Puppy dies from heart attack 'caused by fireworks'

[Sparklfairy]

news.sky.com/story/puppy-dies-of-heart-attack-after-being-frightened-by-fireworks-11854086

Not sure how I feel about this. Doesn't say whether there was an underlying condition which could have contributed but could be possible. I had a dog that hated fireworks and would shake uncontrollably, pace and cling to us, so I do get it's distressing.

All of this talk about them being banned though, where I live you can still hear the official displays some distance away and obviously neighbouring properties will have pets, so banning them for private displays doesn't really help.

My dog used to hate thunderstorms too, there's nothing you can do about those so I wonder sometimes whether people should just ride it out at this time of year. It's a few days after all. Probably being unreasonable!

It would help in my situation. If I knew and organised display was happening in my area I could go visit a friend or a relative, make sure the dog wasnt alone and we were home, just generally be prepared.

It's the random ones going off days before or after that I cant prepare for and scare my dog.

“so banning them for private displays doesn't really help.”

It does though, public displays are advertised... you know when they’re on and can plan for them - private ones you’ve no clue they’re coming, how long they’re on for or anything and on top of that you get random ones going off for weeks just because people have fireworks.

I'm surprised you can't see how banning fireworks for private displays couldn't help? Planned displays means pet owners can make alternative arrangements or put things in place that can ease their pets anxiety.

Can't do that for stupid random massive bangs in the night.

That is awful, I'm going to try this tomorrow night. Our Lab now doesn't want to go out when it's dark. He's terrified after getting a fright at new year. I was hoping he'd have forgotten by now, but apparently not.
www.classicfm.com/radio/shows-presenters/pet-sounds/with-bill-turnbull-back-2019/?fbclid=IwAR2-mwev-A6bPmostKckIMyHVgo_J7oGQ9PsLkzAUhUh6ASATU0YChdpM9I

No you're all right. You can tell I don't have pets anymore

I don't agree with private displays from a safety/consideration perspective, it just occurred to me that I live miles away from our main public display venue and it's still loud and hundreds of pets will still be affected by it.

I hope classic FM helps your lab catzrulz it is horrible to see them so distressed

You’ve clearly never had an arsehole neighbour launch a firework into you back garden. Allowing anyone to buy and set of explosives really isn’t comparable to a professional pyrotechnics display.

This puppy clearly had an undiagnosed heart problem and would have died if it experienced any loud noise. While I do believe we should have more organised displays I also believe the reasons for doing this (or banning private displays) should be human related not animal related. Most people wouldn’t give a fuck if someone else’s puppy died because it heard a loud noise, but would care if an lit firework accidentally went through a child’s bedroom window.

I also think councils with large non-Christian populations need to allow organised displays for diwali / Chinese new year etc. These festivals often do require the setting off of fireworks / paper lanterns - banning private fireworks but then don’t allowing these communities to organise public displays just smacks of discrimination and a lot of people would rather take the risk of getting caught.

I think the councils and organisations should take the lead and use the silent displays. I don’t se why everyone else has to be affected by such a loud celebration and I’m someone that loves the sight of fireworks, but not the sound. My animals are terrified every year by them and my youngest has autism and absolutely hates them.

I wonder sometimes whether people should just ride it out at this time of year. It's a few days after all. unfortunately may people have that attitude. Can I put you in a room and terrorise you, until you are shaking uncontrollably, wetting yourself and fearful until the point of vomiting, OP? After all, it’s only once a year.

I think people forget that there are a lot of people around with PTSD and the random, unexpected bangs make things difficult for them too.

On Saturday, I was expecting a few displays nearby so we made a den for the dogs to hide in and made plans to be in and have the TV on a little louder than usual.

We also decided to take them for a long walk at lunchtime to tire them out a little.

Which was fine, until half way round our walk, some idiot nearby let one off. Huge bang, made DH and I jump and the dogs were beside themselves with fear. How can you plan for the people who pointlessly and randomly let them off in the middle of the afternoon (in broad daylight!)

Banning dogs would be a better solution. No shit, no barking all day long ... lovely.

MrGsFancyNewVagina I wasn't trying to offend anyone. I obviously only have my own experience - an overly anxious dog who would be set off not just by fireworks but storms and even a door slamming. In that scenario we knew we couldn't prevent every loud noise and just tried to take this time of year in stride. I get what everyone is saying though, I think it is especially anti social to let off fireworks in your own garden. I'm not saying they shouldn't be banned at all!

Many dogs die due to being petrified from fireworks every year, not sure why sky think this is anything new.

Yep, I'm all for banning fireworks. Fucking annoying things.

