How many of you have had dogs who are afraid of fireworks? I feel like this fear, which may lead to dogs bolting from yards and owners, is why July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month.

And I know firsthand the effects of lost pets–my best girl Chloe ran away several years ago, and we were not reunited. (Only 17% of dogs and 3% of cats that make it into shelters are returned to their owners.)(I checked all shelters for miles and miles for my sweet girl.) This is perhaps the biggest mysterious of my life–what happened to my 15 year-old dog.

Regardless, there are several steps you can take to help prevent such a tragedy happening to you and your family. Read on for tips to prevent your pet from getting lost.

1. Help protect your family by using multiple identification methods: collars/tags, microchips, pet licenses.
2. Train your animal. I read online that you should practice the three D’s of training: distance, distraction, and duration. As in, teach your dog to come a wide range of distances, with a wide range of distractions, for a wide range of times. Also, after 5 months, puppies tend to roam more, so keep this in mind when working with younger dogs.
3. Check their environment. Chloe got out of my backyard through a gate that was open, unbeknownst to me. Make sure gates and doors latch correctly.
4. Know your dog’s fears. Dogs tend to run when they afraid. So don’t let a dog who is afraid of fireworks be off-leash on the Fourth (and the days leading up to it if you live in my neighborhood!).

Do you have other ideas on how to prevent a pet from getting lost? Share away in the comments.