Dogs and Fireworks

Last year was the first year that I had to deal with fireworks being close enough to my house that it bothered my dogs. Before we had lived in rural Arizona (out with the cactus and the snakes), and other than professional displays, fireworks were not allowed.

But here, for a month before Independence Day, fireworks stands dot the landscape like Starbucks in the City. These big behemith shacks full of explosives are packed with people waiting in line to spend money on things they are going to blow up. I understand how fun fireworks can be. They are fun for me to watch, too. But not for dogs. My dogs were scared out of their mind last year.

Farley, my aussie, tried to get out of the gate when one of our neighbors sent up one of the whirrling works with the boom at the end. He latched on with his jaws and was shaking the gate. And before I could get out there to save him, he had chomped down on the fence and then pulled backwards and pulled out several of his teeth. This was a dog with full dentition-some of the most beautiful pearly whites I have ever seen in an adult dog. GONE. All that remains are empty sockets. A reminder of our first 4th of July in Washington.

So after that, I brought him inside and put him in a crate to calm down. We left for a little while and when I came home, he had destroyed his metal crate in a panic and had a pretty good slice next to his eye.

So before you spend alot of money on fireworks, think of your pets, your neighbors pets, the dog down the street. And go enjoy the big professional displays that the communities are putting on. I've heard they are wonderful. I wouldn't personally know. Because instead of enjoying the professional displays, I'll be sitting beside my dogs this year helping them make it through this scary night.