SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- Jordan Ortega was one of the lucky ones. His dog Rocky ran away during Fourth of July celebrations, but someone brought Rocky to the San Diego Humane Society — and the two were reunited.
"It was really stressful knowing that he was out there, and he was out of my reach. I couldn't grab him, I couldn't help him, or anything. He was scared," Ortega said.
Once Ortega learned Rocky was at the shelter, some of that stress lifted.
"Knowing that my dog was here, I was all like, I know he has food, I know he has water, I know he was, he, he was scared for maybe like a few hours at most," Ortega said.
But not every family gets that kind of relief.
The San Diego Humane Society says around 140 animals have been brought in since the Fourth of July. Nina Thompson of the San Diego Humane Society says the holiday is a particularly difficult time for pets.
"Fireworks can really freak out pets, and when they are that stressed can do things that are unknown to their owners," Thompson said.
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of stray animals make it back home. Thompson pointed to last year's numbers as a sobering reminder.
"If we look at last year, only 30% of the animals that came in stray went back home to their owners. So we certainly hope that number goes up this year. As of today, we're at 17%. It could be that the owners just don't know that their animals are here," Thompson said.
Owners are encouraged to check the Humane Society's online lost pet list often. Reclaim fees will be waived until July 7.
For Ortega, the reunion with Rocky is one he won't take for granted.
"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't know he was here, if I wasn't able to find him. It would have been a disaster," Ortega said.
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