All pet adoptions are free during IndePETdence Days, which will continue through Saturday, June 22.

“Every shelter experiences a lot of stray impounds leading up to and immediately following the Fourth of July holiday,” said Board Chair Chuck Washington, Third District Supervisor. “This adoption event will not only help our shelter operations weather the influx of strays, but more importantly, give new homes and families to the homeless pets in our shelters.”

This marks a second public plea for adoptions in the recent months, following Memorial Day weekend’s 10-10-10 adoption special, a one-day marathon session running 10 A.M. to 10 P.M. that resulted in more than 400 pets finding a home and leaving the shelter.

Riverside County Animal Services is setting the IndePETdence Days goal at 500 animals.

“The 10-10-10 Day was a huge success – and we’re optimistic IndePETdence Days will result in the same community support,” Director Erin Gettis said. “Our shelters are beyond capacity and the help is, once again, desperately needed.”

On average, more than 100 pets are impounded daily at county shelters during the work week. During the summer, that figure soars to more than 150 pets a day.

The number of animals getting adopted or returned to their families is not keeping pace with the impound figures. The daily intake figures are overwhelming almost every Southern California shelter, and each day difficult decisions become a reality.

Animal Services Deputy Director Jackie Schart encouraged families to show off their patriotic pride by doing something special for a four-legged friend.

“What can be more patriotic than granting a dog or cat their independence from a shelter?” said Schart, who oversees programs and operations. “We really hope families can make room in their home for a dog or cat, so we can have additional room for all the frightened pets that end up in our care when the Fourth of July holiday is over.”

IndePETdence Days hours will follow normal operating hours during the three days. Click here to view the hours for the county’s shelters in Blythe, Jurupa Valley, San Jacinto and Thousand Palms.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Fourth of July is Americana at its core: parades and cookouts and cold beer and, of course, fireworks.

Those pyrotechnics also make it an especially dangerous holiday, typically resulting in more than 10,000 trips to the emergency room. Yet fireworks remain at the center of Independence Day, a holiday 247 years in the making.

Here are five things to know about July Fourth, including the origin of the holiday and how fireworks became part of the tradition.

WHAT’S THE ORIGIN OF INDEPENDENCE DAY?

The holiday celebrates the Second Continental Congress’ unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain.

One year later, according to the Library of Congress, a spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia marked the anniversary of American independence.

But across the burgeoning nation, observations didn’t become commonplace until after the War of 1812. It quickly took off: The Library of Congress notes that major historic events in the 19th century, such as groundbreaking ceremonies for the Erie Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, were scheduled to coincide with Fourth of July festivities.

HOW DID FIREWORKS BECAME A JULY FOURTH TRADITION?

The display of pyrotechnics has been a big part of Independence Day from the outset. Founding Father John Adams saw it coming.

Commemoration of America’s independence “ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more,” Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, dated July 3, 1776.

Fireworks were around centuries before America became a nation. The American Pyrotechnics Association says many historians believe fireworks were first developed in the second century B.C. in ancient China by throwing bamboo stalks into fires, causing explosions as the hollow air pockets overheated.

By the 15th century, fireworks were widely used for religious festivals and public entertainment in Europe and early U.S. settlers carried on those traditions, the association said.

HAS A PRESIDENT EVER REFUSED TO CELEBRATE?

Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden have celebrated the nation’s birth on the Fourth of July, with one exception: Adams.

His letter to his wife aside, Adams refused to celebrate the holiday on July 4 because he felt July 2 was the real Independence Day. Why? It was on July 2, 1776, that the Continental Congress voted in favor of the resolution for independence, though the Declaration of Independence wasn’t formally adopted until two days later.

Adams was so adamant that he turned down invitations to festivals and other events, even while serving as the nation’s second president. Ironically, Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, both died on the 50th anniversary of the document’s formal adoption, July 4, 1826.

HOW POPULAR ARE FIREWORKS?

Consumer sales of fireworks have grown rapidly over the past two decades.

Statistics from the American Pyrotechnics Association show that in 2000, American consumers spent $407 million on fireworks. By 2022, that figure rose to $2.3 billion. The biggest jump came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public fireworks displays were shut down. Consumer sales jumped from $1 billion in 2019 to $1.9 billion in 2020.

“People went to the fireworks store beginning Memorial Day weekend and they just didn’t stop,” said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association. “They were firing off fireworks all of 2020. It shocked the industry, to be quite honest with you.”

Sales are expected to rise another $100 million this year, the association said. It helps that the Fourth of July is on a Tuesday, creating essentially a four-day weekend.

ARE FIREWORKS DANGEROUS?

Despite widespread education efforts, thousands of Americans are badly injured by fireworks each year, and this year is no exception.

Late Saturday night, firefighters and medics were called to Lexington Township, a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas, for reports of a shed on fire and arrived to find fireworks actively exploding from the burning shed and several people lying injured on the ground. Firefighters, medics and local police dragged the victims from the area to safety, and four people were taken to hospitals — two with serious injuries, Northwest Consolidated Fire District Chief Todd Maxton said in a statement.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that in 2022, 10,200 people were treated at emergency rooms and 11 deaths were blamed on fireworks. About three-quarters of injuries happened in the period around the Fourth of July.

About one-third of the injuries were to the head, face, ears or eyes. Finger, hand and leg injuries are common, too.

“I have seen people who have blown off fingers,” said Dr. Tiffany Osborn, an emergency room physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. “I’ve seen people who have lost eyes. I’ve seen people who have significant facial injuries.”

Children under 15 make up nearly one-third of those injured by fireworks. Sparklers often are blamed for burns to children under age 5. Osborn suggested giving small children glow sticks or colorful streamers instead.

For those planning to shoot off fireworks, Heckman urged finding a flat, hard, level surface away from structures and other things that could catch fire. The person responsible for the fireworks should avoid alcohol. Children should never ignite them.

Osborn encouraged having a bucket or hose nearby in case of fire or explosion. Shoot off one at a time and walk away quickly after igniting, she said, and never relight or handle a malfunctioned firework. When done, shovel up the remains and soak them before disposing.

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San Jacinto, Calif. – Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, San Jacinto station reminds drivers to do their part to keep everyone safe on the road this Fourth of July weekend by planning ahead and celebrate the holiday responsibly.

This weekend and through Tuesday, July 4, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, San Jacinto station will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

In 2021, more than 500 people were killed in crashes throughout the country during the Fourth of July weekend. Of those deadly crashes, 39% involved alcohol. In California, 44people were killed in crashes during last year’s Independence Day weekend. In addition, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers made nearly 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence throughout the 3 ¼ day holiday enforcement period.

“If you plan on drinking this weekend, we want you to be safe and be smart by making a plan to go safely with a sober ride home,” Officer Layvas said. “Think of your loved ones, friends, and family before thinking about driving after you’ve had a few drinks.”

While some festivities may include alcohol, driving under the influence also includes impairment from prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and marijuana. Do your research and be informed about how certain drugs may affect your driving ability.

If you are hosting friends and family for barbecues and watching fireworks shows, offer nonalcoholic drinks for designated sober drivers, and monitor who is drinking. If you see people leaving who have been drinking, offer to have them stay the night or make arrangements for them to take a sober ride home.

If you see someone who appears impaired or driving recklessly, call 9-1-1.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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