Smith County Animal Control offers tips on keeping pets safe during New Years

Smith County Animal Control offers tips on keeping pets safe during New Years

Dogs are especially prone to run away after hearing fireworks.

TYLER, Texas — Many like to bring the New Year in with a bang, but the four legged friends in the community often do not feel the same way. 

“It’s similar to what a child would hear real loud, boom sound, so it sounds almost like a gunshot. So some dogs don’t have that tactic to know what that is, so they run. So any kind of noise is a real thing that sets them off, and if they’ve never heard it before, so they’re unsure with what it is,” Smith County Animal Shelter worker Angel Reynolds said.

Dogs getting off leash is not uncommon on New Years, and the shelter asks pet owners to take the proper steps in making sure they are found safe.

“We do ask owners to always make sure your animals are microchipped, getting your dogs microchip,” Reynolds said. “If they happen to get out when the fireworks go off, and we were to pick them up, or a rescue picks them up, we can scan them and return them to their owners.”

It is an especially important dogs are kept with their owners at this time of the year, because the shelter is currently operating at capacity, and cannot take in more strays. 

“It’s really important for us to push the dogs out that we have in our shelter, to rescues and adopters to help us get them into homes.” Reynolds said. “Right now, unfortunately, we are having to make the decision with every call that we’re getting in, three dogs are coming out with one dog that leaves. So we’re just really asking that our adopters and rescues help us get dogs moved out of our shelters so we can, you know, get more in.”

All dogs, even those microchipped, are recommended to be leashed and close to owners during celebrations. 

RELATED: Here are the new Texas laws that take effect in 2025

CBS19 is available live and on-demand on your favorite TV streaming device, anytime from anywhere in the U.S.

The free CBS19+ app for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and smart TV devices features a 24/7 stream with the latest from CBS19.

In addition to the live stream, watch the latest from CBS19 on-demand, along with additional programming from our partners at TEGNA (like Verify, “Murder at My Door” and “In the News”) and Locked On Sports, plus special collections from CBS19 like Under the Lights, Hooked on East Texas and CBS19 Originals.

Add the free CBS19 channel by searching for CBS19 East Texas News in the Roku Channel Store on your device, or add the CBS19+ Roku channel using this link.

Search for the free CBS19+ app in the Amazon App Store directly on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, or add the CBS19+ Fire TV app using this link.

Learn more about the free CBS19+ app in the Apple TV App Store and download directly from your Apple TV device.

DOWNLOAD ON YOUR SMART TV

The CBS19+ app is also now available directly on “smart” or “connected” televisions made by Samsung, LG and Philips, as well as televisions with Android TV. Search for CBS19 East Texas News in your television’s app store to add CBS19+.

The CBS19+ 24/7 stream can be viewed on any desktop or mobile web browser anytime on the Watch page here on cbs19.tv.

link