In November 2015, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill allowing novelty items (sparklers, party poppers, cone fountains, etc.) to be sold during specific time periods in New York State. These items will be available in retail stores from June 1st through July 5th and December 26th through January 2nd.
Today I drove by Hewitt’s Garden Center on Route 4 and was surprised to see a huge tent in their parking lot with fireworks for sale. For a second I forgot that I was in Rensselaer county in Upstate New York and not in the South!
So how does this affect us as a pet sitter?
Well, it means that many, many more people will be celebrating the upcoming holiday with the use of legal fireworks. That means the animals we care for that are afraid of loud noises will have to deal with a lot more loud noises than usual.
What can you do to help calm your pet’s fears?
First of all, if you know your pet is afraid of loud noises; fireworks in particular, KEEP THEM INSIDE and please let your pet sitter know.
Some other things we suggest are:
- Leave a radio or a tv on and turn the volume up a little bit more than you’re normally used to. This will help mask the noise.
- Many pets react positively to Bach’s Rescue Remedy which is put in their water or on a treat. It’s all natural. It’s sold at most local pet food stores or you can get it from Amazon.
- For dogs you may want to try a Thundershirt.
- For severe cases of fear you may want to discuss a sedative with your veterinarian.
- Make sure your pets are wearing ID tags in case they do happen to get out.
Are you concerned about this year’s holiday festivities now that fireworks are legal in New York?
Happy 4th everyone!
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