Dog Disappears Amid 'Terrifying' Fourth Fireworks
DENVER (CBS4)- Roger and Barbara Bower say a piece of their family is missing after their dog of 14 years disappeared on the Fourth of July.
"We don't know how he got out," said Barbara Bower.
Their Chihuahua, Jake, ran away from their Elyria-Swansea home.
"We typically let our dogs out in our enclosed area. I went out to let them back in," Roger Bower recalled. "I couldn't find Jake."
The Bowers blame fireworks over the holiday weekend.
"This holiday is terrifying to pets," Roger said.
Animal shelters, like the Max Fund, say they've seen an increase in animals who got out over the holiday weekend.
"The loud noises bring animals just darting where ever they can," said Stephanie Zissimo, an adoption counselor at the Max Fund. "Our intake is almost is almost completely full. We have so many people calling to look for their lost animals."
Zissimo says the majority of callers say fireworks caused their pets to flee their homes.
The Max Fund took in 20 animals over the holiday weekend. So far, no owners have claimed them.
The bowers are doing everything they can to make sure their Jake comes home.
"We've called shelters, we're on their website, we listed [Jake] on Nextdoor, Craigslist, Paw Boost, and Pet Harbor," Barbara said. "We've been passing out fliers door-to-door, and put them on posts around the area."
While they continue their search, the Bowers have advice for other pet owners.
"Don't think your yard is safe on the Fourth of July, not even during the day. Ours got out of a secured area on that day probably because he was frightened."
The Max Fund says if you find a lost pet, the best thing to do is take them to the veterinarian where they can be scanned for a microchip with their owner's information.
If they aren't chipped, they say the next best option is taking them to your local shelter.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.
