While the Fourth of July is filled with fun and fireworks, your furry friends may not like them so much.

The holiday is usually filled with picnics, games and fireworks but those events may not be fun for pets.

“Dogs don’t understand the fireworks. They don’t understand you setting off fireworks in your back yard. So one of the biggest things is…just putting your pet in a safe area where they will not have…such a loud exposure to it,” Dr. Kathleen Kocher of State College Veterinary Hospital said.

Owners may want to spend time with their dogs during Fourth festivities but Kocher said soundphobia is a big issue for dogs and can lead to anxiety attacks.  

If you’re celebrating with a picnic…she said to remember that dogs need to stay on their diet.

“Dogs shouldn’t go eat the bones and the drippings from the fat, so when you have big parties. going on, you wanna just be aware of what they can get into,” Kocher said.

Kocher also said to keep dogs off the hot sidewalks because the heat can burn the pads of their feet.

It’s important to be mindful with high temperatures and big crowds…dogs can get the short end of the stick.

“They’re hot, they’re panting…everybody wants to pet the dog. Not every dog likes that kind of contact…They don’t like little kids coming at them,” Kocher said.

In situations like these, Kocher said bite and risk prevention is key to keep pets and everyone else safe.

Kocher also said that people might not recognize soundphobia as much in cats because they usually disappear, but she said also finding that safe spot away from the noise is equally important for them.