Neighbour asked us not to do fireworks?

[lockdownqueen]

I'm in a group chat with girls on our new build estate I've sent out a pre warning as hubby has gone and bought some. Everyone was fine and said they will be in there gardens to watch then one of the girls asked us not too as her dog has severe panic attacks.

don't know what to do? Kids have been looking forward to them.

aibu to go ahead and do them?

Yes, a hard one
A neighbour to me - next street - has set off very noisy mortar type flashbombs every night this week!
My ten year old dog shivers and shakes al night, terrified

One evening, say half hour is a compromise, but every night?

Fireworks are a really tough one. My husband does them every year and won't be put off, as he says it's traditional and people have always done it. (Are dogs more sensitive than they used to be? Like we have so many more humans with allergies now? I don't remember anyone ever worrying about pets and fireworks when I was a child.)

I hate how dangerous his annual display is, and how loud it must be for neighbours. I wish the Government would ban the sale and we could just go enjoy a professional display.

There is only one way round the problem, ban their sale to unlicensed people.
If people want to buy dogs (or other pets) then they should be properly licensed and should know how to train their animals to deal with loud noises.

@VitalSpark

There is only one way round the problem, ban their sale to unlicensed people. If people want to buy dogs (or other pets) then they should be properly licensed and should know how to train their animals to deal with loud noises.

Are you completely serious? People should know how to train their animals to deal with loud noises! What a load of total crap.

Have you even read the thread? I am a good dog owner and trained my dog as a puppy but that was all ruined when a complete and utter dickhead set off a firework in broad daylight NOT close to bonfire night as we walked past their garden. My dog is now scared and NOTHING I do changes that.

My other dog is a rescue and, having been badly abused and mistreated, is scared of fireworks plus many other things. I have seen several behaviourists and they say there is nothing that can be done.

Also how do you suggest we "train" livestock, horses, hedgehogs, badgers, foxes, rabbits etc etc?

@VitalSpark Funny how no one wants to engage with the fact that veterans who suffer from PTSD struggle with fireworks, especially when they go on randomly for weeks. Why don’t people who served our country matter? I suppose they shouldn’t be allowed to return home unless they can be ‘trained’ to deal with fireworks either?

@VitalSpark

There is only one way round the problem, ban their sale to unlicensed people. If people want to buy dogs (or other pets) then they should be properly licensed and should know how to train their animals to deal with loud noises.

And what is your solution to all the trauma and physical suffering of other animals, domestic and wild, and the humans that are severely impacted by fireworks? Should we find someone to train and purchase a license for them?

A Horse in Aberdeenshire has lost his eye after being hit with a firework. Not yet clear whether he will need to be PTS.

I guess having a license for the horse and training the horse to have a firework resistant eye would have prevented that.

My dog is 7yo and he was never fussed about fireworks until last New Year, when some utter arsehole set off a load of them at 2am on the pavement right under my bedroom window. We live in a busy residential area, not the middle of nowhere, so I don't know what he was thinking.

The noise was deafening, it lit up the whole house and my dog got the fright of his life. He paced and whined the whole night and now he hides, shaking, whenever he hears a firework. They have been going off for two weeks here, with more going as I write this.

I'd cheerfully ban them from sale.

I’m sure fireworks were not as loud when I was a lass.

I just keep my cats inside on bonfire night. They don’t like them and just hide. There will always be fireworks, at least the OP gave a heads-up about it.

It isn’t just animals. My MIL sometimes reacts badly, having been a very young child in London during the blitz. I suspect she has undiagnosed PTSD.

@JayAlfredPrufrock

Could be due to hearing loss after too many loud fireworks when you were a lass?

What’s absolutely disgusting about this post is OP (and it appears lots of other people) would rather do something to gain a small enjoyment for themselves or their kids knowing full well (and asked respectfully not to) that it will cause distress, harm and potentially death to her neighbours dog. What a fucked up world we live in when that is peoples attitudes 😔

It’s sick isn’t it @Jenstar123? Who on earth could enjoy something they know is causing that much trauma to someone else? It’s one thing if you dont know, but once you do, and you do it anyway? There’s something worrying about that.

@Mittens030869

I just keep my cats inside on bonfire night. They don’t like them and just hide. There will always be fireworks, at least the OP gave a heads-up about it.

It isn’t just animals. My MIL sometimes reacts badly, having been a very young child in London during the blitz. I suspect she has undiagnosed PTSD.

What do you do with your cats on all the other nights that fireworks are going off?

Often they go on for weeks

smallsteps

I can’t imagine the absolute terror those poor horses felt and for the agony Dettori had to go through.

Notwithstanding my own issues, this is why they should not be sold to members of the public as you cannot filter out utter cunts and idiots who are blasé about hurting or frightening animals.

And it is by far an isolated incident.

I despair.

Me too. Every year there are similar stories. Animals injured or killed, animals dying of heart failure, people having panic attacks, children being injured, damage to vehicles or homes. Every year, predictable as sin. But every year people roll out the justifications because their children like to see the bright colours. It beggars belief.

In Spain or Italy, I cannot remember which, noisy fireworks are banned for this reason, only silent ones are allowed. The noise is very distressing to dogs, my dog tries to hide under a pile of pillows and cushions. Dogs and some cats hate it, and if you yourself were a dog owner you would be of the same opinion too. A dogs hearing is very acute and sensitive, if it was for one day maybe,as a community display,(obviously not this year) but people have them all through November and then again at New Year. The distress they cause to many animals is very upsetting. I think you may want to consider this, you could choose your fireworks wisely, the ones that are quieter, and have some sparklers.

Fourth night of fireworks in a row tonight. I've counted ten in a row before. I can't dope my dog that long and it doesn't work. One night please and public displays only - and silent fireworks where possible.

How did dogs manage in the past? Fireworks have always been around.

@Barbie222

How did dogs manage in the past? Fireworks have always been around.

The same way they do now- some manage, some don’t- and suffer terribly before dying.

@Barbie222

How did dogs manage in the past? Fireworks have always been around.

In the past, the really big, loud fireworks simply were not available for the public to buy - but now anyone can let off something that sounds like a bomb going off in their tiny suburban back garden.

The law has not kept up with this.

@Barbie222

How did dogs manage in the past? Fireworks have always been around.

I am late 60s. When I was a kid we had a dog and every Nov 5th my dad would buy fireworks which he let off in the back garden.

Our living room was in the front and my mum would sit in there with the TV on loud, cuddling a great big, trembling dog. He was terrified.

Rockets didn't sound like depth chargers as they do now but they were still loud and animals were still scared.

@lynsey91

I'm at home and I just do the best I can to look after my cats. They're mostly okay thankfully, they just hide when they need to. They're perfectly happy and well cared for cats otherwise.

Fireworks are around this time of year, we just cope the best we can.

I saw a tip on FB about cutting the foot off a sock, and using it as a headband on the dog, to muffle the sound of the fireworks, so I have tried it.

Ddog is Not Impressed! . She was even less impressed when dh and I laughed at her.

She is gorgeous! (Not the point I know but she is 😍)

My auld lass used to get the right hump on if I laughed at her. It just wasn’t done...