Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe During the 4th of July [Video]

The 4th of July holiday is just over a week away. But you know the drill. We're going to start seeing and hearing fireworks this weekend here in the tristate. Tonight, for instance, the City of Whitesville is kick-starting the holiday with their 13th Annual Fireworks in the Park celebration. Honestly, there are two weekends worth of Independence Day celebrations around town. But not only will we be seeing and hearing the explosions, our pets will too.

When she was alive, our Bichon Frise Dolly was TERRIFIED of fireworks. They were traumatic for her. As soon as she would hear the first "bang," she would try to run and hide. She would find a corner to hide in. Her heart would beat frantically. She would pant heavily. And, she would do her best to get as close to us as possible. And she passed that fear off to our Cairn Terrier, Simon. He now sits in the corner and shakes too.

So, what can you do to have a pet-friendly 4th of July celebratio? Look. I love fireworks too and I am pumped that my house is situated directly between two of the launch locations for the City of Owensboro's celebration this year. From my back deck, I'll have a great view of the fireworks at Centre Court and at Moreland Park. I'll be able to see them both.

While I will enjoy the Yankee Doodle heck out of them, I know at least one of our dogs won't.

My friend Tara Groves runs OCTC's Veterinary Technology program. Just a few days ago, OCTC shared Tara's video- How to Have a Pet-Friendly 4th of July. Take a look.

This morning, Tara joined Angel and me on the WBKR morning show to chat about Independence Day and what you can do for your pets who are scared of fireworks.

And here's Tara and Ladybug. Ladybus is adorned in another effective remedy. It's a Thundershirt.

Tara Groves/OCTC

So, as you light up the sky on the 4th of July, make sure your pets are safe, sound and comfortable too.

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.