For many of our pets, fireworks season is the worst time of the year. Here are a few tips to help you keep your pets safer this fireworks season, using the mnemonic “WISE.”
W is for Walks
Walk your pet well before the fireworks start. This reduces the risk of your pet breaking away from you if they get startled by a firecracker or other loud noise.
I is for ID
Make sure your microchip information is up to date and that your pet is wearing visible ID.
S is for Safe Space
Set up a safe space – preferably in a quiet area of your home away from windows – where you pet can hang out during the fireworks. Closets can be a nice choice for this. Put some bedding, toys, and treats or chewies in the area. Consider spending time with your pet in that space when the fireworks are actually happening, too. Our support can be soothing for our pets, so S can also stand for Soothe and Support!
E is for escape
It’s a sad reality that many pets escape their homes and get lost when fireworks are happening. To help prevent escapes, consider setting up airlocks* at the exits from your home and property.
What’s an airlock?
Airlocks are doubled up barriers (or pairs of barriers, if that is clearer) that are lined up close to each other. Since there are two barriers, there are twice as many barriers keeping the animal from getting through. This can be useful if one is opened suddenly or accidentally.
To make sure you get the most out of your airlock, make it a household rule to open one barrier and then close it behind you before you open the second barrier.
Here’s an example of how you might set up and use an airlock:
- Put a baby gate in your front hallway, two or three feet from your front door.
- When you go to exit your home, first open the baby gate, then step through the gate (making sure your pet doesn’t slip through with you), and finally shut the baby gate behind you.
- Double-check the baby gate is shut and that your pet is on the other side of it before opening your front door.
- Open your front door, step through it, and close it behind you.
When you come home, do the same thing in reverse.
The key is that only one barrier is ever open at the same time.
You can even create double-airlocks by adding one more barrier. For example, you could put an ex-pen with a step-through gate outside your front door. That way you’d have the baby gate in the front hallway, the front door, and the ex-pen—three barriers between your pet and the outside world.
Just remember that no matter how many airlocks you set up, they only work if people follow the “one barrier at a time” rule.
Be WISE to keep your pets safe!
A little planning can make the difference between an easy holiday and one filled with stress and even heartbreak. Get WISE to increase the odds of an uneventful fireworks season!
