.

I even nipped an ankle here and there. Don't even THINK about touching my bone.

But one day, I heard a terrible noise that turned me into a quivering coward. Kaboom! Kaboom! It sounded like my owner's car exploded.

It went on and on. It sounded like thunder, but so much closer! I couldn't stop shaking. I peed on the carpet and ran into the basement. I didn't come out for hours.

It happened again the next year. I was outside playing with a ball when I smelled smoke, heard a whistle, then Bam! My ears hurt so badly, I howled like a cat in heat. I dug myself out of the yard, crawled under the fence and ran out into the street.

People were yelling and screaming and holding sticks of fire in their hands. I ran and ran and ran, in search of quiet.

The next day, I ended up in the dead-end alley of a dog pound. Me and some other 14 freaked-out losers who eventually reunited with our owners through our collar IDs.

We hate Fourth of July.

And we're not alone. Every year officers at the Seattle Animal Shelter round up an extra 50 to 75 dogs and cats (but who cares about them?) after this so-called celebration of independence.

Days before that dreaded day, many of our owners take us to our vets, who give some of us Acepromazine or Valium to take the edge off, so by the time the fire show starts, we're blissed out.

The holiday is our war zone, when we turn into Tasmanian devil dogs for a few hours. As soon as the match hits the fuse, it ignites the perfect storm of doggie distress: intense, loud noises, flashing lights and smoke everywhere.

So my freak-out wasn't anything unusual. That doesn't make it any better.

See, canines like routine and consistency. We like to know when our owners will take us on walks and feed us. This whole Fourth of July thing throws us for a loop-de-loop.

One year, my owners took me to see the big flashy lights. They thought it would be OK for me to see it and get used to it.

Wrong, so wrong.

They left me in the car, where it was too hot, and those horrible sounds surrounded me. I think I had a panic attack. I couldn't breathe and I started circling around the station wagon. By the time they got back, I had barked myself hoarse and torn up all the cushions.

My owners have learned to keep me inside at our house. They turn on the TV or the radio and sometimes even put me in my carrier. I can still hear a little bit of the terrible noise, but it's not so bad.

Not like my buddies down the street, like Butch. He's a big basset hound who was used to guns as a hunting dog but who flew out of a second-story window when the big balls of fire lit up above his house.

Or Jasper, a mastiff who barreled through his screen door and howled for miles and miles until a passing traveler picked him up on the highway. He had to go see a doggie shrink afterward, someone my owners called an animal behavior consultant.

I love to play fetch, but my owner knows better than to toss those crackling fire sticks. I've heard some dogs haven't been so lucky and the sticks exploded in their mouths!

Damon was a Boston terrier that bolted when some kids next door sent a bottle rocket into his yard. The little guy actually chewed his way through a fence! No one ever saw him again. There was talk he might have made it all the way to New York.

I envy the dogs whose owners give them treats when the fireworks go off so they're not scared.

I still have flashbacks every time I hear a loud noise.

So this year, my owners have not only given me a happy pill but they're staying home with me. They'll shut the windows, crank up the air conditioning and hold me between them on the couch. We'll all watch the box where the fire things will light up the screen.

And we'll watch it on mute.

TIPS FOR PET OWNERS
Keep pets indoors and in a secure location. To help drown out the sound of fireworks, turn on the TV and radio, or turn on the air conditioning or fan.

If you think your pet will react negatively to the noise, consult with your vet and see if a tranquilizer or sedative should be administered before the holiday.

Do not take your pet to watch the fireworks and do not leave it in a car while you're watching the show.

Make sure your pet is properly registered, licensed, tagged, micro-chipped or otherwise easily identified.

If a pet wearing its license shows up at the Seattle Animal Shelter (206-386-7387), the owner is notified. If an officer finds a licensed pet, it will be returned to its owner. The shelter will be closed on the holiday, but officers will be on duty from 3:30 p.m. to midnight to respond to 911 calls.

If your pet reacts badly to the fireworks, contact these animal hospitals, which will be open on the holiday: Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services, 11536 Lake City Way N.E., 206-364-1660, or the Emerald City Emergency Clinic, 4102 Stone Way N., 206-634-9000.