Animals and Fourth of July fireworks
Written by admin on June 27th, 2012Dear Editor:
For animals, Fourth of July fireworks aren’t festive — they’re frightening, and sometimes even fatal. Every year, terrified dogs and cats jump over fences and break through windows during fireworks displays. Many are killed by cars or never reunited with their guardians.
Birds often flee their nests in panic, sometimes orphaning their fledglings. The smoke plumes from fireworks can also damage their sensitive respiratory systems.
We can help protect animals this Independence Day by taking these steps:
· Keep animals indoors in a quiet, safe room, and stay with them during the fireworks.
· Close blinds and curtains, keep the lights on, and play classical music at a normal volume.
· Place collars with current identification tags on all animals, and have them microchipped.
· Never leave animals outdoors unattended or take them to fireworks displays. The explosions may cause even normally calm animals to panic and bolt, dig under a fence, or injure themselves by getting tangled in their chains.
· Encourage your city to switch from fireworks to safe and dazzling alternatives, such as laser light shows.
To learn more, visit www.PETA.org.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Pollard-Post
The PETA Foundation
