Fireworks will fill the night sky this weekend as people celebrate Independence Day, but the tradition isn’t welcomed by all.

“July 4 is the day that most wildlife dies. Animals have heart attacks. Animals abandon their babies. They run into traffic,” said Todd Friedman, founder and executive director of Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary.

Animals can have a variety of responses to the loud, booming sound fireworks cause, some of which can be severe.

“They either run or they tremble. They shake. They try and hide. I had one German Shepard that tried to hide in the shower all the time, try and climb underneath the bed. Even if they can’t fit, little spaces, they like to hide in little spaces if they can’t run away,” said Debbie Dittert, director of operations for Sullivan County SPCA.

So, pet owners should prepare to help minimize any potential frightening reactions.

“Find out what makes your animal the most comfortable in those loud situations ‘cause you probably will have realized if your animal hears a car backfire or a horn. If that’s something that effects them, then you know the fireworks are gonna be 10 times worse,” Friedman said.

Friedman said you can help drown out the noise of the fireworks for animals by turning on fans and turning up the radio.

“It drowns out the sound of the high booms and even the low parts,” Friedman said. “Then, when the fireworks go up in the air and there’s the whistling, especially dogs and other animals, they hear high pitched noises better than we do.”

Other ways to relax our furry friends include putting a thunder shirt on them, running water and turning on the TV.

“If you’ve adopted an animal or if you’ve purchased an animal, your job is to protect it. And to protect it, you want to keep it in your home. Do not bring it out. Do not bring it around fireworks,” Dittert said.