This Fourth of July, Pima Animal Care Center is inviting the community to help comfort shelter dogs during fireworks by reading to them at a special event offering support to the hundreds of dogs housed at the shelter during one of the noisiest nights of the year.

“Stars, Stripes and Stories” happens Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. Officials say they hope the soothing sounds of volunteers’ voices will help alleviate the stress associated with what can be one of the scariest nights of the year for shelter dogs.

Loud booms, flashing lights, and unfamiliar surroundings can be overwhelming and stressful. On top of that, PACC is currently at critical capacity, with about 525 dogs in the shelter as of Friday.

Many shelter dogs are already stressed by their situation, and the fireworks only make it worse.

But a calm presence and kind energy can go a long way, experts say.

“PACC has not done a reading program on the 4th previously,” said Public Information Officer Kayleigh Murdock. “We’re excited to see what the turnout will look like.”

Local pet boutique and ice cream parlor Bark ‘n Berry will also be on site to provide ice cream for the pups.

The event is open to all ages and is BYOB (bring your own book.) Advanced registration is not required, but attendees should also bring a chair, cushion or something to sit on.

No experience is needed, just a desire to help animals in need, Murdock said.

“Read to the dogs, help decompress the dogs and give them some dog ice cream instead of shooting off fireworks in your backyard,” PACC Director Steve Kozachik said during a Friday appearance on “The Bill Buckmaster Show,” co-hosted by Tucson Spotlight editor Caitlin.

The shelter is also offering a financial incentive to foster a dog through July 9, in the hopes of getting some of those dogs out the door before the holiday, which has historically led to increased intake of strays.

“It is legal to sell fireworks within city limits. It is not legal to shoot off fireworks that leave the ground, but people do. No one is naive about it,” Kozachik said. “In the week run-up to Fourth of July … we will begin to see an influx of animals, dogs primarily, because people tend to start celebrating the Fourth a couple of days before the actual holiday.”

In the days following the holiday, the shelter will see upwards of 300 dogs coming in. The incentive aims to free up some space in the days leading up to and following the Fourth.

“We just started the $5-per-day foster incentive in hopes of getting some more dogs out,” Murdock said.

The incentive is available for dogs weighing 40 pounds and more and is provided by Friends of Pima Animal Care Center, PACC’s nonprofit partner.

“It’s not going to solve the problem. We know we’re going to get an influx of animals,” Kozachik said.

The shelter is also offering free microchipping through July 3, which Kozachik said is the best way to ensure that a pet will be reunited with its owner.

PACC has also placed a pair of message boards on Silverbell Road near the shelter, on loan from the city of Tucson, to remind pet parents to plan ahead for the event.

“Dogs run away on the Fourth of July, so take precautions now or plan ahead,” Kozachik said. “And by that I mean, if you’ve got a dog, keep it inside on the Fourth of July.”

Roughly 57% of dogs that come into PACC are strays, and fewer than 20% are microchipped, Kozachik said, urging community members to take advantage of the free service.

Kozachik also encouraged people who find a stray dog to hold onto it, rather than taking it to the shelter. Most stray dogs are found within a mile from home, and the best way to help reunite them with their owners is to post to message boards like Nextdoor or to walk the neighborhood and knock on doors.

“The first thing to not do is to immediately take it over to PACC, because now it’s five miles away from home instead of one mile and it may or may not be microchipped,” he said.

Macy Hernandez is a journalism and business administration major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at macyhernandez@arizona.edu.

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