Dogs just don't get Independence Day.

They happily lick their chops over scraps from July 4 barbecues and picnics, but come nighttime, they're likely to run when fireworks start a-poppin'.

"They'll break their leads. They'll do anything to get away from the noise," said Coos County Animal Control Officer Rick Hoover.

On average, he said, the number of stray and freaked out dogs found by Coos County residents jumps nearly 50 percent after the holiday festivities.

If a pet has run off, the first thing to do is look around the area and neighborhood, Hoover said.

"Mostly dogs are running away right in the neighborhood," he explained.

Otherwise, good Samaritans who find dogs turn them into the shelter and after three days, those lost dogs can be adopted to new owners, or sent to another shelter with more room, including the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, Green Hill Humane Society in Eugene, or the shelter in Gold Beach. The Coos County shelter keeps records of where the animals go, so owners can get them back, but a fee may be included from the other agencies. Or - worse - they may be adopted.

"People will call after about a week, wondering if we've seen their dog," Hoover said.

If an owner has lost a pet, Hoover said they should call the shelter. Even if the animal isn't there, if it is found later, that information can be passed on to the owner. If the pet is at the shelter, an owner can get it back for free on the first day or pay a $50 impound and $10 boarding fee after that.

"The big thing is reuniting the owners with their dogs," Hoover said.

An animal control officer with the county shelter for three years, Hoover recalled that 2007 was particularly bad for runaway pets, since the shelter was already caring for many unadopted animals.

"We were just packed," Hoover recalled.

If a lost pet is adopted out, the shelter won't reverse the adoption, although an animal's new owners can relinquish the pet in exchange for adoption fees.

This year is a little bit different for owners and people turning in lost animals. Because the holiday falls on a Saturday, Hoover said the shelter won't be open until Tuesday.

And with only one animal control officer on duty for that period, she'll have to care for animals already at the shelter before arranging or driving to get the runaways.

"Otherwise, people have to hold on to them until we're open on Tuesday at noon."