Posted on 07/02/2012 2:59:11 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
I once "oohed" and "ahhed" over fireworks, but that was before I knew how our annual celebrations of freedom wreak havoc on other species. For animals, Fourth of July fireworks aren't festive - they're frightening and sometimes even fatal. Animals' ears are far more sensitive than ours. Deafening blasts can cause them intense pain and even damage their hearing. The endless bangs and booms cause many dogs and cats to panic and jump over backyard fences, slip out of their collars, break free from their chains, dig out of yards, tear through screened windows or doors and even crash through picture windows in a frantic attempt to escape the explosions.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
“Closing blinds and curtains...”
Our Cairn was so upset over fireworks, we finally got him a “feel good” prescription. We give him two pills the evening before and another pill a few hours before the fireworks are about to start. Vets are not usually hesitant about giving a prescription if the dog is relatively healthy. Just some advice for anyone with a terrified pooch!
“...hosting a vegetarian backyard barbecue...”
That mean barbecuing a few vegans and vegetarians...and bringing in a pack of dogs or cayotes to enjoy? Rare would be fine for the guests, just enough that they weren’t still breathin’...
LOLOLOL...
I am surrounded by German Shorthair Pointers. GSPs... When the ‘crakers go off they stand by the door whinning, wondering why I don’t have the shotguns out.....after all, with all the noise, it must be opening day on something! “C’mon Dad...Let’s GO! Let’s get ‘em!”
-PJ
Hah! When we were teens my mom had a beagle that hated the fireworks. Some years mom would get him doggie tranqs but one year when my folks went out of town on the 4th we served him a dish of beer and got him sloshed.
Worked so well that we did it every year afterward.
LOL! And now he probably looks forward to the 4th of July!
San Francisco, of course, has replaced its traditional fireworks spectacular with a gerbil-based show, “The Star-Spangled Raggot”.
Give the pills to the owners and let the dog look to its own.
Now we're talking my kind of fun.
Maybe even some squirrels, cats, and dogs too...
LOL
The oly thing I condemn is rockets in urban settings with no preparations for preventing fires.
Would it be that much troublr to have included a brief description of what a "thunder vest" is?
I know all about google, but being thoughtful or forcing several hundred thousand people to go to google is a no brainer choice for me.
Vegetarian is Indian for crappy hunter.
When I go to the gun range there always seem to be quite a number of bird between me and the targets. They don’t seem to care when I shoot my .308 very much.
I have also have seen sheep and deer on artillery ranges. They didn’t care much either.
Years ago, when i used to live in a “party house,” i remember how the dog, a cross btwn a German shepherd and a St. Bernard, would lay in front of one of the loud speakers even when it was quite loud. Yet apparently he could pick a dog barking far away, as suddenly his ears and face would go into “sensors indicate” mode.
Thank God our freedoms never rested on such panzies!
I know just the piece...
I'm all for that. The cattle and hogs I used to raise were all vegetarians.
Chickens would also be.
But I prefer vegetarian brisket; from a vegetarian Angus steer.
My buddies lab loves fireworks. He will chase and try to catch roman candles, loves watching mortars go off, and chases rockets. We actually have to restrain him when we take him to the desert and shoot fireworks, because he will try to stick his face in the mortar tube. Unrestrained, he will eventually find some way to catch himself on fire.
My Jack is not big on thunderstorms. They make her bark! But firecrackers and fireworks don’t bother her at all. We can’t figure it out :) I’ve yet to see her go bananas on July 4th.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.