Are your pets freaking out from all the fireworks tonight?

What fireworks??

I haven't had a pet with brontophobia since 2004.

In 1997, we adopted an Alaskan Malamute who had been abused prior to us adopting her (an first attempt by her owner to rehome her that went wrong). Her first owner had given her away to some ranchers, who apparently were cruel idiots who thought a sled dog would be a good herding dog. Boy were they wrong.

According to what her first owner said, he came out to the ranch to visit and see how Aspen was doing, and as he was driving over, he was horrified to find her staked out in the middle of a field by the road with no food or water, in late summer (and summers in Illinois are very hot and humid). Basically, those disgusting ranchers got fed up with her and were trying to kill her. So her first owner got her loose from the stake, took her home, and nursed her back to health. (He never spoke to the ranchers ever again). He had no clue how long she had been out there, but she appeared to be dehydrated and had fly bite sores on the tips of her ears from being out there. (My family found out later she'd been bit by one or more mosquitoes with heartworm, so she had to treated for that after we adopted her). The family also theorizes that poor Aspen was stuck out in that field during a thunderstorm, traumatizing her for life, and it's possible she was beaten with a fly-swatter by the ranchers, because every time we got one out to kill flies in the house, Aspen ran for the hills.

So, through trial and error, we found ways of dealing with Aspen's fear of loud noises, and the best one was keeping her in the house with the family when the air cannon over at the college was sounding off during football season, and keeping her indoors when electrical storms were about. Aspen was tough enough to handle rain (she was an outdoor dog) but I refused to leave her outside when there was lightning and/or tornadoes about. So you can imagine that we'd keep her indoors when there was a fireworks show going on.

It was so strange with our next dog. Ginger wasn't the least bit bothered by loud noises or fireworks.

We only have bonfires around here on Halloween.

Kings Towers is a pet free zone.

Chocolate!

**edit**

Is this the right thread?