Fireworks - again ...

[faitaccompli]

I know there are other posts on this. But I am being driven insane by the selfishness of people where I live. In the past two weeks we have had 9 official displays, and 6 big garden fire work parties. Not including the countless back garden mini displays.

I have a dog, we don't have a garden (long story) and she is walked 5 or 6 times a day - some 2 hour walks and other 10 minute wee breaks. Some idiots in our road have decided that back garden fireworks are not sufficient, and they are now letting them off in the front gardens which are on the road that we walk down. This is the third day where we have walked past a house just as they are letting of fireworks in the front garden and my normally sane and happy dog has turned into a wreck. The first time it happened, she came home and was sick three times - would not eat and just trembled. The second time (we walked a different route but we still have to walk near this house) she howled and tried to run home - at least she was not sick but she still would not eat. And tonight - guess what - the same house is letting off yet more fireworks - they are pretty much outside our front door, so even if we don't walk past the house directly, we are so close to it that we cannot avoid it.

Would it be unreasonable to ask them to check to see if there are passersby before they let them off?

Or am I just a killjoy who should shut up. My dog is the easiest going dog in the world, and has been very good for all the proper displays - but the three incidents above has now made her tremble when she hears noises - even the washing machine has set her off tonight.

It is just not fair. Why should we have to change our normal habits because of people randomly letting off fireworks? We have avoided walking her at times when we know people are having displays as we understand that people enjoy fireworks - but it is now 8th November, and we are well into the second week of the damn things - can't they just go out and do something else!

[lomega]

Totally feeling you on this one OP, yanbu in my opinion! Mainly because there have been 5 displays all tonight literally in the vincinity of my home of really loud ones, while my baby is sleeping. I'm probably being PFB but the sods letting the fireworks off don't GAF about settling a cross tired baby back off to sleep!

Dogs hate fireworks and I'm pretty sure the RSPCA advise you to keep them in and keep them calm/quiet as possible. poor dog. It's only meant to be one night (5th Nov) but the displays go on all bloody week nowadays.

Even if we are both being killjoys it feels good to moan about it :p even if there's nothing that can really be done.

[faitaccompli]

Thanks Iomega - I have sympathy with your PFB being disturbed as well.

My poor dog is currently crossing her legs as she desperately needs a wee, but the fireworks are still going off intermittently so I am hoping that she can hold it in for another hour or so!

[HangingBasketCase]

YANBU, and it's not just dogs who hate them either. Sl do cats, horses, young children, the elderly and let's not forget traumatise ex service people. They are going off here now, bonfire night was on Wednesday, it's no longer acceptable and is just pure selfishness IMO.

[ChubbyKitty]

Nope. Yanbu.

I find little joy in pretty coloured explosives, probably because of them being thrown at me(twice - and one time hitting me with the casing) and the noise of them terrifies me because of a past experience of an accident which, quite frankly, was effing traumatising without any reminders.

Maybe if they were only sold to professionals who don't think it's funny to try and harm people or animals with them and used sensible settings for their displays I would feel differently.

YANBU!

[ChubbyKitty]

And they also upset my poor little cat, again who suffered the horror of the accident I mentioned above.

You'd think people, especially people from this area who knew all about it would have some bloody consideration.

[faitaccompli]

Sounds like you have a real reason to be upset Kitty - I am going to sneak out now and see if we can have 5 minutes firework free to let her have a wee. Fingers crossed (rather than legs crossed!)

[pudcat]

My neighbours have just started to let theirs off. Why leave it so late?

[JulietBravoJuliet]

Yep I have a pup here who has completely regressed with his housetraining in the last couple of weeks because he is terrified of going outside. He's in his crate at the minute, with a blanket over and the tv on loud but he's not eating, throwing up and is generally very stressed. I also have no garden, but he simply will not go past the front door if there is even a whiff of a firework and has been climbing the walls literally to get away from them. I've had to walk big dog on her own every night since they started (fortunately she couldn't care less), and have been walking up and down in front of the house with pup at about midnight, just so as he can get a bit of fresh air and a chance to wee somewhere other than on my rug. Can't wait for it all to be over with.

