Long Beach animal shelter at max capacity due to fireworks from 4th of July
Officials said between July 1 and July 5 they've taken in over 45 cats and 20 dogs after already being over capacity.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- As the dust begins to settle from all of the fireworks that lit up the sky for the Fourth of July, workers at Long Beach Animal Care Services are dealing with the aftermath. Officials said between July 1 and July 5 they've taken in over 45 cats and 20 dogs after already being over capacity.
"We have dogs in our cat patio which shouldn't be there and mixture of cats and dogs in one of our small pet rooms," said Megan Ignacio, the community outreach coordinator at Long Beach Animal Care Services. "We have makeshift kennels in offices and in the middle of our dog cottage as well."
Mandy Cabrera was at a nearby park over the holiday weekend when a small dog followed her to her car. She's hoping bringing the furry friend to the shelter will help reunite him with his owner, but stresses the importance of microchipping and securing your pets.
"It's really sad," Cabrera said. "A lot of owners are not able to take care of their pets properly especially around such busy and stressful holidays. I really think that security would really need to improve for people who have animals that are ready to run away and so easy to jump ship."
Kyley Gidley experienced this firsthand when her chihuahua Candy got out. She said she was at home celebrating with family when she let the dogs out to use the bathroom. That's when Candy got spooked by the fireworks. Gidley was at the shelter hoping to find Candy and she told us this was definitely a lesson learned.
"I mean you can have all the fun that you want, but when your dogs are scared of fireworks it's definitely best to keep them safe and keep them away from the fireworks and away from outdoors especially because there's no telling how fast they can take off," Gidley said.
Officials at the animal shelter said they expect to continue to get cats and dogs for two more weeks due to the residual fireworks. They urge owners to keep checking with the shelters if you've lost your pet.
