Help Soothe Shelter Pets On The Fourth Of July By Signing Up To Talk, Sing, Or Play Music For Them
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — As fireworks begin to fill the skies, some furry friends need your help. A local animal shelter is looking for people to talk to the animals - and sing with them, too.
It's an effort to keep them calm during the noisy Fourth of July night, one of the most stressful times of year for pets.
The booms and bangs of fireworks can be frightening and cause some dogs to flee.
"It may jump the fence, it may dig out of a fence, it may break through a fence," said Janna Haynes, spokesperson for the Bradshaw Animal Shelter.
The Sacramento County shelter is already starting to fill up with strays.
"This season is absolutely one of the busiest times that we experience," Haynes said.
So they are looking for volunteers to provide some soothing entertainment for the animals this Independence Day.
"We are asking the public who is willing to give their time on the Fourth of July to come and spend an hour and a half either reading to our dogs, singing to them, or playing instruments to help keep them calm during the worst of the fireworks," Haynes said.
They first launched this program in 2019 and say it's a success.
"It absolutely works," Haynes said.
From acoustic guitars to tales from classic books, shelter workers say the one-on-one attention helps settle the dogs - whose heightened sense of hearing can detect even far away fireworks.
"We've seen dogs that are super fearful that are tied to the back of their kennels move slowly, creep up, as the reading goes on," Haynes said. "And they'll settle right next to the door and just fall asleep."
People who want to volunteer need to sign up ahead of time. The shelter has set up this website with all the details.