Global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS on Thursday appealed to the public to refrain from using pyrotechnics during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
It said that the sound of firecrackers poses a potential realistic but vague threat for every animal. Pets and wild animals might react with stress and eventually panic when they hear fireworks, which can lead to fatal accidents or life-threatening situations, a statement said.
It added that fireworks can have severe negative impacts on the environment, as the colorful rockets are a serious cause of fine dust pollution and can contain toxic metals like aluminium, which are harmful to every living creature.
FOUR PAWS advises using kind and quiet alternatives and to use animal-friendly approaches to train pets to get used to the inevitable noise during the holiday season.
Nick Weston, Head of International Companion Animal Campaigns, says: “The sounds of fireworks are perceived much louder by animals than by humans. I am sure many people would be horrified to learn their New Year’s celebration are a cause of animal suffering for both pets and wildlife. Fortunately, the topic has gained more and more attention in the public in recent years, with a growing number of supporters across the planet.
In some countries, like Bulgaria, it even has evolved into a national campaign with media, institutions, and hundreds of celebrities backing up the cause for quiet and kind New Year’s Celebrations.”
Methods to protect and mildly prepare pets
However, there are methods for pets to cope with stress. When walking a dog around Christmas and New Year, it is highly recommended to take them out on a leash with a medallion with the owner’s phone number and to choose times during the day when it is relatively quiet.
Other methods to fend off potential danger of panic are to early habituate the animals, if still puppy-aged and the idea of desensitization, where the actual sounds of fireworks are played to the pet via CD or any other audio source, and to slightly increase the volume so the pets can get used to the noise more mildly.
Dr Nadezhda Mecheva, Head of FOUR PAWS Veterinary Clinic in the city of Bankya, says: „Every dog and cat can become panic-stricken at the thunder and flashes that the fireworks accompany. That’s why it is important to firstly be able to recognize the signs when an animal is stressed: rapid breathing, increased salivation and a loss of orientation. The latter imposes a life-threatening danger as our four-pawed friends may run out into panic and onto a busy roadway.”
“To protect our pets as well as stray animals and wildlife, FOUR PAWS urges people to replace pyrotechnics with a more responsible and less dangerous way of celebrating the holiday – soap bubbles or laser beams – to name a few exciting alternatives,” Weston added.
