By Christine Cowett Robinson
Special to the Star-Herald
This is the time of year for BBQs and fireworks. Fireworks can be especially scary to your dog; loud noise and bright lights. Be sure your dog is safe. I wouldn’t recommend taking your dog to the fireworks show; some of the blasts hurt our ears, can you imagine what your dog would think? ‘Holy Cow! Somebody is trying to kill me, I have to run and hide.’ And a frantic dog may run into traffic or hide, too scared to come out. He may also be so scared he may bite. It is so important to be aware of your dog’s needs in such situations. We subject our animals to some very unnatural events; some dogs tolerate them better than others, but why risk the stress and possible damage to your beloved pet? Leave them safely at home.
With the summer heat, be sure that your pets have fresh water to drink and a place to get out of the sun. Like us, our pets can suffer from heat stroke, and they can also suffer sunburn and dehydration. I am still seeing dogs being left in cars in the parking lots of stores. Bad idea! I hope if you see a dog left in the heat trapped in a car, you call your local law enforcement. Even a short time in a car with the windows down can be deadly. I am also seeing dogs unrestrained in the back of trucks. It is time to start reporting this as well folks, it is illegal and dangerous to both the dog and possibly to other drivers. Let’s call it an ‘accident waiting to happen.’ So it is important to get a license plate number and direction the vehicle is traveling and report it to law enforcement. By reporting such incidents, you could be saving the life of the animal but also the life of a person if the dog were to jump from the vehicle into traffic. This practice is illegal for a reason. 
The happy endings are what keep us going at the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We love to hear how pets have found their ‘forever home’ and we love getting pictures of the animals we have helped to save. You can send your happy tails to our Web site, www.centralaroostookhumanesociety.org. There are many happy tails listed there, people who have adopted from us and couldn’t be happier. So write and post your own happy-ending story, they honestly do wonders to remind us that we are doing a good job and that the animals we find homes for are living ‘happily ever after.’
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday or give us a call at 764-3441. Please have your pets spayed or neutered or if they already are, then consider donating to our Richard Scovil Spay/Neuter Fund. By spaying and neutering, we are saving lives.
