The 4th of July is a fun time with lots of exciting places to go and things to do. It is also a day and night with Fireworks. Fireworks may be magical and enjoyable for people, but for most dogs they are terrifying. So take some advice and do not take your dog to any fireworks displays. If you want to go, try and have a family member, friend or pet sitter stay home with the dog. The loud noises can set some normally calm dogs into a frenzy. They will hide under beds and behind furniture, bark or yelp, and sometimes try to get over a fence, break through a window or door to try to escape the loud sounds.

Yesterday morning I was volunteering with SNAP, the Spay Neuter Action Project, at an all cats clinic in El Cajon. We were there with the Neuter-Scooter and had 40 cats registered to be altered.. Everything was going very smoothly when a cat decided he wanted out of his cardboard carrier. The cat's owner was standing right next to the box but the cat was so fast he managed to escape her groping hands and dashed away crossing a very busy street during morning traffic. Thank goodness he was not hit by a car but we all watched in horror as he just kept running farther and farther away.

One activity most dogs really like  is going for a car ride with their humans.. They especially enjoy sticking their heads out the open window and watching the world go by with the wind blowing in their face. Although this is great fun for them, it can also be very dangerous. When a dog's face is exposed like that, flying debris from the road like stones, broken glass and other materials can end up in your dogs eyes causing serious injuries...even blindness.  I know you love your dog and you want him to have fun, but he is counting on you to keep him safe and healthy. By all means take him for car rides but open the windows just enough to let the air in but not enough for him to get his face out. He can still enjoy himself but he will be much safer.

I can't believe how many last minute phone calls I have gotten from people who need someone to care for their pets while they are out of town. One of the first things you should do when you decide you are going away either for a day or for a month, is what are you going to do about your pets. Are you going to take them with you? Great! If not, you need to make arrangements for boarding, or a pet sitter to take care of them.

Most professional pet sitters book up fairly early during holiday season so waiting to the last day before you leave may not get you the quality of care that you want and need.