Tag Archives: July 4

How to keep pets safe during the July 4th holiday

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By BISSELL Pet Foundation
bissellpetfoundation.org

Tire your pets out by spending more time exercising them than normal to keep them calm. (pxhere.com)

With more pets running away on July 4th than any other day of the year, shelter intake rates are once again set to skyrocket after the holiday weekend. As Independence Day celebrations begin, BISSELL Pet Foundation is sharing tips to minimize fear and protect your pet from becoming lost.

According to 24Pet ShelterWatch data, July is consistently the highest month for intakes in our nation’s animal shelters. Shelters across the country are already in crisis with overcrowding and other significant obstacles such as longer length-of-stay for pets, seasonal high intake of puppies and kittens, lack of spay/neuter services during the pandemic, short staffing and slowed adoptions. BISSELL Pet Foundation is committed to fighting shelter overcrowding. One aspect of this is ensuring pet owners take all necessary precautions to keep their pets safe during celebrations to minimize the risk of a pet escaping and getting lost or ending up at a shelter.

“Shelters are full right now and space is limited. Please be proactive to keep your pet safe at home and ensure they are microchipped with updated information,” said BISSELL Pet Foundation Founder Cathy Bissell. “A microchip is not a GPS, but it will increase your chances of reuniting with your pet if they are ever lost.”

To keep pets safe during the holiday weekend, BISSELL Pet Foundation is encouraging pet owners to:

  • Keep pets indoors in a quiet place where they will feel comfortable. Give pets their favorite toy and check on them often to ensure they are calm. 
  • Be sure your pet has a microchip with up-to-date information.
  • Always keep ID tags on your pet and ensure the collar and tags are secure.
  • Tire your pets out by spending more time exercising them than normal to keep them calm.



As our nation’s shelters face unprecedented overcrowding, BISSELL Pet Foundation is doing its part to take homeless pets from kennels to couches with the longest-ever Summer National Empty the Shelters event! From July 11-31, adopt a dog or cat for a reduced fee from one of hundreds of participating shelters throughout the country. A full list of participating shelters will be available soon at https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters/.

Photo of the Week: Everybody Loves a Parade

Citizen Journalism, ,

One of the longest running and oldest July 4th parades in the state is the Grand Rapids’ Hollyhock Lane Parade. Started in 1934 as a low cost way to entertain children during the Depression, for 87 years children and adults have been following that route to celebrate the nation’s birthday. Above is a 1978 picture from the Grand Rapids Public Musuem‘s Collection of four unidentified children getting ready to march in the parade.

This year, the parade will kick off at 8:30 a.m. between Calvin and Giddings avenues on the northwest side of Grand Rapids. Keeping with tradition, there will be floats and children riding decorated bikes. There is a Hollyhock Lane Ceremony at 9 a.m. behind 847 Giddings Avenue.

Fireworks before June 29 not allowed; tips to keep animals calm

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , ,
Consumer fireworks are only allowed June 29 – July 1 up until 11:45 p.m. each of those days.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

A quick flip through Facebook and you know its fireworks season.

“I would like to say thank you to the [person] lighting off fireworks and causing our dog to go crazy. I hope that you are pleased with causing the neighborhood dogs to freak out …”

“OMG. This is worse than the Fourth of July. STTTOOOOPPPPPP! The dogs are freaking! I have come to detest fireworks.”

“Our neighborhood was like a war zone last night and the 4th is still two weeks away.”

While no one can blame people for wanting to have some fun after being cooped up for 10 weeks or more, if you are shooting off fireworks before June 29, you are doing so illegally in most areas. Those who get caught could face up to $1,000 in civil fines.

In 2011, Michigan approved the sale and use of consumer-grade fireworks and in 2018, the state amended the law to allow local governments to restrict the use of fireworks, except around certain holidays, such as July 4.

This year, residents are allowed to display fireworks from June 29 to July 4 until 11:45 p.m. each day. Because July 5 is on a Sunday, fireworks are not allowed.

If fireworks are being displayed outside of those times, it is recommended that residents contact their local police departments even if they do not know the exact location of where the fireworks are being set off.

“Dispatch will put out a broadcast to all cars of ‘fireworks in the area of …'” said Lt. Eric Wiler, of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. “As call volume permits, officers will check the area of any violations of the firework ordinance.”

Wiler added that in the according to the state law, fireworks are not permitted on public property such as roads and parks, schools, churches, or the property of another person without their permission.

Helping Our Four-legged Friends

So how do we help our dogs get through all the noise and commotion of fireworks? We checked in with local rescue Mosh Pit Rescue for some tips.

  • Keep your dog INSIDE in a closed secure room with no open windows.
  • Use a TV, a white noise machine, your laundry, your dishwasher, a fan, your bathroom fan EVERYTHING to provide familiar noises.
  • Double check your dog is wearing a collar with tags and your contact information is current on the pet’s microchip.
  • Contact your vet about medications – there are meds that can help ease anxiety.
  • Make sure your pet is exercised during the day and take them out just before dusk again so the dog is tired and ready for a calm nap.
  • Many dogs like a kennel with blankets over the kennel as a secure safe space.
  • Consider a Kong with Frozen Peanut Butter or other feeder puzzle toy or chew toy to keep your dog occupied and distracted.
  • Have current photos of the pet in case they go missing.

Snapshots: Kentwood, Wyoming news you need to know

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , ,

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.

Franklin D .Roosevelt


By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Rockets’ Red Glare

The nation celebrates its 243rd birthday this Thursday and you can bet the City of Kentwood is not holding back. The day is packed with activities from a pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at Fire Station No. 1; a 5K at 8:30 a.m., followed by a parade at 9:30 a.m. Then there is the carnival, this year located behind city hall, from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. From 4 – 10 p.m. will be a community event with a beer tent, food trucks, and bands, followed by the fireworks. Remember, those attending the Kentwood fireworks, sparkles, personal fireworks and Chinese lanterns are not permitted. For a detailed map and more, click here.

And Bombs Bursting In Air

Several other local communities also will be hosting July 4th celebrations. The City of Grandville kicks off its Fourth of July celebration with a pancake breakfast. There is also a parade (11 a.m.) and activities throughout the day. Fireworks are at 10 p.m. Other communities hosting July 4th parades and fireworks: East Grand Rapids, Ada, and Cascade Township. The City of Grand Rapids will have its July 4th fireworks on Saturday, July 6.

Free picture () from https://torange.biz/fx/new-bottle-years-fireworks-effect-78192

Now for the Rules

By now, you should have heard of the state’s new rules about fireworks. For the July 4th holiday, consumer fireworks are allowed from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. through July 5 (since July 5 falls on a Friday.) According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there was an estimated 9,100 fireworks-related injuries treated in the United States in 2018, of which more than half were around July 4. So here are a few safety tips provided by local firefighters: only use fireworks outdoors in clear areas away from buildings, vehicles, and flammable substances; never relight a “dud” firework, but after 20 minutes soak it in a buck of water; fireworks should be suprivsied by a responsible adult; and have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby.

Some Patriotic Trivia

As you are waiting for the fireworks to start, here’s a few pieces of July 4 trivia to wow your friends and family. Of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence, only John Hancock actually signed the document on July 4, 1776. Fifty-six men from the 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence. Of the original signers, only Thomas Jefferson and John Adams became President of the United States. Both men died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826.

Lastly: The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence was July 8, 1776 in Philadelphia. The following year, on July 4, 1777, the city adjourned Congress and celebrated Independence Day with bonfires, bells, and fireworks. In honor of that, the Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times on July 4 in remembrance of the 13 colonies.

Have a safe and happy July 4 from WKTV