This Fourth of July, perhaps more than ever, Americans will be celebrating our freedom and heritage by filling the skies with the sights and sounds of spectacular fireworks. While we love pyrotechnics and this is a holiday all patriotic citizens look forward to, we need to remember that this is an extremely upsetting time for many pets.

Washington, D.C., 1974. Summer of the Watergate hearings. Cameras and cables clutter Lafayette Park across from the White House; hot white stage lights burn the night air and embalm the smooth reporter face of Dan Rather. I am fresh out of college, spending these pre-Internet days pounding the sidewalks, walking past outdoor cafes where prosperous men in Haspel cord sip from humidifying glasses of wine.

SAN DIEGO - It does not take much to generate fireworks anymore.

What's red, white and blue and sells on the Fourth of July? Apparently, everything.