Ooh! Ahh! Woof? Fireworks freak out dogs
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Betty Gordon loves her dog, Bo Jangle.
"He is my baby," the Springfield resident said. "He's the only one I have, and I'm very protective of him."
But this four-legged friend isn't too fond of Fourth of July fireworks. The noise sends Bo into hiding.
"He will not go outside to do his business," Gordon said, "and he just stands there and shakes."
Gordon gets her dog sedatives around the Fourth every year. But this year, fireworks are already blasting away in her neighborhood, earlier than usual.
"I might have to get another bottle because of the fact that, OK it's starting in now and
then there's the Fourth of July and then after the Fourth of July for two weeks they're
still setting them off," she said.
Fireworks legally go on sale June 23 through July 6. Those dates do not govern when they can be ignited, however.
"People can set off legal fireworks any time throughout the year," said Brian Parmelee with the Springfield Fire Department.
Legal fireworks won't travel more than 6 feet horizontally or 12 inches vertically.
Parmelee joined Gordon in urging Americans to celebrate our country and honor our furry residents, too.
"Make sure your neighbors know if they have pets that you're going to be doing this and
try to do it at a time when they're not going to be around," Parmelee said.