[OddBoots]

I don't know if the same is true nationally but there do seem to be much many of them this year, I guess it is a sign of improving finances.

I'd be surprised if setting them off in front gardens is legal though.

[pauline6703]

I've just been watching my neighbour's display from my window, I really enjoyed watching it all. Why not live and let live, if people want to spend their money on fireworks then let them. If you dislike them ignore them. They can be disturbing but it is only for a few weeks at this time of year.

[Tykeisagirl]

I feel totally trapped in the middle of this one, my Mum is massively firework phobic, to the extent she can't leave the house after dark in early November. However my DH is a firework fanatic, he's an active member of a firework forum and currently has his head stuck out of our flat window to watch the fireworks going on around us.

[Gruntfuttock]

I really sympathise with you - and your dog - OP. I'm finding them extremely annoying, but I haven't got any pets or young children. I'd be quite happy if fireworks were banned outright.

[MothershipG]

YANBU

And having a garden doesn't help, my dogs refuse to go out. I expect I'll have some clearing up to do in the morning.

We've had some go off every night since before Diwalli and I don't expect them to stop until next week.

[KatieKaye]

Another one adding to the chorus - Bonfire Night is the 5th. Not the weekend before or after. That's just stupid and selfish.
I love fireworks - but on the proper night. I did not love the antisocial git who thought it was a great idea to let off rockets at 4.30am on the 6th. What kind of an idiot does that??

[faitaccompli]

Well - back - fireworks let off again when we were about 50 yards from their house. So went off in the other direction, and a volley of fireworks were let off I think from the local pub. So we are back indoors again - dog has not weed for hours and is again traumatised.

[ColdTeaAgain]

YANBU.

Arsehole neighbours two doors down, not content with the first round of fireworks earlier this evening, have just set off another lot. They know we have a toddler. It's dark by half 5, anyone with a bit of consideration would do the fireworks earlier if they want to let them off a few metres from our bedroom windows.

[raltheraffe]

I think you need to see the vet and get some of the strong calming tablets. The OTC ones are not strong enough. I would also not walk the dog when it is dark for a couple of weeks, by which time the fireworks will have probably stopped.

[faitaccompli]

I don't have a choice about walking her - she won't wee indoors (thank goodness). She was fine with normal fireworks and has been good for the past few weeks walking whilst there were displays going on. It is the idiots letting them off in their front garden 50 yards from our house that has caused the problem. And I don't think there is anything a vet could give her that would make her immune to that. It gets dark by 5pm now, and she can't last for 13 hours without a wee (although she is making a valiant effort right now!!!)

[HappyAgainOneDay]

faitaccompli Can't your dog wee in the gutter?

I always wonder why people get themselves a dog when they have no garden. The dogs should pee and poo there.

[raltheraffe]

Perhaps just take the dog to just outside your door so it can go toilet and no long walks. Definitely see a vet and get some tablets.

[faitaccompli]

She won't wee anywhere right now! I would be delighted for her to wee and poo in the gutter. We clean up after her scrupulously wherever we go so not sure why she should be restricted to a garden?

But in any case, a dog should go out for walks, irrespective of whether they have a garden or not. It is lazy dog ownership if your dog only has the garden for exercise. A garden should be the last resort - not the first option!

[KatieKaye]

the dog is too frightened to go out, happy.
It's irrelevant if it normally pees in the gutter or up a lamppost because right now it's scared out of its wits.

I have a garden but my dog refuses to poo there. And most people don't have big enough gardens to exercise their dogs properly, so the back of a garden doesn't matter as long as the dog is being walked.

[Gruntfuttock]

Oh NO! The bloody fireworks have started up again. I'm so sick of them.

[faitaccompli]

Raitheraffe - I have tried to take her just outside the door - but the barrage of fireworks has prevented her from concentrating sufficiently to squeeze out a wee. We live in a fairly affluent area, and clearly the stupidly high cost of fireworks does not put people off purchasing the damn things. They are still going off - there is a lull of 5 minutes or so, then BANG - and they are off again! All she wants to do is run back indoors again.

[ChoochiWoo]

That sounds excessive Op , who the hell lets off fireworks in the front? Id have had a word by now, your poor dog! Hope shes ok x