Spare a thought for animals this Guy Fawkes

Sunday, 31 October 2021

They've caused horses to bolt through fences, dogs run away from home and birds leave their hatchlings – so as fireworks get set to fire up, what can you do to take care of animals?

On November 5, the sky lights up with colour as loud bangs fill the air, and while it’s pretty to watch, it can have a negative effect on animals, sometimes causing death.

A rural Tasman resident had to put down one of her horses after it was spooked by fireworks set off in the area a few weeks before Guy Fawkes.

The woman, who didn’t want to named, said it was rare that fireworks were set off in the area, but they caused distress amongst all the animals.

**READ MORE:

* Government has no plans to ban private fireworks despite pleas from animal welfare advocates

* Antelope from Wellington Zoo dies from 'high levels of stress' due to fireworks

* Warnings issued ahead of Guy Fawkes in South Canterbury

* Fireworks restrictions would save animals from trauma, Street Cats SC say

**

“Animals are just petrified, every single one of our animals reacts on the farm. Our pet deer, he races round the paddock barking, the sheep run around, the cows, they do a jump and a skip … even the chickens start nutting off.”

She said the family gun dogs were the only animals that didn’t react; trained to be unfazed by loud noises.

When one of her horses tried to flee its paddock, it got tangled in fencing and had to be euthanised, she said.

The SPCA have issued advice on how to keep animals safe around fireworks.

SPCA team leader Jamie Hancock said every year the organisation fielded dozens of calls about frightened and distressed animals during fireworks.

It was advised people let their neighbours know of plans to set off fireworks so people could keep their pets and livestock safe, ahead of time, especially if it was outside the regular Guy Fawkes celebration night.

For pet-owners, she said pets should be kept inside where possible, where the animals couldn't see or hear the fireworks. She also suggested turning up the volume on the tv to drown out the noise.

It was a good time to ensure microchip details were up-to-date, including address and phone number to help reunite with pets if they ran away, Hancock said.

And while inadvertent harm to animals had been rare in Nelson, in recent years, fireworks had blatantly been used to maim a duck in Auckland which was left to die with damage to its face and beak.

Forest and Bird top of the South regional manager Debs Martin said birds would be sitting on nests and feeding their young this time of year, and the loud noises could scare them away from their hatchlings or eggs, leaving them open to predation.

Martin said it was about “being wise” on the choice of location for letting off fireworks, because native birds were everywhere, including the Motueka sandspit and the Boulder Bank.

When it came to DIY fireworks display, “maybe just don’t do it”, she said.