BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – With parties, events and other social gatherings, New Year’s Eve is one of the liveliest nights of the year.

But for the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS), New Year’s Eve is typically one of the busiest nights for their team and animal control. The fireworks and miscellaneous loud noises that arise from the night’s festivities have a tendency to scare pets and livestock, at times resulting in those animals running away.

Alaina Rhodes, the Whatcom Humane Society Outreach and Education Coordinator, was interviewed by My Bellingham Now to share some ways that the public can keep their pets safe as the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31.

Plan ahead and keep your pets inside

As Dec. 31 gets closer and closer, WHS strongly encourages pet owners who know that their pets have anxiety induced from loud noises to speak with their local veterinarian about options to calm their pet down.

“Make a plan to talk with your vet beforehand to have a plan in place before New Years,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes explained that the best precaution a pet owner can take is to make sure that your furry friends are inside and safe. The WHS takes in more animals during New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and July 4th holidays than any other times of the year. But indoor pets like cats and dogs are not the only thing that the WHS takes in during their busiest days.

Earlier this year, the WHS made headlines as a local cow was reported missing. The cow, famously named “Mabel,” now resides at the WHS livestock facility in a safe and enclosed area.

“This is certainly the time of year we plan to see an increase in stray animals,” Rhodes said.  “We see, more than you think, stray livestock because they do escape sometimes.”

Of course, the average family home cannot bring a cow, goat, sheep, llama or any animal like that inside. Rhodes was sure to mention that if you do have livestock, make sure that all fences, gates or barn doors and entryways are properly maintained and closed.

The art of distraction

This next remedy for keeping your pet safe is not a groundbreaking one. In fact, you may already do this with your cats or dogs.

Turning on what Rhodes calls “CatTV” may be a simple option for you to calm down your indoor furry friend.

“Give them some distractions. I really like putting on CatTV for my kitten; you can put on something like a television show or a radio show to draw their attention away from any fireworks noise outside,” Rhodes said.

Click below for a playlist of videos to distract your cat this New Year’s Eve.

Make sure your pet is microchipped and is wearing a collar

The WHS strongly encourages all cats and dogs to be microchipped as soon as possible. But getting a microchip for your pet is not something to do once and forget about; Rhodes made it clear that the information attached to the chip can and should be updated regularly.

If your pet is not microchipped by New Year’s Eve, Rhodes explained that all pets should be wearing some sort of collar for identification in the event that the WHS finds your pet wandering the streets of Whatcom County.

And lastly, Rhodes encourages everyone to keep updated photos and videos of your pets all the time. A lot of folks will not have to do anything here as it seems that social media is flooded with cat and dog videos more often than not. And with technology at the state that it is in, you might as well whip out your cellphone and snag one last picture of your furry friend before heading out on New Year’s Eve.

In the event that your pet goes missing on New Year’s Eve…

Contact the Whatcom Humane Society and see if your pet has been located. WHS uses petcolove.com, an organization that helps pets reunite with their families around the country.

From everyone in the newsroom at My Bellingham Now, we wish you a happy holiday season and a peaceful new year.