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Fourth of July Pet Safety & Found Pet Help

24 June 2026

How to keep Las Vegas pets safe this Fourth of July

More pets go missing around the Fourth of July than any other time of year. Last year, The Animal Foundation took in 549 lost and frightened animals from July 1–10. Only 89 were returned to their owners.

A few simple steps can help keep your pet safe or help a lost pet get home faster.

how to prepare my pet

i found a lost dog

Prepare Your Pet for Fireworks

Fireworks may be fun for people, but they can be frightening for pets. Loud noises and flashing lights can cause even the calmest animals to panic, run away, or injure themselves trying to escape. A little preparation before the celebrations begin can help keep your pet safe and at home.

Make sure your pet can be identified

Before fireworks begin, check that your pet has:

🐶 A collar
🐶 An ID tag with your current phone number
🐶 A registered microchip with up-to-date contact information

Lost pets often arrive at the shelter with microchips that have outdated phone numbers or addresses, which makes it much harder to reunite them with their families.

Quick tip: No time to buy or update a tag? Use a Sharpie to write your phone number directly on your dog’s collar.

Create a safe space indoors

Set up a calm, escape-proof place where your pet can relax.

A crate is ideal, but a bathroom, closet, garage, or small room can also work if it is secure and away from windows or sliding glass doors.

Before fireworks start:

🐶 Close windows
🐶 Lower blinds
🐶 Add a comfy bed or box
🐶 Provide toys or enrichment
🐶 Turn on the TV, music, radio, or a loud fan to help drown out fireworks

Tire them out early

Give your pet exercise before fireworks begin. A long walk, play session, or enrichment activity can help lower anxiety later in the evening.

Once fireworks start, keep pets indoors.

Keep pets away from fireworks

Do not bring pets to fireworks shows or set off fireworks near them. Even pets who are normally friendly and confident can panic, run, hide, or injure themselves.

If your pet has severe anxiety, contact your veterinarian before the holiday to ask about safe medication options.

Stray dog with sad eyes Homeless animals Caring for animals Copy space - The Animal Foundation

I Found a Lost Dog. What Should I Do?

Most lost dogs are found close to home. Many are found less than a mile from where they live, and 40% are found less than 400 feet away.

Keeping a healthy lost dog in the neighborhood, even briefly, can give them a better chance of getting home. Please follow the steps below to give this dog the best chance at being reunited with their family.

Better chance of getting home

Only 16% of pets brought to the shelter last July were reclaimed. A lost dog may live just a few houses or blocks away.

More space for animals in crisis

Keeping healthy lost dogs out of the shelter helps save space, staff time, and medical resources for sick, injured, and vulnerable animals.

Less disease risk

Overcrowded shelters increase the spread of illness. Keeping a dog out of the shelter can help protect that dog and others.

Shorter wait times

Fourth of July is one of our busiest times of year. Reuniting pets outside the shelter helps us assist families in crisis faster.

Image_20260624_172342_710 - The Animal Foundation

Step-by-Step: Help a Lost Dog Get Home

Step 1: Check for a tag or contact information

Look for an ID tag, phone number, or veterinarian information on the dog’s collar. Call or text any listed number.

Step 2: Walk the dog around the area

Walk the dog near where they were found. Ask neighbors if they recognize them. Knock on doors or text nearby neighbors if you can.

Step 3: Take clear photos

Take a few good photos that show:

🐶 The dog’s face
🐶 Full body
🐶 Collar
🐶 Unique markings

Do not remove the collar or alter the dog’s appearance.

Step 4: Upload the dog to Petco Love Lost

Upload a clear photo of the dog’s face to PetcoLoveLost.org. Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition to help match found pets with lost pet reports.

Visit Petco Love Lost

Step 5: Share a flyer

After uploading the dog to Petco Love Lost, create a flyer with a QR code instead of your personal contact information. Share it on Facebook, Nextdoor, and local lost and found pet groups.

Step 6: Scan for a microchip

Take the dog to an animal hospital or pet supply store to scan for a microchip.

Even if owner information is not immediately available, write down the chip number and manufacturer. That information may still help track down the owner.

Still Can’t Find the Owner?

If you are unable to reunite the dog with their family, contact The Animal Foundation.

Call 702-760-PETS
Email lostandfound@animalfoundation.com

Please tell us if the dog is sick, injured, or in immediate danger.

Image_20260519_232955_794 - The Animal Foundation

Why This Matters

When Lucy slipped through a backyard gate in 2019, her owner, Diana, searched everywhere. She hung flyers, posted on social media, and never stopped hoping—but eventually, she feared she’d never see Lucy again.

Six years later, Lucy arrived at The Animal Foundation as a lost dog.

Because Lucy had a microchip with her owner’s information, we were able to reunite them after six years apart.

Stories like Lucy’s are why identification matters. A collar, ID tag, and up-to-date microchip can make the difference between a pet spending days, months, or even years away from home—and finding their family again.

And if you find a lost pet, remember that someone may still be searching for them. Taking a few extra minutes to check for identification, scan for a microchip, and search for their family could help create another reunion just like Lucy’s.