HONESDALE -- People who work at animal shelters say July 5 is typically their busiest day because so many dogs flee when they hear fireworks.
"The shelter becomes extremely busy," said Jennifer Scott, manager for Dessin Animal Shelter near Honesdale. "We get a lot of stray dogs. People will find dogs that have shown up at their house."
According to the American Humane Association, more dogs go missing during the week surrounding the Fourth of July than any other time of the year. That's because dogs are hypersensitive to loud noises.
"It's sudden," added Schott. "It's loud and it's unfamiliar and it becomes scary to them."
This will be the first fireworks for 9-month-old CJ. His owner plans on keeping the puppy on a short leash.
"That's my second son," said Ross Cook of Honesdale. "He's definitely a part of the family and when you have a dog that size you want to keep them calm."
Whether you're going to watch fireworks or buy some for yourself, experts say it's best to leave the dog at home.
"The absolute best is actually to leave them at home in a confined area," explained Schott. "Play some soft music. We play classical music for the dogs. It actually calms them."
Joe Sarge runs a fireworks stand in Waymart and whether it's smaller firecrackers or the big ones, even he suggests people think twice about bringing their dogs along for the fireworks.
"Even as an adult I'm like, 'Oh wow,'" exclaimed Sarge. "Now imagine an 8, 10 pound dog; they don't know what it is and they're going to go crazy."
Animal experts say before your dog does go missing, it's best to have them microchipped to help them get returned home.