Another recipe for long, happy marriage Re: “Doing it Better,” Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D., La Jolla Village News, Thursday, June 25, page 13. Eileen and I have been married 64 years and are enjoying our retirement years living in sunny southern California, along with our three wonderful children. We are most fortunate to have two sons and a daughter so close. Our recipe for a long and successful marriage: Patience — along with a bad memory. Elliot Schubert, Ph.D., San Diego Dogs hate fireworks! The Fourth of July is the worst day for dogs ending up in shelters and emergency hospitals, and unfortunately too many end up dead in the road. They experience absolute terror from hearing the loud noises of the holiday. They panic and run to try and get away. People fire off rockets and firecrackers, and then at night the fireworks come on and it truly sounds like a war zone. Even dogs who live within earshot of the SeaWorld fireworks that go off every night react to the holiday fireworks, which are much louder. Please keep your dog safely indoors during this special holiday. People love their dogs and they want to include them, but taking them along on a Fourth of July outing can lead to disaster. A terrified dog will run wildly trying to get away from the danger. Even leaving a dog in the yard outside is dangerous. A terrified dog can get out and over a 6-foot fence. I live in Ocean Beach, and every year I see so many people walking down to see the fireworks with their dogs in tow, and I shudder. And every year after the Fourth the signs start to go up on the bulletin board at the beach, “dog lost on the 4th of July.” The shelters and emergency hospitals say this is the biggest intake day of the year. Please do right by your dog and keep it safe at home — inside. Trish Hausman, Ocean Beach