Written by Mariam Kunstmann

---

Dear Kendall pet owners!

With the fourth of July quickly approaching around the corner I thought I would share some tips. Where I once looked forward to the holiday, not so much anymore.

In my family, we have two large dogs: The first one we have had since she was a pup, and the second one is a rescue. Both have certain triggers that bring on fear and anxiety in them. I am not one to take pills and won’t medicate my dogs, so I have provided you with our 7 tips to help them during moments of high anxiety below.

AB Mix Rescue

My AB mix (rescue) gets very scared during loud thunderstorms. He trembles and tries to hide all 95 lbs of himself between my legs. When the thunder gets really bad, and its the middle of the night, his favorite place is between me and my husband.

Labrador Retriever

When we are home it isn’t as big an issue. But our labrador retriever really dislikes fireworks, gunshots, vacuums, blenders, etc… you get the idea.

She usually runs and hides by our bed or in the master bathroom. As you may imagine, this intensifies on nights like 4th of July when most people venture out with family or friends and the fur-babies are usually left home to fend for themselves.

In order to alleviate some of the stress, below are 7 tips that we usually follow to help them out:

7 Tips on How to Prepare our Pets for a Thunder Storm or worse, Fireworks!

1. Closing the blinds to avoid the flashes of light.
2. Keep their “safe/comfy place” available close by.
3. Leaving a radio or TV on with the sound on to try and hide the loud noise. (depending on close you are to the festivities, this may not help much)
4. Keeping a box fan on inside the room
5. Make sure to feed earlier in the day in case they get anxious and decide not to eat.
6. We usually give them each a marrowbone to nibble at. This keeps them quite entertained.
7. Stay calm – remember our fur-babies feed off of our energy, body language, and mood. If you make a big fuss, they will think their fear is justified.

Let the Games… Begin 🙁

All this being said, we love and care for our pets. So what do we do when that dreaded night comes? “Oh no, they got out or escaped.” It is not uncommon for dogs to make irrational decisions after they pass their breaking point. I’ve heard stories of dogs breaking through windows or glass doors in fear and in an attempt to escape. Especially on July 4th and December 31st.

No matter how much we try to avoid this… there may be times (like these) when you find yourself at a loss. And now your pet is LOST but even worse, where do we begin.

It is always best to be prepared, right? Here are 5 quick tips on what we can do to prepare in the worst case scenario.

5 Tips on How to Prepare for a Lost Dog or Cat

1. Do they wear tags with your name, phone and/or address?
2. Have they been chipped?
3. Is your contact information up to date?
4. If you have moved recently, we remember to update addresses on our bank, credit card accounts, etc. But sometimes we forget to think of updating your dogs and cats registration with the city?
5. No judgment here, but this one does happen. We all think to make and physically post flyers in and around our neighborhoods. We get out and let our neighbors know so they are on the lookout. This is a great strategy but there are tons of additional resources that you may not be aware that you can use to help if your dog is lost.

Think Outside the Box

Below, I have compiled a list of some resources that may be helpful. Do not think that because you lost your pet in Kendall they won’t end up in another city far away. We hear horror stories of people stealing or “dognapping” because of some humans that just plain and simple: SUCK.

Don’t give up on your fur-babies. We also have heard miraculous reunion stories. Some happen quickly and others take time. In the day and age of social media, spreading the word in a Public post (that allows people to share) is key. All of the info below applies to missing dogs or if you happen to find a wandering dog that you decide to help:

7 Things you can do to Report a Missing or Found Dog

1. If you find a dog – Scan for a chip! (Any kind local vet will do this for free)
2. If you’re missing your dog – Check shelters in person and do it DAILY! Check the below websites for “found dog” posts
3. Notify Miami Dade Animal Services that your pet is missing/found: Pets@miamidade.gov asdlostandfound@miamidade.gov
4. Notify Broward County Animal Care and Adoption that your pet is missing/found: 954-359-1313 lostandfound@broward.org
5. Post colored flyers everywhere. Put flyers or a message in your car windows and a large sign in your front yard. Give a flyer to your mailman, FedEx and UPS drivers. Call your local police station, all vets and groomers in your area and provide them with a flyer. Hand out flyers to your neighbors and post the same flyers at gas stations, post office, grocery stores, CVS, Walgreens, pet supply stores, and anywhere else you think people may frequent.
6. Post online:
   -Facebook-Lost and found Dogs of Broward and Dade County and Operation Find Freddy
   -Craigslist under the lost/found and the pets sections.
   –Fidofinder.com
   –pawboost.com
   –Miamidadelostpets.com
   –Petharbor.com
   –FindingRover.com
   –Nextdoor.com
7. You can make free flyers and/or post your pet at www.helpinglostpets.com (HeLP). You can print these flyers and/or share them online. Please also check the HeLP map frequently to see if this lost pet has been listed with them. These flyers are available in English or Spanish. All of their services are 100% free!
   

If your pet is chipped, make sure you call the chip company or log in online to ensure his/her info is up to date. Sometimes they offer a service that notified vets of your missing pet.
Good Luck!

To connect with Mariam Kunstmann through social media click here. To read all posts from Mariam click here.