LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The day after the Fourth of July is the busiest day for animal shelters, and it's not because people are going there to adopt; they're going to pick up their lost dogs.
America's birthday can be fun for us people, but for dogs, it can be the worst. Some pet owners are dreading the upcoming holiday.
"It's the worst time of the year for us," said Chad Hodges.
Denver7 spoke with some dog owners at a popular dog park. Hodges said his four dogs are not fans of the loud booms.
"These days leading up to it now, these kids are just blowing them off in the neighborhood, and I get it. I understand, but I don't think they think about the dogs that are truly scared to death," Hodges said.
He said one of his dogs almost went into cardiac arrest.
Another dog owner said his calm, laid-back lab becomes a different dog.
"When [my neighbor] lit those fireworks and there are explosions, that animal became vicious," said David Collardey.
The Foothills Animal Shelter recommends that owners keep their pets inside.
"If you do take them outside, make sure to stay with them even if your animal hasn't tried to get away before," said Jessi Burns. "They might get scared and try to jump over your fence."
The day after the holiday is the busiest day for shelters.
Burns said a thunder blanket could help keep your dog calm during the celebrations.
"You can also just keep them confined to a certain room to your house or to a certain crate, and then turn on the radio or TV, that blocks out some of the noise," said Burns.
The neighborhood social networking site Nextdoor is adding a pet directory for pet owners. You can register your pets on the site and add photos and details. This can help you reunite with your animal if it goes missing.