... to be irritated by pet owners going on about fireworks given the impact that people having pets has on society and the environment?

[Kallyderon]

It's just about time for the annual whingefest about people setting off fireworks to start and it's boring. If you own a domestic animal then your animal impacts on people around you all year round in terms of waste, meat production, safety, sanitation and noise. It also impacts on wildlife.

Given that, and given that no one is obliged to own another living creature, it's a bit much to expect all the other humans around you to refrain from doing something they enjoy because it might make your dog unhappy.

Tbh there are sound environmental reasons for opposition to fireworks but they don't do even half as much damage to wild creatures and their habitats as the average cat or dog, so that's a moot point anyway and obviously not of great concern to you otherwise you wouldn't own a dog.

So AIBU to say give it a rest?

No, we have no more right to be here than any other animal. I agree.

But, getting a bit philosophical, a seagull has no more right to be here than a duck, but they still eat all the food before the duck gets a chance!

The 'good' thing about humans, is that we have some awareness of what we are doing, so we can try to mitigate. If you can't be arsed though, the "we must die out before anything can be done" argument is mighty convenient.

Not saying you've said that btw valenta. But some people do. I'm sure you do your bit, even if you have given up on us as a race .

YABU OP.

Though we should not exclusively focus on pets being frightened, those with PTSD and some other mental health conditions suffer too.

If it were my choice fireworks would only be on a few designated days only (November 5th and New Years Eve would be two of them). We don't need fireworks when a football team is presented with some trophy, for example.

YABU full stop,it isn't only domestic animals who suffer, and there are some very cruel and psychopathic people around who tie fireworks to animals,and put them through peoples letterboxes

I like an organised council run fireworks display but one of my earliest memories (I was about 5/6) was of some young teens playing with fireworks in the park. They didn’t stick one in the ground properly and it fell over when it went off and came right towards me at ground level and I ran out the way whilst they laughed. I was terrified.

As a result I don’t attend backyard displays unless I can watch from indoors.

The morning of 6 November just smells of gunpowder and used fireworks casings everywhere.

I agree about pet owning generally.

I have only the alternative would be ever owned neutered rescue cats- the alternative would be to have healthy cats destroyed, but I feel they have a right to life too.

It isn't just domestic pets that suffer. I live in a rural area, farm and wild animals are affected by fireworks, sheep and other livestock, deer, badgers etc.

I don't love fireworks after someone put one in my bag and nearly blew my hand off. I agree though about the people moaning - especially moaning about public displays which finish pretty early. I'm against private use of fireworks.

Cynophobia is one of the UK's top 15 fears
It comes as no surprise to me that so many people are afraid of dogs, however a phobia is an irrational fear, it is completely rational to be afraid of a large predatory carnivore!

Do you think we should continue to do as we please until then?

If people made choices with the environment in mind, we could die off as a race quite quickly, but relatively painlessly. If people committed to only producing one child, given that it takes two people to produce one child, we could reduce the population over a relatively short period - even accounting for times when having more than one child was unavoidable, such as accidental pregnancy and multiple births, because there would still be people who had no children to keep the population in decline. It won't happen, but that's the way to save the planet - without denying anyone the chance to fulfil their natural urge to reproduce.

I'm struggling to understand how my 13 inch tall stuff all of a dog impacts on anyone else's environment. Or how his contribution to our ecosystem is relevant to a fireworks discussion about impact on others.

I do understand that people who think they have a god given right to set fireworks off for an entire fortnight with no regard for how late it is, how many animals (housed or wild) they scare. Then we could move onto disturbance of the elderly, small children etc.

I think these people are total knobheads and I did before we had a dog so I'm still struggling to make the connection between my dog and aforementioned knobhead with a rocket and a lighter

A local schoolchild has just sustained a full depth burn to his face and is waiting for skin grafts. No dogs or cats involved in the attack on him.

A local schoolchild has just sustained a full depth burn to his face and is waiting for skin grafts. No dogs or cats involved in the attack on him.

Yes fireworks are dangerous & hurt people. That doesn't mean that dogs don't attack, bite & kill though! 🤦🏼‍♀️

My grandad was one of this PTSD soldiers. He'd sit at home with the lights off and hide under a blanket until my nana came home from work.

Fuck fireworks and fuck those people who are too selfish to think of others. If we want to watch fireworks we go to displays.
I don't think there's any need for them to be available to the general public. They get used as an anti social device, they get thrown at people and they cause our services a load of bloody hassle.

