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Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency shares six steps to keep pets safe during July 4 fireworks and addresses everyday pet anxiety with expert veterinary behavior services in Marietta, GA.

MARIETTA, Ga., June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fireworks send thousands of frightened pets running every year. The veterinary team at shares six simple steps to keep pets safe, calm, and at home this Independence Day.

Every July, animal shelters across the country prepare for one of the busiest weekends of the year. July 4 is widely reported as the highest day for lost pets, with shelter intakes jumping sharply through July 5 and 6. Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency in Marietta, Georgia, sees the same pattern in its - more lost-pet phone calls, more anxiety-related emergencies, more families dealing with a dog who hides under the bed when the booms start, or a cat who disappears for a day after the festivities.

Before fireworks, do these six things.

• Update microchips and ID tags. A current chip and a clear collar tag are the single biggest difference between "frightened and back home" and "frightened and missing."
• Walk dogs earlier in the day. Bring them inside well before sunset. Once the booms start, leashing up an anxious dog in the yard is when many escapes happen.
• Set up a quiet safe space. A crate, interior closet, or bathroom with a blanket, a favorite toy, and a white-noise machine works well.
• Use tools that help. Thundershirts (pressure wraps), calming pheromone diffusers like Adaptil, and lick mats with peanut butter give anxious pets something to focus on.
• Don't punish fearful behavior. Sit with your pet, speak calmly, and let them choose their hiding spot. Comfort doesn't reinforce fear — it builds trust.
• Ask your family vet about situational anti-anxiety medication. These work best when given before the noise starts, not after the pet is already in panic.

Fireworks night is the tip of the iceberg.

For some pets, July 4 is only the loudest version of an everyday problem. Dogs and cats who pace, hide from visitors, panic at the doorbell, or destroy furniture when left alone often live with daily anxiety. Owners sometimes assume this is "just personality." It rarely is.

"Pet anxiety is treatable," says , a veterinarian at Dogwood. "Like anxiety in people, it responds to the right combination of behavior modification, environmental management and, when appropriate, medication."

Trainer or veterinary behaviorist?

• Trainers teach skills and cues — sit, stay, recall. A good Fear Free, positive-reinforcement trainer is the right starting point for everyday behavior challenges.
• Veterinary behaviorists are veterinarians who diagnose behavior disorders, evaluate medical contributors (pain, neurologic disease, thyroid issues), and can prescribe medication when appropriate. The most successful cases often involve both working together with the family veterinarian.

In the Atlanta area, families with anxious pets have options. at Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency in Marietta and Dr. Seibert are both available for consultation. At Dogwood, the behavior service collaborates with each pet's family veterinarian throughout treatment.

Pets who feel safer can live so much more fully. That is the bigger story behind fireworks night: a chance to ask whether your pet is suffering quietly the rest of the year, too.

If your family is wondering, behavior team and your family's veterinarian are both good places to start the conversation.

About Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency

Located in Marietta and serving the entire metro Atlanta community, Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency provides around-the-clock emergency care alongside advanced specialty services all under one roof. Their team of board-certified specialists and emergency veterinarians offers expertise in internal medicine, surgery, critical care, and more, ensuring that pets receive the right care at every stage of treatment. Visit to learn more.

Media Contact

Agda Tamassia, Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency, 1 (404) 609-1234, [email protected],

SOURCE Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency