The Kern County Animal Shelter reminds residents that checking their local shelter could mean finding a runaway pet after the Fourth of July.
The shelter says the loud booms and flashing lights of the holiday can trigger a cat or dog's "fight or flight" reaction, causing them to run away from home.
The shelter says they've seen about 119 runaways so far, as opposed to roughly 179 strays in 2016.
Despite the shelter being at maximum capacity, they say they'll still take in runaways.
