With their sensitive hearing, many household pets become terrified by fireworks.

In Los Angeles, it's not uncommon this time of year for firefighters to deal with persons bitten or injured by skittish animals or traffic collisions caused by wayward dogs, cats and horses.

While we encourage attendance at a professional fireworks show, it's best to leave your furry friends at home with someone to watch over them. In fact, now is a good time to prepare your home to safely harbor your pet from frightful sights and sounds associated with Independence Day celebrations:

• Make sure your pets are wearing proper identification - and consider a microchip. If your pet runs away due to fireworks, you'll have a better chance of recovering them if a sturdy, legible and accurate ID tag is worn.
• Contact your veterinarian for professional advice in preparing animals for the noisy days to come. For household pets, a quiet and well-secured room with soothing music and your pets favorite toy may be just what the doctor orders. If you’re having visitors over, consider keeping pets in a room that’s off-limits to guests, with plenty of water and food.
• Take a photograph of your pet and place the telephone numbers for your veterinarian and animal care and control agency near your home phone and in your cell phone. In the event of an escaped animal or crisis, you can contact these professionals promptly for guidance.
• Even if your animals don’t seem upset by noise, they can still be harmed by burns, injuries and ingestions related to fireworks. Survey your property for hazards, and pay close attention to your pet for any signs of illness or injury.

Within the City of Los Angeles, our friends at the Department of Animal Services can be reached directly at (888) 452-7381 or by calling 3-1-1.

Should you experience an emergency that endangers human life or property and demands the immediate light-and-siren response of Police, Firefighters or an Ambulance, please call 9-1-1.

Please join us in making sure that every member of your household celebrates safely!