The Fourth of July holiday is here, and with it comes plenty of fireworks and loud noises.

While the July 4th festivities may be fun for humans, they’re not always fun for animals. Roxie Randall, with Indianapolis Animal Care Services, says the Fourth of July is one of their busiest holidays of the year.

“Typically, around the Fourth of July, we see a spike in stray animals being brought to the shelter,” said Randall. “We’re trying to have owners be more prepared this year so we don’t see that spike in numbers.”

According to Randall, many of those strays get spooked by the loud noise of fireworks, and escape their yard or leash. To avoid this happening to your pet, here are a few tips:

– Leave your pet at home and inside during the fireworks displays.

– Give pets their own quiet room, and put the TV or radio on to cover outside noises.

– If you are hosting a Fourth of July party, give your dog time to run all of its energy out before guests arrive. If you have a cat, remind guests to be careful going in and out of your home, so the cat does not escape.

– Keep fireworks, sparklers, etc. away from animals.

– Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and tag with updated contact information. If your pet is microchipped, make sure your contact information is up to date.

– Make sure you have a current photo of your pet, in case it gets loose and runs off.

If you happen to find a lost pet, Randall says you should hold onto them and try to find the owner on your own.

“Pets typically don’t wander too far from home,” said Randall. “By searching in your own neighborhood and posting in neighborhood social media pages or groups, you may find the owner very quickly that way.”

She adds, if you do find a lost pet, you should get them scanned for a microchip. If your pet gets lost in the Indy area, you should post a picture of your pet to Indy Lost Pet Alert. Meanwhile, stray pets taken in at IACS can be viewed here.