Animal shelters fill up during July 4th holiday weekend

TAMPA, Fla. - The Humane Society of Tampa Bay took in hundreds of lost cats and dogs over the holiday weekend.

Despite the patriotic tradition of fireworks, the loud booms spook animals, causing many to run away.

"On an average day we take in between I'd say, 20 to 30 animals but just this weekend alone I'd say we took in close to 200 animals," said Maria Matlack from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. "Luckily, a good amount of those animals were microchipped which we highly suggest to anyone that does have an animal, it really does help especially in these scenarios."

Matlack says the microchips helped reunite a lot of families with their pets on Monday.

"Collars, make sure that you're putting collars on your dogs and your cats and if all else, if they don't like the collar, please make sure you microchip your pets," Matlack said.

For more information on the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, visit https://humanesocietytampa.org/