Fourth of July: not a pet's favorite holiday

Scared of fireworks

Fireworks are beautiful to look at, but they can be scary for our pets. The bangs and booms are hard on their sensitive hearing, and even the calmest pet can get upset by the unfamiliar loud noises.

To help your pet cope with the noise from fireworks, and reduce the chance that it runs away, Regional Animal Services of King County offers these tips:

1. Keep your pet secured indoors in the quietest room of your home while fireworks are going off. You can also use soothing music or television as a distraction. Some pets will stay calmer when placed in a secure crate in a darkened, quiet room.
2. If your pet is normally kept outside, bring them inside or put them in a well-ventilated garage or shed or in a basement during fireworks displays.
3. Make sure your pet is licensed and has an ID tag or microchip. Pets with ID have a much greater chance of being returned to their owners.
4. Don't assume that your pet won't react just because you haven't had problems in the past. Sometimes, pets become sensitive to loud noises later in life.

If your pet is lost, check in person at PAWS and check back often. It may take some time before spooked pets are brought to shelters.

PAWS shelters strays from Brier, Edmonds, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Shoreline and Woodinville.

If your pet is not at PAWS, please keep coming back. Your pet may arrive the next day or the next week, and since many animals look alike we cannot guarantee we will be able to match a completed lost report with your pet. Your chances of finding your pet increase if you return to the shelter on a regular basis.

Here's PAWS information for missing pets
Here's PAWS information for when you find a pet

The shelter is at 15305 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98087.