The Busiest Day Of The Year At Animal Shelters Is One Week Away!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Every year on July 5th, I start seeing the posts about lost doodles in all the dog and doodle groups on Facebook, and every year I'm sorry that the owners weren't given the information they needed to keep those dogs safe. I feel sad for the dogs, and I'm often angry with the owners, because the information is widely available, and because these tragedies are so easily prevented. I have no doubt that I will feel that way again 2 weeks from now, but hopefully none of those sad, frantic posts on FB will involve any doodle or owner who belongs to DK. 

PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE. YOUR DOGS' LIVES MAY DEPEND ON IT. 

http://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/lost-cats-and-dogs-your-pets-vers...

Key points from the article:

No matter how much fun you think it would be to dress your dog up and take him out to parades, barbecues, and fireworks, please leave him at home. Safely indoors at home. Check that gates on fenced yards are closed, and if you have a dog door, close and lock it. Don't leave any dog in the yard alone, even for a minute, even if it is fenced. Terror has caused many a dog to leap a fence. Put your dog's leash on before you open the door to take him for a walk, and hang on to it. Hang on to leashes when taking your dog out in public for normal errands. This applies not just to the 4th, but to the days leading up to it. If your neighborhood is like most, there are going to be people shooting things off at any random moment for days before the actual event. Be prepared.

If you will be having guests, or if there are children coming in and going out, use crates, gates, and/or any other means at your disposal to prevent your dog from bolting through an open door when you have people going in and out of your home. 

Keep your dog's collar and tags on him at all times.

If you are going to be away for the 4th, make sure whoever is watching your dog knows this information and can be trusted to follow the rules.. It is stunning to me how many of the July 5th FB posts involve dogs who were with sitters, groomers, relatives, etc when they bolted.

And if you were thinking of taking your dog out of town with you for the 4th, please rethink that decision. 

Make sure your dog is microchipped and your microchip registration info is UTD. 

There's lots more. PLEASE, read the article now. Share it with every dog owner everywhere. And have a happy, safe 4th of July. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks for this great reminder, Karen. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good advice Karen, thanks.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Thanks for the reminder Karen

[Amy and Annabelle]

Thanks for sharing such important information. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks, Karen.

[PJ and Zach]

Thank you, Karen.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Since we have so many new doodle owners who have joined in the past year since this discussion was posted, I thought it was worth bumping it up in the forum again. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Feel free to share this in any dog or doodle groups on FB or other websites. It's public, you can just post a link; people do not have to be members here to read it. 

[Adina P]

I will be the one staying home with the dogs while the fam watches fireworks.  I like fireworks only slightly more than dogs.  Not much.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I posted a link to this discussion on the DK FB page but I think you have to do it to make it show up prominently rather than in the little "visitor's posts" column, lol. 
People really need to be aware of this info. That doodle that got lost while the owners were on vacation a couple of years back, and they had to leave and go back home without him still haunts me. The only thing worse than a dog being lost is a dog being lost in a strange unfamiliar place, far from home. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL- that sentence needed a "do" at the end. "I like fireworks only slightly more than dogs do". The way I first read it was "I like fireworks only slightly more than I like dogs. Not much." 

[Adina P]

Also it was during 4th of July one year that Boca learned she could break out of her wire crate (we were away).  So we don't go away on the 4th unless she has somewhere to stay with people that are home.