By Joe Rodweller
It’s that time of year again when fireworks, bonfires and loud parties seem to pop up everywhere. Summer brings a lot of outdoor fun in many ways. Let’s say that we all work hard and play harder especially when winter has kept us indoors for more than we like. Many of us have pets and we take them with us no matter where we go or what we do. They are a part of your family; they are family. At this time of year, before, during and after the Fourth of July is also about the busiest for animal control.
Most of the time it’s calls about someone’s dog missing or they have seen a dog running loose that should not be where it is. After getting more information, we find out that there were fireworks going off in the area. Loud noise and very bright flashes of light can make an animal unpredictable, and most of the time their action would be to run away as fast as they can. Even on a leash it would only take a second for your pet to rip away from your grasp.
Human nature is to think “that wouldn’t happen to me,” but sooner or later you will be surprised by something your pet does and your excuse will be, “he got me by surprise,” or “I forgot and let my guard down,” or some other excuse. These excuses run hand in hand with others like, I opened the door and he bolted, or I only let him out for a minute to do his business and he’s gone.
The point is, no matter how well you may think your pet is trained and well behaved, anything can happen, even to you, and it can happen so fast you will not have a chance to stop it. So wherever you are, be prepared, check out the area for danger points like roads; animals will run blindly into traffic. If you’re deep in the Maine woods at a favorite party spot and your pet takes off into the woods, he most likely will be lost, not knowing where he is. Leave an article of clothing from its master; make sure it was worn so the scent of the master is strong. Most of the time they will come back to the place they ran from when lost and the smell of their master will assure them of some safety.
When you’re at a party with your pet, it’s your pet and no one else’s; no matter how well they act towards your pet. Other people are not going to take into consideration that your pet might run away or even bite when scared, and the noise and crowd of any kind of party can scare a pet. Just remember, if you think it might happen then leave them home. If you’re at the party, put them in your vehicle and make sure the windows are slightly open.
Things happen. You can’t control everything or stop some things from happening. This is just to get you thinking, to be aware. If your pet takes off and they are not back by the next day then call the animal control officer, the town office, local vets and even post it all over Facebook. When you get your pet back, make sure you let everyone you notified know it’s back.
Have a happy Fourth of July, Independence Day — “One Nation Under God and In God We Trust.” Make sure to wave Old Glory and give thanks and praise to all our soldiers, here and abroad, past and present for our freedom. And yes, I do believe that the Pledge of Allegiance should be in all the classrooms of all our schools. That’s part of what Independence Day is all about. Thank you for reading, Joe Rodweller.
Joe Rodweller of Linneus is a certified animal control officer and operates Maine Animal Control with his wife Debbie. He can be reached at 538-1347 or via e-mail at debjoe347 @yahoo.com.