@ScreamingValenta

Yes, I think your proposal sounds totally reasonable and I think if something similar to that doesn't happen, the population will end up being reduced in some other, potentially much less pleasant way.

But, I also don't believe this is the ONLY thing we should be doing. While our population stops growing, we also need to look at other things we are doing. That includes pet ownership.

As I've already said, many people living in some parts of the world have a smaller impact than one single, childless westerner. What are we doing that is making this huge difference? What can we stop doing to have a smaller impact. Per ownership is one of the things we can reduce.

And it's general wildlife it affects as well not just domestic animals. My dog literally does not give a shit about fireworks. She ignores them.

They are a manmade concept and there is now an unnatural number of animals which wouldn't even exist if they weren't our playthings.

And there is an unnatural number of animals that no longer exist or are in danger of extinction purely because of the human race aswell. This number is probably far higher than the number of domestic pets.

Simply saying "animals don't trump humans" is a far too simplistic way of looking at it. No they don't, but should a humans want for pleasure (which is ultimately all fireworks are) trump an animals need to feel safe? (or even another human beings need to feel safe, as other posters have mentioned it is not JUST animals who are scared by fireworks).

Because that's what it boils down to; a want being given higher priority over a need.

Yes there are irresponsible pet owners who don't clear up dog shit or allow their dogs to bark - but are we really in a place where we are comparing "an annoyance" to a genuine fear response to fireworks, whether that be for an animal or human?

This thread has confirmed that we really are becoming more and more of an "I'm alright Jack" society every single day.

Per ownership is one of the things we can reduce.

I agree, and I think there are already movements which support this aim simply because we are overrun with unwanted pets - many people want to stop puppy and kitten farming, for instance. All rescue charities, as far as I know, have a policy of neutering animals.

I would certainly support responsible limitation of pet breeding and ownership alongside a movement to ask people to consider the environment as part of family planning.

should a humans want for pleasure (which is ultimately all fireworks are) trump an animals need to feel safe? (or even another human beings need to feel safe, as other posters have mentioned it is not JUST animals who are scared by fireworks).

Absolutely not! Fireworks would be banned if I was queen of the world, but I know people like them. I really do think it should be like Ireland where they cannot just be bought by anyone and they should only be used on designated days.

And there is an unnatural number of animals that no longer exist or are in danger of extinction purely because of the human race aswell. This number is probably far higher than the number of domestic pets.

Yes! Because of our impact on the planet. Owning pets is another thing that WE do which impacts the planet. We buy animals, which arguably is wrong on its own as a concept. The animals have no choice. It is something we humans do. Part of our impact on wildlife and contribution to the mass extinction event which has apparently already begun. Something we should seriously reconsider when deciding whether we really need another large dog.

Its not just animals who get distressed by fireworks. I saw a message on Facebook the other day from someone who's partner suffers from PTSD and fireworks cause him to have terrible flashbacks. Maybe if people were a little bit more considerate and only let them off on or very close to the 5th of November, and at midnight on NYE then we wouldnt need restrictions but over the past few days Ive heard a few days Ive heard them before its even dark. I mean WTF is that all about? If thats not pure entitled selfishness then I don't know what is?

Has the OP even bothered to return to respond to comments about people with PTSD, ASD etc who alos dislike the noise from fireworks?

No they don't, but should a humans want for pleasure (which is ultimately all fireworks are) trump an animals need to feel safe?

When a person decides they want a pet isn't that sometimes trumping an animals needs & wants? I personally have a huge issue with birds being kept in small cages & what about all the pedigree dogs that have health issues because people want a dog to look a certain way. Or the fact 100k dogs are given to rehoming charities & yet we breed more?

What about horse racing? people take pleasure in that but horses die as a result.

I personally have a huge issue with birds being kept in small cages & what about all the pedigree dogs that have health issues because people want a dog to look a certain way. Or the fact 100k dogs are given to rehoming charities & yet we breed more?

A thousand times this^^.

The PSTD point is relevant, I believe in America they have had some success with veterans/mass shooting survivors displaying signs to help educate & inform their neighbours.

Yes fireworks are dangerous & hurt people. That doesn't mean that dogs don't attack, bite & kill though! 🤦🏼‍♀️

What are the chances of a dog materialising and threatening you in your own home?

Because fireworks affect people and pets who are simply sitting minding their own business in their own homes.

All these PPs talking about ppl strapping animals to fireworks has got me really worried; is this a 'thing'?

I just got a cat this year (a rescue ABC neutered fwiw) and I'm concerned for her. Why are ppl such sick bastards?

*and neutered