Fireworks Safety For Kids And Pets

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 It’s one of the loudest holidays of the year, the Fourth of July.
 
Local experts tell us there are some things you may want to know to keep the smaller members of your family safe.
 
Terry Schroer is checking out dogs at the Homeward Animal Shelter in Fargo.
She’s used to have a golden retriever and realizes the importance of keeping animals clear of fireworks.
 
“Anytime there were fireworks we had him go either, if we were at the cabin he’d sit under the dining room table between my husband’s legs and not move or if we were at home, we had him go in the hall to his safe place,” said Schroer of Perham.
 
Heather Clyde directs the shelter and says to keep your animals in mind when fireworks are going off.
 
“A lot of animals are going to get frightened. When animals get frightened, they do things that they normally might not do which means taking off running or hiding,” said Clyde.
 
It’s not just pets that people should be watching out for. Experts tell us kids should be in constant supervision when fireworks are going off.
 
Dr. Chris Tiongson is a pediatrician at Sanford Health.
He has kids of his own and says it’s important to keep tabs on them.
 
“Definitely should have them line of sight all the time and you know maybe holding their hand while some of the bigger things are going off. It’s always good to have you know a bucket of water or hose or something around in case something does catch fire,” said Dr. Tiongson.
 
There’s one item in particular that can be very dangerous.
 
“Sparklers are really hot. They’re over 1,000 degrees so kids can get burned with that and often times it’s little kids that get sparklers too. Their arms aren’t very long,” said Dr. Tiongson.
 
Whether it’s your pet, or your kids, local experts want you to keep those smaller members of your family in mind during the explosive holiday.
 
Homeward Animal Shelter leaders tell us the Fourth of July is when most animals go missing.