The Animal Foundation has announced they will waive all reclaiming fees for the 4th of July celebrations to ensure frightened animals get home. (Photo: Adobe Stock: Sandra)

Southern Nevada-

The Animal Foundation (AF) in Las Vegas has announced that they will be waiving all reclaim fees on all animals that are at their shelters considered lost or stray. The time this waiving of reclaim fees will be in effect from July 1st-July 10th.

This of course is being done as a result of the holiday coming up of our nation’s Independence Day.

“More pets are lost during the week of July 4th than any other time of year,” read the announcement from The AF.

From July 1-10 of 2021, The Animal Foundation took in 559 lost and frightened animals, many of whom had escaped while seeking safety from loud neighborhood fireworks displays. Only 110, or 20%, of those animals, were reclaimed by their owners.

The AF and other pet organizations also gave some tips for helping your animals survive the holiday celebration.

1. Take your dog for a good, long walk a little bit before the Fireworks. Let them play and get energy out. Same time make sure they use the bathroom then.
2. Prepare dinner and bathroom breaks before the fireworks.
3. Keep them leashed or kenneled during the night or in a closed-off room.
4. Stay with them as much as possible during the night and fireworks.
5. Create a Safe Zone for your pet.
6. Muffle the noises as much as possible. Some people like to use animal calming music, tv, and other means of normal noise. YouTube has a huge selection of animal calming music such as the following one: Example of Music for Calming Pets
7. Safely sedate your pet. Most organizations recommend using Benadryl. Depending on the size of the pet, 1/2 pill to 1 pill.
8. Always make sure your pet is properly marked with identification; pet tags with contact information for the owner.

If your pet becomes lost, explore your neighborhood, check with your neighbors, post them on social media and register them as lost at lost.petcolove.org. Go to animalfoundation.com/lostandfound and search their database, which is updated regularly.

Similarly, if you find a lost pet, it’s very likely that they live close by. Most dogs who go missing stay in their neighborhood. A recent study found most lost dogs are found less than a mile from their homes.

Please keep pets safe and secure during the holiday.