PROTECT YOUR POOCH FROM 4TH OF JULY FRIGHT & FLIGHT

Every 4th of July holiday, hundreds of dogs, frightened by the sounds of fireworks, become lost.  A few will be found and returned to their homes, but most will end up in shelters where they will be adopted out or, even worse, euthanized. 

In an effort to ensure against the tragedy of lost pets, Camp Bow Wow Agoura Hills, the premiere doggy day camp and overnight camp, is teaming with Agoura Hills Animal Hospital on a MICROCHIP YOUR DOG event, Saturday, June 29, from 1p.m. to 3p.m. at Camp Bow Wow, located at 29348 Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills.  An all-inclusive, one time fee of $23 includes the insertion of a microchip in your dog and life-time registration with Home Again, the national pet recovery database.

“This easy, affordable and permanent means of identification increases your chance of finding and being reunited with your pet, which is why we recommend it to our clients,” said Dr. Keith M. Berry, veterinarian and founder of Agoura Hills Animal Hospital.  “No method of pet identification is perfect, but by microchipping and registering your dog, you’re taking an additional step in being a responsible pet owner.”

You read amazing stories all the time about dogs being reunited with their human family thanks to the microchip ID.  And with all the dogs that go missing around the 4th of July holiday, this is just another way to protect your pup.

About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip is a tiny computer chip housed in a type of glass that is designed to be compatible with living tissue. Trained veterinarians, using a needle and special syringe much like a vaccination, implant the microchip between a dog's shoulder blades under the skin. Most dogs don’t seem to feel it being implanted.  Once the microchip is placed, the dog must be registered with a microchip company, such as Home Again, a national pet recovery database that protects your pooch for life. Then, if your dog is ever lost or stolen, a handheld device that uses radio waves can detect and read the unique code on the chip that identifies your dog and helps return it to its home.

Camp Bow Wow and Agoura Hills Animal Hospital also recommend keeping a collar and current identification tags on your dog at all times and never allow your dog to roam free without supervision, especially around this time of year when the sounds of fireworks are often heard.

If you're not going to be home with your pooch on the 4th, be sure to leave them in a secured area, preferably indoors with windows and curtains closed  to block out the sights and sounds of fireworks celebrations.  You might also want to play soft music or leave the television on to distract your pup from the noise outside.  And be sure to provide plenty of water as well as a favorite toy or security blanket in case of stress.