New Year’s is a tough holiday for pets. Here’s how to create a safe and happy holiday for them

As you prepare for the last bash of the year, don’t forget the festivities might not be as much fun for your four-legged friends. In fact, shelter professionals estimate more pets run away from home and get lost on New Year’s Eve than any other night of the year—except, perhaps, July 4th.

The earth-rattling, booming fireworks, buzzing party horns, loud music, constantly ringing doorbells, invasion of their homes by strangers and the unpredictable popping Champagne corks terrorize dogs and cats. With their homes under siege in a barrage of unfamiliar, dramatic sights, smells and sounds, they flee houses, climb trees and dig out of yards.

The good news is owners can easily decrease the trauma and protect their pets. Here’s how:

Assure pets keep to their normal feeding and exercise schedule. If possible, play with cats and walk dogs—or allow them plenty of outdoor exercise time—during daylight hours before the chaos commences.

Create a secure, soft, cozy place for pets to stay during the festivities. Pets may be less likely to bolt if they have a comfortable, quiet place to retreat. Ideally, that space needs to be inaccessible to party guests to prevent accidental release.

Update information on pets’ collars and with microchip providers. Since loud noises and open doors provide both the motive and opportunity to escape, an ID tag is de rigueur for any pet suiting up for the big soiree. Even if your pet is microchipped, having owner contact information in plain sight can speed up the journey home if a good Samaritan intercepts your pet on the run. If your pet does become lost, contact Companion Animal Alliance, 2680 Progress Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70807 (774-7701).

Keep animal emergency vet contact information close by. As usual, prevention and vigilance is the best strategy. However, if you suspect a pet has swallowed something harmful or become injured in the midst of the revelry, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Since most offices close for the holiday, keep the closest animal emergency clinic’s telephone number nearby. The following clinics remain open 24-hours during the holidays:

• LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Small Animal Clinic Emergency Room, 1909 Skip Bertman Drive (578-9600).
• Baton Rouge Pet Emergency Hospital, 1514 Cottondale Drive (925-5566).
• Sherwood South Emergency and Critical Care Center, 3803 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. (293-7747).

Creature feature

Besides attempting to reunite lost pets with their owners, Companion Animal Alliance has many animals available for adoption including:

Buddy (#62225) is a large, young male hound mix with soulful brown eyes.

Maria (#60422) is an adult female torti.

Scooby (Camp Bow Wow foster) is a 2-year-old male beagle/retriever mix. This pup is actually a happy-go-lucky guy. He is a professional fetcher and loves snuggling. Scooby is also house-trained, sits on command and walks well on a leash.

Tabitha (#60823) is a friendly young, adult female brown and white tabby.

Hazel (foster/#59952) is a large, young Australian shepherd mix. Hazel came to shelter with five tiny puppies. She cared for them until they were big enough for adoption. Hazel is very smart and picked up on house manners quickly. This girl is already house-, kennel- and leash-trained.

Grayson (#24694) is an adult female tabby with gorgeous green eyes.