GOOD NEWS:  Be careful with pets, fireworks on the Fourth

Happy Fourth of July!

Staff reports  |  The Fourth of July can be a lot of fun for people, but scary for pets.  With that in mind, the Charleston Animal Society reminds us that the holiday is the most dangerous day of the year for pets because fireworks often scare them, causing them to run away and get lost.

We urge people to keep your pets inside and always have them on leashes because of fireworks that will be going off around the holiday,” said CEO Joe Elmore.

Any lost animal that turns up at the Charleston Animal Society for the next week will get “pet amnesty,” enabling owners to claim the pets with no fees.

If your pet is lost during the holiday, here are some tips to consider:

• Immediately search your neighborhood.
• Put up signs with a picture of your pet, his or her name and other important information.
• Post a picture and information about your pet’s last known whereabouts on social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
• Visit Charleston Animal Society at 2455 Remount Road in North Charleston to see if your pet has been picked up by animal control or another member of the public and brought to the shelter.

Other tips to keep your pets safe:

• Fireworks: Fun for Family, Not for Fido. Leave pets at home when you head out for fireworks, and don’t ignite them around pets.
• Keep pets cool. Dogs and cats can become dehydrated quickly, so it is imperative to provide them with plenty of water when it is hot outdoors. Pets should also have a shady place to escape the sun if outside and they should never linger on hot asphalt during periods of extreme heat. This can cause an animal to heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn.
• Spot the symptoms. Signs of overheating in pets include increased heart rate, excessive drooling and panting, difficulty breathing, weakness, elevated body temperature (over 104 degrees), and even seizures. Even if swimming, a dog can easily get sick in the heat.
• Glow jewelry is a potential danger. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.

Also on the Fourth, the Charleston Fire Department warns people to be safe with fireworks with these tips:

• Sparklers can burn and must be used under careful supervision – keep them at arm’s length, away from combustibles, and dispose of properly.
• Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time and keep at least 6 feet of distance between you and another person.
• Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers or other fireworks.
• Do not allow young children to handle fireworks.
• Never fire or launch items at another individual or structure.
• Never discharge fireworks in a home or structure.
• Dry brush and debris may ignite easily.

In other Good News:

Eclipse safety glasses.  Hats off to the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) for providing 400 pairs of safety glasses to allow people to safely view the Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun.  The library will offer numerous events over the next few weeks to help people prepare for the first eclipse of this kind in 40 years.  Safety glasses (one pair per family) will be available starting July 5 at the main library’s circulation desk.  Additional safety glasses will be available to pick up at CCPL branches that host eclipse-related events in August.

New interim chief.  Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg has appointed Deputy Police Chief Jerome Taylor to serve as the city’s interim chief following the retirement of Chief Greg Mullen.  “Public safety is the first job of government and, for over forty years, it has been the first job of Jerome Taylor,” Tecklenburg said in a statement.  I know that our city will be in good hands under his guidance as Interim Police Chief.”

T-Mobile to add jobs.  T-Mobile US, one of the largest wireless service providers in the United States, is moving its existing customer care center in the Charleston area to a new, larger facility in North Charleston. The company is expected to invest more than $16.7 million in the new facility, creating 400 new jobs. “T-Mobile is incredibly excited to open the doors of our new home in North Charleston — our latest and largest customer care center,” said T-Mobile Customer Care Executive Vice President Callie Field.  “We pride ourselves on being the best place to work, and this is going to be an amazing new workplace for our current and new Un-carrier experts dedicated to changing wireless for good.”