By. Anuradha
We all love to celebrate the 4th of July. It is such a big day for us and therefore, we like to celebrate it in such a glamorous way. So, the fireworks become a necessity and the more we have fireworks the more it becomes festive. However, this season is not that of a happy one for our dogs because of the high sound frequencies created by firecrackers. It hurts their eardrums and most of the times, our pups tend to hide under beds and go into corners of the house just to escape from the noise. Unfortunately, the same comfort is not there for dogs who are living in shelters. They do not have safe corners to hide and therefore, festive seasons are often a nightmare for those innocent ones. So, recently one shelter came up with a new idea to find a solution to this problem.
Marty Becke, a veterinarian by profession said that “When they have these noise phobias, it’s horrible. A lot of times these dogs will self-mutilate. I’ve had dogs come in that have run through a plate-glass window. They think they’re going to die, and when you think you’re going to die, you do crazy things.”
The project which is named as “Calming the Canines,” is initiated by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC), is a new Independence Day tradition — and it’s proving that nothing is as patriotic as kindness
Image credits: Wesley Nitsckie
Last year, over 300 local community members showed up at the shelter’s two locations around Phoenix, Arizona to comfort the scared dogs.
“It was overwhelming to see how the community responded,” Ben Swan, the shelter’s development director, said in a press release. “It really helped spread our message that MCACC is here to help.
Image credits: maricopa
Amy Engel, who is in charge of the AZ Dawg Saverz Facebook page and attended Calming the Canines last year, said that she definitely plans on attending this year as well. she wrote that,
“Some people sang to them, some people read to them, some people just sat there and gave treats! It was so, so awesome because the dogs absolutely love the attention and were focused on the people and not the fireworks going on outside.”
Image credits: maricopa
And it wasn’t just a one-time thing. After the event, people have developed a lasting bond with the dogs that they looked over.
Image credits: maricopa
“Many participants developed lasting relationships with the shelter, returning to provide foster care, adopt a pet or volunteer,” the MCACC wrote.
Image credits: maricopa
This year, shelter staff hope that the kindness will spread even wider, and even more, meaningful connections will be made.
