Here’s What Evansville Animal Control Wants You to Know if Your Pet Goes Missing on 4th of July

How to Keep Your Pets Safe During Fourth of July Fireworks

Ah, tomorrow is my husband's favorite day of the year: the Fourth of July. He’s a fire protection specialist and spends 364 days a year working to prevent devastating fires. But on this one day, he gets together with his buddies and they go big. One of his friends is a professional fireworks event specialist, so everything is wired to a timer with plenty of safety precautions in place. It’s about as safe as it can be, but things can still happen.

What Happens When Your Outdoor Cat Is Caught in the Chaos

A few years ago, just as the fireworks were going off, we realized our cat was still outside. We live in the woods, and he’s always been an indoor/outdoor cat. He came to us that way, and despite our best efforts, he refuses stay inside. I’m pretty sure he’d even take on a coyote at this point. When dogs try to chase him, he holds his ground, goes straight for the face, and takes no prisoners.

I was terrified he’d get scared and run off for days, or worse, never come back. But true to form, he was at the front door within the hour meowing, “I’m starving, peasant. Feed me.”

Get our free mobile app

How We Keep Our Dog Calm on the Fourth of July

Now, our dog is a completely different story. We create a little bunker for him. I've lined his kennel with comfy blankets and surround it with pillows and blankets. Then I put him down in the basement to help reduce the noise and stress.

Unfortunately, the Fourth of July is when the most pets go missing. The loud booms can be terrifying, and pets will bolt out of fear.

Read More: Here’s the 4th of July Forecast for Indiana and Kentucky

Tips to Keep Pets Safe on July 4th

Here are a few ways you can help your furry friends feel safer:

• Keep pets indoors.
• Plan potty breaks before the fireworks start.
• Create a safe space like we did for our dog, Bru.
• Try a ThunderShirt or calming meds for anxiety-prone pets.
• Make sure they have ID and are microchipped in case they run off.

What to Do If Your Pet Goes Missing

If your pet does run off, don’t panic. In most cases, pets are found and returned quickly.

Here’s what to do:

• Walk your neighborhood on foot and carry treats. Never chase after a scared animal.
• Make a post on local Lost Pets and Neighborhood Facebook Groups.
• Contact your local Animal Control office.
• Contact neighbors directly.

Here's what to do if you find a pet. And, as a reminder, it's against the law to keep someone else's pet.

Read More: 4th of July Fireworks & Events Around the Southern Indiana & Western Kentucky Area

Evansville Animal Control 4th of July 2025 Hours

I spoke with the team at Evansville Animal Control, and they told me they’ll be closed on Friday, July 4, and back open for regular business hours on July 5. If you find a stray animal, you’ll need to wait until they reopen to drop it off. Never leave an animal unattended, it's also against the law.

Reclaiming Your Pet From Evansville Animal Control

If you're trying to reclaim a pet, here's what you'll need to bring with you:

• Your photo ID
• Proof of your pet’s rabies vaccine
• Your City Animal License records (if you live in the City of Evansville)
• Cash for the reclaim fee, and any other fees you might need to pay

Important: Stray dogs and cats are held for 7 full days to give owners time to reclaim them. After that, the animal may be adopted, transferred to a rescue, or humanely euthanized.

Changes to Evansville Animal Control Hold Times Coming Soon

Evansville Animal Control also gave me a heads up that hold times will be changing as early as next week.

• Dogs: 4-day hold
• Cats: 3-day hold
• Community cats: 24-hour hold

They stressed that ID tags and microchipping are the best way to make sure your pet comes home safely.