Total Dog Magazine

Tag: dog firework anxiety

  • Support RSPCA’s Call For Firework Controls – Enough is Enough

    Support RSPCA’s Call For Firework Controls – Enough is Enough

    The RSPCA is piling pressure on the Government to bring in tighter controls around fireworks after a number of shocking incidents in which animals were attacked with fireworks or died having been spooked.

    The RSPCA has received 82 calls related to animals and fireworks during fireworks season so far (26 October – 9 November). There have also been a number of shocking deliberate attacks on animals as well as incidents in which animals have died as a result of being spooked or frightened by fireworks. And the charity is expecting more incidents over the coming weeks as sales and displays continue into Diwali this weekend (14 November) before Christmas and New Year.

    Dozens of dog owners reported their pets cowering in fear or uncontrollably trembling for hours, while others revealed their dogs had bolted in a panic. Four separate incidents of cats and kittens being strapped to lit fireworks were reported across the country.

    https://twitter.com/BBCScotland/status/1057291398880391170

    An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We were contacted on 2 November after a cat was killed in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, when a firework was attached to him and lit. On Bonfire Night itself we were made aware of two incidents – one in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and one in Kenilworth, Warwickshire – in which fireworks had been strapped to kittens before being set off. And on Friday (6 November), the burned body of a cat was found strapped to a firework in Queensferry, Wales.”

    Dozens of animals and staff at the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital were left distressed and terrified on Thursday night (5 November) after gangs and police clashed outside the clinic, in North London, after fireworks were thrown in the street.

    On Saturday night (7 November), in Kent, a firework went off less than 1m from RSPCA inspector Rosie Russon who was walking back to her van after collecting two tiny kittens. The two-week-old kittens – now named Tiny Tim and Nancy – were being looked after by a member of the public who had found them abandoned. It’s not known whether the firework was a misfire from a nearby display or had been thrown directly at Rosie as she tried to help the helpless babies.

    Emma James, from Broseley in Shropshire, has backed the #BangOutOfOrder campaign after her young horse, Flashy, died after being spooked by fireworks. She said: “Flashy came from a very successful lineage of racing horses in Newmarket. We’d been preparing for her arrival for months and she was delivered to the yard near our home on Wednesday afternoon (4 November). We checked on her that evening and the following morning and she was fine.

    “But later that day we had a call from someone at the yard saying she’d gone down in her field. We rushed down to her and found her collapsed in the mud, paralysed with fear. She had clearly been spooked and was very distressed; she was sweating, her paddock had been trashed and all of the fencing was down.

    “Flashy (pictured) was a fit and healthy youngster with a clean bill of health. She had clearly been spooked by something which had sent her careering around her paddock and injuring herself. It was Bonfire Night and I can only believe that fireworks were to blame.

    “My 14-year-old daughter, Lola, sat and cradled her in the mud for hours until a vet arrived and we made the heartbreaking decision to have her put to sleep. Examinations later revealed that she’d fractured her spine and wouldn’t have been able to be saved. Flashy meant so much to us already, it was heartbreaking to lose her like this.”

    Richard Wilford, and his son Sean, from Fleckney, Leicestershire, are also getting behind the campaign after their nine-year-old rescue dog, Faye (pictured above), died after bolting in her garden. The greyhound was rescued from a dog meat farm in China before being adopted by the Wilfords in January 2017.

    Richard said: “She was fine in the house. We’d been watching TV and I waited for a break in the fireworks to take her out into the garden to go to the toilet before bed. All of a sudden there was an almighty explosion, followed by two more as three fireworks were set off nearby.

    “Faye panicked and bolted for the house, running straight into the patio doors. The sound of the impact was as loud as the firework. She fell onto the ground and started convulsing. Within two minutes she was dead. It was horrendous.”

    Emma – who has joined the Ban The Noise campaign in her local area – and Richard have now backed the RSPCA’s #BangOutOfOrder campaign calling for tighter controls and regulations around the sale and use of fireworks in a bid to help animals and people who suffer with fireworks phobias and noise aversion.

    We’re calling for the use of fireworks to be restricted to agreed traditional dates (November 5, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali); the reduction of maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for public sale (from 120 to 90 decibels); licensing of all public displays and private displays at special events such as weddings; and better labelling on fireworks so consumers can make informed decisions on buying ‘low noise’ fireworks.

    RSPCA animal welfare expert Dr Mark Kennedy said: “Fireworks are extremely stressful and frightening for many animals. Around 62% of dogs, 55% of horses and 54% of cats in the UK* show signs of anxiety when they hear fireworks.

