Animal Care Services

Fireworks Scare Pets

Every 4th of July, shelters experience an increase in incoming dogs as pets flee their homes in fear of fireworks. The sudden bright flashes and loud noises can cause animals to run into roadways, resulting in unsafe conditions for both animals and drivers.

Foster the Fourth

CELEBRATE SAFELY TIPS

ID Tags Are the Ticket Home

Fireworks can scare pets so much that they may try to escape by breaking through windows or door screens. Always ensure your pets wear collars with ID tags, and verify that their microchips are registered with your current contact information.

Safer At Home

Pets are highly sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights, and strong smells. It is best to keep your pets safely indoors, ideally with a radio or TV on to help muffle the unsettling sounds.

Keep Your Pet Calm

Reduce your pet's anxiety with anti-anxiety medications and pheromones, available in various forms like wipes, sprays, collars, or diffusers. Let your pet become familiar with the experience the pheromones before the stress-inducing event. Playing soothing music and sounds can also help calm your pet. 

If You Lost Your Pet

STEP 1

Search your neighborhood. Talk to your neighbors, ask them to keep an eye out, and give them your contact information. Register for a free "Animal Alert" for your cat or dog on LostMyDoggie. LostMyDoggie will create a professional lost pet flyer and fax and email it to 25 nearby shelters and veterinarians!  

STEP 2

Post your lost pet on social media like Facebook, Instagram, or X. Send descriptive emails about your lost pet to your animal shelter, friends, colleagues, and family members, asking them to share the information. Post messages on local animal forums and message boards. Many parks and dog parks have online communities that can help. 

STEP 3

Visit the shelter during normal business hours to search our kennels. If you do not find your pet, please ask an Animal Care Services staff member to check our Isolation, Feral, and Quarantine sections.

STEP 4

Check with veterinary hospitals, mail carriers, meter readers, delivery people, and other shelters. Lost pets can wander for several miles, so search at least seven blocks in all directions.

Don't Give Up!

If You Found A Lost Pet

Emergency Contact: Call 562-570-7387 ONLY if the animal is sick, injured, or aggressive.

Steps to Take:

1. Check for a Collar or Tags: Look for a phone number on the collar or tags and try calling or texting it.
2. Check for a Microchip: If safe to do so, take the animal to a local veterinary clinic, pet supply store, or LBACS during business hours to scan for a microchip.
3. Walk Around the Neighborhood: Safely walk the found animal on a leash around the area where it was found. Talk to neighbors and look for any open gates the pet might have escaped from.
4. Post on Social Media: Share a clear picture and location where the animal was found on local social media pages such as Facebook, NextDoor, LostMyDoggie, and PawBoost. Check the "Lost" sections to see if anyone is looking for the pet you found.  
5. Contact Us: If you cannot find the owner, call us at 562-570-7387 or email animalcare@longbeach.gov.

Lost Dogs	Lost Cats	Lost Rabbits