To be sick of people moaning about their pets and fireworks?

[Sophiehoney]

There's currently a debate on my local Facebook page as the people in the street behind me let off a long, spectacular firework display in their back garden which was very loud.
It was absolutely brilliant and my kids loved it.

Someone has moaned that her four cats are terrified and others are joining in and saying their cats/dogs are also distressed.

They are all saying they should have had a warning?? Even though it's the weekend before bonfire night??

But what really annoys me is that if you click on this woman's name and see all her past posts, she's moaned about the same bloody thing at the same time of year for the past SIX years!!!

Why has she done nothing to prepare for this even though she knows full well it happens around the same time??!!!

You absolutely know yourself that 9 out of 10 of those people going nuts on the Facebook groups give not one shit about anyone or anything other than their pets. And they expect everyone else to centre those pets for some reason.
Of course it's possible to care about many things at once.
It just deeply annoys me the way that type of person gets vitriolic about fireworks disturbing their little dog a bit. But will be out there drinking milk, eating meat etc etc... it's just the level of emotion and expectation other people will care about their pets.
I don't mind people making reasonable points. I do think there should be restrictions on the sale of fireworks.
It's the nonsense hysteria that gets me. Like OP has said.
There's this level of expectation and entitlement to it. Calling other people heartless for enjoying fireworks because it scares your cat. Whilst chomping on mass produced beef and wearing fast fashion.
I just want to point out they prioritise their own pleasure over the wellbeing of others, including animals, every day of their lives, but suddenly when people enjoy fireworks that's awful. No.

What do you call it when OP posts a piece of deliberate rage bait that results in lots of angry replies but the OP is never heard from again? Because that’s what we have here.

You absolutely know yourself that 9 out of 10 of those people going nuts on the Facebook groups give not one shit about anyone or anything other than their pets.

Honestly, no.

Totally not the same thing unless someone is turning up on your doorstep multiple nights a year with a few dogs to terrify her directly.

In an ideal world we would have organised displays only. We have horses so during the 2-3 weeks of firework hell we can’t go anywhere and it’s so distressing for them. Annoyingly the backyard displays they have been subjected to over the years are utterly crap, idiots letting off shitty little fireworks they have got from a supermarket. If we had organised displays only it would be easier to plan for and I could even take my child to a display which we would love to do.

I think the lack of empathy for dogs in due to the fact our lives are blighted 365 days a year
barking morning noon night dogs make our lives a misery ,
dogs off lead wanting to say hello you can’t go into a shop without dogs everywhere ( never get over a dog cocking it leg up over a display of quilts in dunelm mill) went for a bar meal there was a dog wondering round

so obviously not everyone but there’s a culture of irresponsible dog owners so people have no sympathy for them

I think if dog owners in general were more considerate people will be more considerate to them

Not that silly really when a dog literally killed a baby yesterday
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0exdqpv3vvo

This thread is specifically about how annoying it is that pet people make it all about their doggo being sad

No one is turning up on dog owners doorsteps to directly terrify the dogs though?

I also only wish it was multiple nights in a year over a fairly short period of time. There's no escaping dogs 365 days of the year.

I am really saddened by how many people are quite happy (gleeful, almost) that they are causing distress to dogs, because they don’t like dog owners. Some dog owners are absolute idiots, but that’s not the fault of the dog. It seems fireworks are a way to ‘get back at’ dog owners.

Dogs aside, what about the impact on wildlife? Horses? I’m guessing these people don’t give a shit about that either?

On a different note, I do find it bizarre that basically anyone can go into a shop and buy explosives.

No, let's not take animals out of the argument. Because pet animals and the reactions of people who own them is what this thread is about. Doing what you suggest here would further perpetuate the double standard.

If you're going to make an emergency services argument about fireworks, it's open season to apply the same principle to pet dogs. They cause a great deal of avoidable injury.

I wonder how many of the complainers thought to consult their neighbours before getting a barky dog.