    “All too often we hear heartbreaking stories of animals like Flashy and Faye who seriously injure themselves in a blind panic after being spooked by fireworks. Perhaps even more shockingly, we seem to be seeing more incidents reported to our inspectors of animals being deliberately targeted and injured using fireworks. Enough is enough; we need tighter controls over the sale and use of these potentially lethal explosives.”

    To support the RSPCA’s #BangOutOfOrder campaign visit the RSPCA website and send a letter to your local council to put forward changes.

    Learn how to help calm your dog during fireworks.

  • If Electric Collars Can be Banned, We Need to Talk About Fireworks

    If Electric Collars Can be Banned, We Need to Talk About Fireworks

    Last week the Government in Scotland, after a long campaign, decided to ban the use of electric collars on dogs. Why? Because they cause stress.

    So why, every year, without fail, should we dog owners – in our thousands – be witnessing real stress, real suffering and real anxiety in our pets caused by fireworks? Let’s use some basic logic here. If electric collars can be banned because of the stress they cause to dogs, given the sheer volume of dogs who are caused massive stress and anxiety as a result of fireworks, why are we not yet discussing the new regulations we so obviously need if we are serious about reducing the suffering caused to our dogs, cats and let’s not forget the countless wild animals who are also affected by firework fear? Are we serious about reducing animals stress or not? If so, then fireworks will be at the top of the list for many, many pet owners in terms of things that cause their animals the most discomfort.

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    The RSPCA is stepping up its calls for fireworks to be better regulated.

    The charity has renewed calls to restrict the private use of fireworks to particular dates in a bid to reduce the fear and distress caused to many animals throughout the year.

    The plea comes as figures reveal that last year (2017), the RSPCA received its highest ever number of calls about fireworks (382) from concerned members of the public. This represents a 50% increase from 2011 (255). In one RSPCA rescue last November, a dog spooked by fireworks had to be freed from a six-inch gap between walls in a three-hour rescue operation.

    Limiting the use of fireworks to agreed traditional dates – such as Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali – would be good news for animals, according to the charity’s welfare experts.

    The animal charity also believes reducing the noise of fireworks available for sale to the public, and providing more information to the public about licensed displays, could better protect animals.

    Fireworks regulation is due to be discussed by Members of Parliament on Monday 29 January. The UK parliamentary debate was triggered after a petition – started by a member of public – attracted over 100,000 signatures.

    Many animals – of all shapes and sizes – find fireworks frightening. The sudden loud noises and bright flashing lights commonly associated with fireworks can be very frightening for animals. Estimates suggest 45 percent of the UK’s dogs* show signs of fear and distress when they hear fireworks.

    RSPCA companion animal welfare expert Lisa Hens said: “The RSPCA is calling for firework displays by the general public to be restricted to certain traditional dates in the calendar.

    “Animals affected by fireworks not only suffer psychological distress but can also cause themselves injuries, sometimes very serious ones, as they attempt to run or hide from the noise. Ensuring these displays always fall on dates like Guy Fawkes Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali would be good news for animals.

    “Fireworks can lead to serious welfare concerns for many animals, so we warmly welcome this important debate. We hope to see as many MPs as possible attending it, and argue in favour of animals by supporting changes to the laws currently regulating fireworks.”

    Under the current legal framework, fireworks displays can be held every day of the year. Existing regulations forbid fireworks being used between 11pm and 7am, with some exceptions, while those with a noise level exceeding 120 decibels cannot currently be sold to the public.

    Ms Hens said: “Firework phobia is a treatable condition – and there’s many steps owners can take to make the experience less scary for their pet.

    “But planning ahead is often key in keeping animals safe and well during fireworks displays – so having set days where displays can take place is obviously vital in ensuring people know when they have to take such extra precautions.

    “Decision-makers could also reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for public sale to 97 decibels, comparable with the sound of a slamming door. Fireworks louder than this should only be used for licensed public displays.”

    Unfortunately, it is not just pets that are affected by fireworks. Farm animals can be easily frightened by loud noises and sudden flashes of bright light, which can startle them and cause them to injure themselves on fencing, farm equipment or, in the case of housed animals, on fixtures and fittings.

    It is also likely that fireworks will cause a disturbance to wild animals such as waterfowl and is likely to cause suffering or distress, depending on the distance from the fireworks and the noise level. Wildlife can also be burnt alive after making their home in bonfires, so always check for animals beforehand.

    Ms Hens added: “By licensing all public displays, and ensuring information about the event is made available to the local community, more can be done to help keep all animals safe during fireworks. Clearly, more needs to be done to protect animals from the unnecessary fear and suffering that fireworks regularly cause.”