I live in a small village, we don’t have a display so people do their own. But it’s rarely all at once. It’s a few fireworks every night. People let them off during the day, obviously not responsible enough to purchase them in the first place. My dog is absolutely petrified nothing helps, nothing from the vets, plug ins, hacks people give out yearly. He trembles for hours. He’s 7 and done his toilet in the house this morning because he doesn’t want to go out side. I understand people enjoy bonfire night but I here it’s like this until new year.

I'm not surprised at all.

I'd like to see them banned for all but public displays. I'm dreading tomorrow as our very nervous older cat will be finding a very small dark place to hide. As he did on 31st October, last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when our neighbours randomly let off fireworks. And yes, we use Feliway, but it doesn't help much.

At least with public displays, the dates and times are limited and predictable.

I think you should apply for a licence if you want to set off fireworks for a private display, and that you should advertise when you are going to do this locally so people can plan. By the same token I think you should have a licence to own a dog and it be mandatory to train them, like learning to drive. My children are very weary of dogs to the point of fearful because of owners not adequately training them or not caring to behave appropriately to control their dogs. They have this fear every time we go anywhere and they see a dog, not just in the autumn months. It works both ways.

I was really shocked when I moved to England. A neighbour regularly set off a load of fireworks on random weekdays about 10pm and I was told by the council that it is legal to set off fireworks any day of the week before 11pm in the area.

Where I am from:

• Fireworks cannot be sold to anyone under 20 and can only be sold for 3 days before November 5th;
• They can only be set off on November 5th and the Saturday immediately preceding it if it falls on a weekday;
• All public and private displays have to be registered and details of displays in the area are circulated so you know if there is going to be a display near your property;
• You have to confirm the start time of your display when you register and the display has to finish by 9pm.

People still can have private displays but your neighbours are aware and can make provisions for animals and don't have to tolerate the noise until midnight.

If people weren't allowed to buy fireworks designed for public displays it wouldn't be so bloody horrendously loud. Silent fireworks would be much better if people must pollute the air and scare people and animals to death.

Fireworks used to just make reasonable bangs and whistling noises, now it sounds as if there is terrorist attack round here. Every sodding night.

A neighbour's dog slipped her lead last year due to unexpected fireworks (not even dark) and got run over.

Organised displays and no noise, no sales to public and a noise rule so people don't get woken up at 2 a.m.

People are going on about fuel emissions and plastic, what about all the smoke from bonfires and the foul stink of the explosives. Driving along last night the roads were enveloped in a stinking haze.

I like to see fireworks, from indoors, but the loud bangs of the ones my arsehole selfish neighbours use are ridiculous, more money than sense and no thought for others at all.

My dog actually becomes paralysed by fear and just lies on her side shivering and panting

She then cannot eat for 24hrs and "over reacts" to any banging noise for weeks. November is not a happy month for her, we've has lots of fireworks already and there is much more to come

Last year the sheep in the fields behind us panicked and got tangled in the barbed wire, horses escaped from their fields and ran into the road, a dog ran away from home in fear and got hit by a car

All due to a private fireworks display without warning any locals

Selfish fuckers

I live in a country where bangers and fireworks are set off for basically any reason people can think of, so I've never seen a dog scared of fireworks. They're all so used to it!

Solution for UK = set off fireworks every day!

That is so sad, poor dog.

They really need to ban the sale of fireworks to the general public. Eejits and gunpowder are not a good mix.

If it was just for a couple of nights it would be okay, but it isn't it's weeks before and after.

This week we have yoofs setting them off in the high street, in the new cinema etc, the police had to close off the high street.

@GrumpyHoonMain

As an animal owner, I care that a puppy died of a heart attack over fireworks. Its poor family are no doubt absolutely devastated. (Which in my opinion makes this a human related reason as well as an animal related reason to ban fireworks). Animals are not furry ornaments. They are living, breathing things with rhoughts/feelings/personalities and they mean a lot to their owners.

Unless you are a vet, you are in no position to decide whether or not it had a predoagnosed condition either. This is not a one-off incident. I have heard of many situations over the last few days where animals have been terrified, sick or died due to fireworks.

Individual use fireworks cause a lot of damage to wildlife and the environment as well. Plus bonfires threaten the lives of already endangered hedgehogs.

I doubt setting off fireworks daily is the solution. Tell that to the people who have lost pets, farm animals, pets live in fear, people with PTSD.

Well if it really were "only for a few days" it would not be quite so bad although still enough people and animals would be scared.

Where I lived until last year it was literally every night from about 29th October to at least the end of November (for no apparent reason) and then, of course, would restart around Christmas and New Year.

I kept a diary one year and there were fireworks going off for 23 days in a row, sometimes starting as early as 3pm and finishing as late as 1am! Not continuously all those hours but intermittently.

I never knew if it would be safe to walk my dog without fireworks going off. The only reason he became scared of them was because some moron set one off just as we were walking past their house at 2pm!!!! It was daylight for goodness sake.

I would be happy to see a complete ban on individuals being able to buy them