Happy Fourth of July

Sailing Holiday by Slim Aarons (1984)

 

Happy Fourth of July! Stay safe and cool on this hot Fourth of July.

I am not a fireworks fan. It is terrifying to pets and wildlife and triggering for many vets. And fireworks kill and injure people every year. Approximately 13,000 people are injured and 15 people are killed annually in the U.S. due to fireworks. Despite their seemingly harmless nature, sparklers account for about 1,300 emergency room visits annually. Sparklers burn at extreme temperatures approaching 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep your pets safe indoors tonight. Many pets get lost and killed on the Fourth. They get startled and run off, even jumping through windows, off of decks, and over fences and running into the street. July Fourth is the number one day of the year for lost pets! Tens of thousands of pets go missing each year on the Fourth and only about 15% are recovered. Shelters every Fourth receive record numbers of lost pets. And many shelters have volunteers come and read to their already stressed animals during fireworks.

Wildlife is also greatly impacted, with huge increases in vehicle collisions, abandoned dens and nests, birds fleeing crashing into windows and buildings, as well as choking hazards from fireworks debris, and respiratory issues and death from toxic air pollutants. Wildlife rescues are overwhelmed with orphaned and abandoned babies. And fireworks on the beaches here are very harmful to our sea turtles.

Walk your dogs early before the fireworks start. I will be hunkered down with the pups in my bedroom with the shutters closed and the television on for white noise. 

Be considerate and keep everyone safe.