Every year people celebrate the ringing in of the new year with fireworks streaming across the sky, but our furry friends are not a fan of all that noise.
“Big bangs and fireworks... really fun for human beings but for animals that have much more sensitive hearing than we do it can be pretty intense for them," says Trent Bingham, the Director of Operations at the Nevada Humane Society. "Dogs are more likely to be sound reactive but cats also get it. and when they get scared, they’re going to run. They’re going to hide, and they might do whatever they can do escape from that sound.”
The first thing on your mind might not be yours or other people pets when going out to celebrate, but there are things we can all do to keep our pets from getting scared or having anxiety.
“Inside is the best place for your animals, both dogs and cats. It's their safe spot. It’s where they’re going to be comfortable, and the best part about inside is you can make it even safer for them," says Bingham. "If you draw the curtains for them it's going to be a wonderful thing. It muffles the sound, makes sure they don’t see the bright lights.”
You can also put the TV or music on in the background to soothe your pets.
If you're worried about your animal running away, Washoe County Regional Animal Service also provides free ID tags for your animals. They'll also provide microchips, and so will the Humane Society in Carson.
