Our fireworks fantasy is Fido’s nightmare

Mike Stura operates Skylands Animal Sanctuary in Wantage.

When it comes to farm animals, you name it, he’s rescued it, from roosters to pigs to horses. He saved a very special calf named Jimmy, the reason he started the sanctuary.

Surprisingly, when it comes to fireworks, his animals don’t react.

Then there’s Gigi.

“Gigi is pit bull with a kind soul who dreads fireworks,” Stura said. “She hears the noise and she’ll start drooling, hiding and even take refuge in the bathtub. If we’re not home and she’s in her crate, she’ll gnaw on it.”

Booming festivities

This year, celebrations are planned throughout the tristate area. Expect pyrotechnics, grand finales and all of the snap, crackle and pop that light up the sky this time of year.

But what about the noise?

Fireworks are loud. As always, some creatures great and small won’t be thrilled with the rocket’s red glare and bombs bursting in air.

“We get an incredible number of calls on the Fourth of July from pet owners who have animals that are already anxious,” said veterinarian Don Costlow, owner of Newton Veterinary Hospital.

“The key is to start early so your pet never gets freaked out. If your pet tends to react poorly to fireworks or loud noises, there are several ways to help.”

He suggests insulating pets from the noise by putting them in a quiet location in the house. Playing relaxing music also helps.

“There are also medications, such as Xanax and Sileo, that are very effective during fireworks and thunderstorms,” Costlow said.

“ThunderShirts are a non-pharmaceutical treatment for anxiety that have proven effective.”

These “anxiety vests” provide gentle pressure that dogs find calming.

“The key is to start any plan prior to the start of the fireworks,” he added.

Runaround Jill

Joyce Stever says different horses react in different ways to fireworks, depending on how far away the noise is. Jill, a majestic equine who lives in Chester, N.Y., is not a fan in the least.

“She’ll spook, turn her head and just try to get away from the noise,” said Stever, her instructor. “If she’s in her stall, she’ll spin around, and if she’s in her paddock, she’ll run around in circles.”

Dryer turned bunker

Bob and Beth Quinn of Goshen, N.Y., fondly remember their German shepherd Riley.

“He was a beautiful athlete except when it came to loud noises,” Bob said. “At between 110 to 120 pounds, Riley would jump into the bathtub.”

This is the same dog who guarded their home when, say, the mailman came to the door, jumping up and down like a tough guy. But sudden loud noises?

“One time, my wife was in the basement doing laundry and there was a big boom,” he said. “Riley went flying down the stairs and made a beeline for the dryer. My wife had been taking clothes out, so it was open and became his hiding spot.”

Campground races

Jeanne and Brad Heinke of Branchville remember camping in Cape May with their Irish setter Kelly, their very first dog and the love of their four-footed life. It was the Fourth, and they went out without Kelly.

“Obviously there were fireworks, and when we returned to our trailer, we find our dog on a rope tied to the outside of our trailer,” Jeanne said. “The fireworks went off, and our Irish setter leapt through the front window that went across the front of the trailer and was running helter-skelter.”

People in the campground went after her and caught her.

“They didn’t quite know what to do, so they tied her up to our camper and we found her there when we got home,” she said. “This is the same dog that sometimes when we would come home after a thunderstorm, we would find in the bathtub, and during other firework scenarios, jumped up and dug out grooves in our bedroom dresser - which we still have and I’ll never get rid of because it reminds me of her. Kelly hated fireworks, and the worst part was you never knew when they were going to happen if you were away.”

Dog or ostrich?

Ann Paterno of Stillwater has seen her powerful two 90-pound German Shepherds reduced to a puppy-like state when it comes to fireworks.

“They would cower in fear, and in fact the female would run into the bedroom and stick her head under the bed like an ostrich,” she said. “I always felt so badly but there was no consoling them, so I would turn the radio on loud and try to make as much noise to cover it up as I could.”

She said her horse doesn’t have a problem with fireworks, “but I’ve known others that have actually run through fences and gotten injured while they were panicking.”

“Fireworks aren’t fun for pets or pet owners.”

Pets have a point

Fido isn’t the only community member who fears the Fourth. A local emergency room physician (who wishes to remain anonymous because of hospital policy) said he dreads it.

“If you’re on that day/night, it’s crazy,” he said. “People who have no business using firecrackers and fireworks in the first place end up in the ER with some pretty bad injuries.”

Firework rules vary from state to state, but they don’t necessarily stop individuals from using them illegally.

Pennsylvania allows the sale of consumer-grade fireworks - and its stores advertise in New York in New Jersey, where only “sparkling devices,” such as sparklers, are legal for purchase and use.

In 2023, 9,700 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks injuries nationwide, according to a report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There were eight reported deaths.

Most of the injuries were burns to the hands, fingers and head, including eyes, face and ears. About 700 of the injuries were from sparklers - which burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt some metals.

An estimated 800 injuries were from firecrackers.

Adults age 25 to 44 experienced nearly a third of the estimated injuries, and children younger than 15 accounted for another third.