LEWISTON — Humane Society officials are looking for the owners of six Twin Cities dogs that ran away on Independence Day.

“The Fourth of July comes and it’s the biggest time of the year for stray dogs around the country,” said Zach Black, operations manager for the Humane Society of Androscoggin County. “That’s because of fireworks and barbecues and that people are making a lot of commotion. The dogs get scared because of the fireworks or the big crowds make them anxious.”

The Humane Society’s Strawberry Avenue facility is already crammed full of animals. More than 250 cats, rabbits, hamsters and canines are in the front public display area and in the back rooms.

That includes the six dogs in back, refugees from the July 4 commotion. Black said the Humane Society has had as many calls from people looking for their lost dogs.

“A lot of that was due to fireworks,” Black said. “People will call us and say their dog escaped out the front door or they were in the yard and ran off.”

None of the dogs carried identifying microchips under their skin and only one had tags. That dog, a scruffy black and white terrier mix found in New Auburn and brought in by Auburn police, was scheduled to be reunited with its owner Friday morning.

Lost dogs include:

— A  male Yorkie and Chihuahua mix found on Russell Street and brought in by  Lewiston police

— A  brown female hound found at Kennedy Park and brought in by Lewiston police

— An older black and white female Chihuahua found near the Webster Street-East Avenue intersection and brought in by Lewiston police

— A  black and white female pit bull terrier found near Sam’s on Sabattus Street that was brought in by a citizen

— A young brown female pit bull terrier brought in by Lewiston police

All of the dogs have found their way to the Humane Society since Tuesday.

“The biggest thing for us is to get the word out there,” Black said. “We urge people to keep their pets inside when you know there’s a holiday going on or a commotion. Don’t take them to events. It’s really a scary place for the dogs.”

staylor@sunjournal.com