Fourth of July Pet Safety Tips

Here are several great tips to consider while celebrating the holidays...

For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family—including the four-legged members of the household. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:

• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
• Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
• Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
• Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
• Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
• Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
• Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
• Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.
  
  
  SOURCE:  ASPCA.ORG

Yark FIAT Art Car at Crosby Festival Gala Event

Yark FIAT will unveil this summer's Art Car as part

of the Crosby Festival of the Arts Preview Gala

Since opening its doors in 2011, Yark FIAT has introduced a FIAT model 500 wrapped in a local artist's

art as part of the dealership's community involvement in the cultural arts.

Dubbed the Yark FIAT Art Car, the 500 model has been the palette to 2 artists including a 5 year

Autistic child where the Art Car was auctioned off for charity right here in Toledo. This year, MR

ATOMIC has been commissioned to provide the inspiration and art for a celebration of 'Art in

\Motion.'

The theme Art in Motion was chosen to convey the many places in Toledo the Yark FIAT Art Car will

be this year. Starting with the unveiling of the car at the Crosby Festival of the Arts Preview Gala and

other appearances at the University of Toledo's Art on the Mall, and the Art Commission's Art Walk

among others.

MR ATOMIC artists Mark and Michael Kelsey were excited to be chosen to be the Art Car's Artist

and chose prints from their current collection to exhibit their quirky candor with bright colors and an

homage to some of their celebrity inspirations. “You may see George or Ringo, maybe Mr Poe make

an appearance,” said Mark. “We are still ironing out the details right down to the wire.”

MR ATOMIC, whose studio is located on Reynolds Road in the former Glann Elementary School

building, has been gracing the Toledo art scene since the mid seventies. Both Mark and Michael,

identical twins, grew up in Toledo and have worked for such businesses as Thomas Hart Associates and

Libbey before opening up their own studio. Their style of art is Pop Surrealism described as an

underground visual art movement started in Los Angeles in the late 70's based on underground comix,

punk music, and hot-rod cultures of the street.

The Yark FIAT Art Car will not disappoint those looking for that gleeful, low-brow, sarcastic colorful

concepts that MR ATOMIC has been giving the area for years. The Art Car will be on display for the

duration of the Crosby Festival of the Arts and will return to the dealership on Central Avenue until

its next appearance.