Horse owners fearful of Guy Fawkes fireworks
Monday, 29 October 2018
Fleeing the sound of fireworks, Dee Hunter's horse Molly ripped off the side of her face. Now the Auckland horse owner is asking for people to consider their rural neighbours.
Three years ago Molly got spooked by fireworks on Hunter's Dairy Flat property.
'She was by a fence moving her head back really quickly when she heard the boom, ripping all her jaw-line,' Hunter said.
'But I'm one of the lucky ones and am thankful her injuries weren't more severe.'
**READ MORE:
* Rural communities call for common sense around fireworks this season
* Fireworks blamed for death of horse
* Damien Grant: Don't be outraged at my fireworks party, everything in life has risks
* Private fireworks display causes 'anguish' to local Waitoki residents**
Hunter said fireworks were 'incredibly invasive', and affected not just about horses but all stock.
She said she felt powerless and was seeking better behaviour and notification so people could prepare their animals.
'You can buy fireworks for a limited time but let them off whenever you want to. Despite living on eight acres I have four sets of neighbours and am challenged to find a place to protect the animals,' she said.
'We have two weeks of disrupted sleep and we're on high alert and frequently have to jump into the ATV motorbike at 1am and drive down the hill to look after the horses.
'I've been planning for this for the last six weeks. I have solar lights installed in all the paddocks and the reason is so hopefully the horses can see the fences and don't run into them and kill themselves.'
Dairy Flat resident Alice Hayward said she also felt anxious at this time of year.
In 2013, the veterinary nurse had to euthanise her horse Lucas after he panicked and impaled himself on a fence during a fireworks display.
Hayward created Ban the Boom, a website and Facebook page calling for tighter regulations on fireworks.
It kept animal owners informed on upcoming firework displays and they could report fireworks-related incidents.
During the past couple of weeks, with the Diwali Festival and Taupaki School's Monster Fireworks at the Kumeu Showgrounds, Hayward said there had been an increase in reported animal deaths and injuries on the Facebook page.
Hayward said she wanted to see more common sense around celebrations, particularly in rural areas, but did not want to spoil the fun.
'It'd be nice for neighbours to notify their neighbours – especially those with farm animals and horses – if they're doing fireworks outside of Guy Fawkes night,' she said.
Data collected by Ban the Boom showed four horses died and 27 horses were injured due to fireworks across New Zealand from 2014 to 2017.
Each year Sunday Star Times columnist Damien Grant celebrated his son's birthday with a fireworks display at his home in Waitoki.
He said he did everything by the book and ticked all legal boxes, and always notified his neighbours.
'If people are irresponsible and set off fireworks without notice they are creating a lot of aggravation,' he said.
'With so many community Facebook pages it's so easy these days to notify neighbours if you're setting off fireworks.
'On November 5, and four days on either side, horse- and animal-lovers know fireworks will be going off. I do have sympathy for them if people let fireworks off at random times.'
SPCA chief executive officer Andrea Midgen said SPCA did not support the private sale and use of fireworks and had long called for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public.
'Those planning to set off fireworks in their backyards should speak to their neighbours, or leave a note in their letterbox, so those with pets can prepare accordingly,' she said.
She encouraged people to attend local public fireworks displays rather than using fireworks at home.