He said if owners have seen that their pets in previous years have extreme stress from fireworks, he suggests they talk with a veterinarian about obtaining a tranquilizer. "They need to do that through a vet so they have the proper dose for the size and type of pet, rather than trying to guess on their own."

Poindexter also notes many pets will have "accidents" and go to the bathroom in the house because of anxiety. "So prepare a bit, and be understanding. For example, we keep our dog in a room with a linoleum floor so it is easy to clean up, instead of on the expensive carpet in the living room."

He also adds, "Don't take your dog to a fireworks show. I'm surprised to see some people always do that. But if fireworks can cause stress at home, miles away from a show, it is that much worse when you are right there."

Hardy, Poindexter and Baierschmidt all recommend having proper identification tags and microchips on pets in case they do escape, so they can be retrieved if found.

"Microchips are especially important," Hardy said, saying sometimes tags are lost when a pet runs away. "People can obtain them from their vet, or from a humane society."

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