Such a stupid thread since it’s just turned into fireworks vs dogs in cafes and other public places. The two things are completely unrelated!

So because dogs are allowed in (some) cafes they deserve to be scared witless by loud fireworks? I don’t even LIKE dogs and really dislike them being allowed everywhere but come on, that is a rubbish argument.

I don’t mind fireworks when they’re contained but I am one of these people who lived in an area where fireworks go off for days on either side of November 5 (yes such areas DO exist!) Our current cat is pretty unbothered but our previous cat was elderly and blind and was really confused and distressed by it - she basically spent 3 weeks hiding under a bed.

My cats weren’t and aren’t my “fur-babies!” I don’t treat them as humans. But they are living, breathing creatures that I am responsible for so it was hard to see one of them in such distress when she was old and vulnerable.

It doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game - I’m not trying to stop people enjoying themselves, but have a wee bit of consideration for the other creatures that share our planet?

I think it’s fair enough to at least warn people. If you live in close proximity to fields where livestock/horses are kept, I don’t think fireworks should be allowed. Urban areas aren’t ideal either, but at least if someone gives their neighbours some notice, they could approach their vet for advice (option for a sedative for their pet?) or make arrangements to take their pet somewhere else for the night. It’s just rude not to
let people know in advance.

Such a stupid thread since it’s just turned into fireworks vs dogs in cafes and other public places. The two things are completely unrelated!

The reason why the issues are related is because they're both about pets, the impact of our actions on others and how we use public space. To what extent it's reasonable to expect one group of people to limit or even give up something they enjoy for the benefit of others.

Somebody in my local Facebook group last year did let people know in advance and all they then got was a barrage of abuse from people saying they shouldn’t be doing it at all and threatening to report them (not sure what for lol)

Don't think anyone thinks dogs have more rights than humans. Am talking about the appalling attitude to animals - all animals - that some humans have. Why can there not be some thought, both ways? Nobody said stop the fireworks, just keep them to the 5th Nov. I mean, what a tossy thing anyway, having them on other days or in some cases, 10 days later around here. Hardly celebrating the 5th Nov is it? That'd be like having Christmas day on 3rd Jan.

That really is a shame when they were doing the right thing.

Bet most of those complaining didn’t care till they purchased their poorly bred yappy football sized yapperton.

My whole family have kept dogs and cats for years and not once have had a cat or dog scared of fireworks. Most have actively watched them though the windows but now all these fur babies are petrified.

More dogs attack and more dogs kill humans than fireworks do. Dogs bark every single day of the bloody year, cats shit in people’s gardens every single day of the year. Fireworks are a couple of weeks of the year. Bit like summer.

And people can go to Environmental Health if that becomes an issue. There's something that can be done.

Can’t do anything when it’s dogs walkers walking by daily and it’s their dogs barking at each other. When the dogs scraps in the street with another dog on or off lead, when they leave their dog crap in the street.

Nothing gets done about any of those things.

What about my cat?
What about nature? All the birds, squirrels, foxes, deer, and what about livestock? Where is the empathy and consideration for those creatures?

So your excuse to terrify all dogs because there are a few crappy owners and tar all dog owners with the same brush? Ok. I live next door to a shit family with an endlessly screaming 3 year old, it never stops, parents never parent and I have to live with it all day, every day. So on your logic, I will now have no regard for any children and not care if I make their lives miserable or frighten the heck out of all children.

Doesn't make sense does it?

I didn’t say it’s a good excuse but when people moan about something because it affects their dog because otherwise they don’t moan they cannot expect too much sympathy from people who lives are affected every single day by dogs. Again fireworks go off for a couple of weeks a year same time of year. It’s like being shocked Christmas is the 25th of December.

If you live near a shit family with screaming children, report them to social services for neglecting to care for their children.

I don't like fireworks. It's not just the noise but also the flashing lights- I struggle with them.

So a warning and restriction to certain dates or organised display rather than weeks on end would be great.

That would obviously also benefit all the animals.