While the sky burst with color, they weren’t looking up.
On the night of July 4, 2018, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control in Arizona tried something new: it opened both of its shelters to the public, from 7:30 to 10 at night, so anyone could sit beside dogs and cats who tremble at fireworks. The program was called “Calming Companions” and grew out of a video on the shelter’s Facebook page, which sparked a flood of emails and calls.
The volunteers received a brief safety orientation and went inside with blankets, chairs, and soothing music. They couldn’t take the dogs out of their kennels, so they stayed beside them: reading aloud, singing, speaking softly. About 200 people answered the call. The response was so positive that the initiative was repeated in subsequent years and inspired other shelters.
When fireworks frighten dogs, many instinctively try to run away, which is why dates like this often leave a large number of lost animals who end up in shelters. That night, instead of enduring the noise alone, they had company.
If it were your night off, would you have stayed?