Pet owner alerts for fireworks, high temperature hazards
MATTYDALE -- Fireworks have created a crisis for a Syracuse area animal shelter as dogs get so scared, they run away from the noise.
The SPCA in Mattydale has had so many dogs turned in that it is out of kennel space. Some of the dogs are being held in temporary crates in the hallways.
Kim Smith, the CNY SPCA education director, says more dogs are stray because they’re scared by the loud fireworks.
"They get spooked very easily, says Smith. "People don't realize the dogs don't want to go to the fireworks with you. They don't want to be outside in their backyard while there's neighbors setting off fireworks. It's even louder for them, and they have a tendency to take off.:
Seven strays were turned in to the SPCA from over the weekend and by Monday afternoon, all but one, a pomeranian mix that the shelter staff nicknamed 'Dixie' had been reclaimed, with fireworks scare stories. Smith says that in some cases, dogs have scaled their yard’s fences to escape the noise
Smith's advice: 'Keep your pets inside this 4th of July and this whole week. Dont take them to the fireworks with you. Don't leave them tied in your backyard. They get spooked so bad by the noises, that they'll find a way to get away. Like I said we had seven here, and they all found a way to escape their home.
Despite the alert, the SPCA knows there will be more strays this week, thanks to fireworks. So the emergency crates are up and on standy.
There’s a second concern with the hot weather forecast. Smith says the most calls the SPCA is getting right now, for dogs left in parked cars. "We've had several calls the past week or so out at the Carousel Mall. People are shopping, their dogs are in ther car. They're lucky they're not coming out to a dead dog. Leave your pets home. You're shopping, they can't go with you, so leave em home where it's cool," says Smith. Even parked in the shade with windows down, cars can get so hot that dogs suffer heat stroke in as little as ten minutes. (this is also an issue for children). She also reminds that dogs---and cats--- need lots of water, especially on hot days, to keep from dehydrating.
