It’s that time of year – picnics, family, food and fireworks! It’s typically fun for all – unless you are a family pet. While many of us consider our pets to be part of the family, and we want to include them in our fun, some activities can be frightening, dangerous or even fatal to our beloved pets. Keep in mind that a dog’s sense of hearing is more than four times that of a human, and a cat can hear 1.6 octaves above the range of a human – so if it is loud for you, it can be extremely frightening for you pet. They don’t understand what is happening and will try to get away by any means – digging, climbing, running – even injuring themselves in the process. Below is a great infographic from PetFinder with a few tips to help you and your furry friend have a safe and enjoyable July 4th celebration – and many more pawsitively wonderful moments together. (And if you are thinking of adopting a pet this year, please check out a list of available pets on PetFinder.)

To Recap, Here are eight safety tips for this July 4th

1. Be sure your pet is wearing up-to-date and visible ID tag on his or her collar at all times, and consider microchipping.
2. Take a current photo of your pet just in case.
3. Exercise your dog early in the day before the party begins.
4. During cookouts, ask guests to play with your dog away from the flames.
5. Keep charcoal, fireworks, sparklers and glow sticks far away from curious canines and felines.
6. Keep dog treats on hand for those who want to give your pet food.
7. Leave your dog at home with a frozen stuffed treat during the fireworks.
8. If your dog is afraid of loud noises, leave gentle music playing to cover the fireworks.