To not get the problem with fireworks and pets

[SoldTheMovieRights]

There's fireworks going off next door but one and I can hear them, but just some small popping noises really and barely audible when we had the telly on earlier.

It's never been loud enough to wake or disturb DC.

However, local Facebook group for my village is full of posts complaining about fireworks and how they are traumatising pets. AIBU to not get it? If they are too quiet to disturb people why are they so bad for dogs (who would all be inside in the evening anyway?)?

Lots of people wanting them banned because of their dogs but I just don't get it, at worst it's a few mins of noise, a few nights a year, is it really that awful?

I have zero skin in the game as could never be bothered to do fireworks myself, but if my neighbours fancy it, crack on, I'll enjoy the show.

I actually think you’re really just an unfeeling, uneducated, self absorbed twat.

As other people have said pets have more sensitive hearing.

my sisters dog cowers under the bed.

but my cat isn’t fazed at all. I would never go out bonfire night anyway case she got stressed the one time I’m not home, but we went out tonight for the first time.

shes 4 now so was sure she’d be ok. Left smooth on but she was sat at the top of the stairs waiting to judge us when we got home. Happy as Larry now.

I do think they need to be banned though.

I avoid leaving my dog unattended if I know there are going to be fireworks; although they are relatively unfazed if someone is with them. I just wouldn't want to risk them being frightened by a lot of unexplained loud noises. Wild animals, birds and farm animals don't have that luxury and some are badly affected by fireworks. For that reason I'm of the view that fireworks should be restricted.

I think people should register to set off fireworks. Then their details would be publicly available to pay the vet bills they cause. Ever seen panicking horses @SoldTheMovieRights They go though fences and cause significant injuries to themselves whoch result in VERY costly vet bills and potentially PTS. Just so some morons can watch pretty lights in the sky.

Many animals struggle with thunder. Dogs commonly get out of yards and run. They can be killed in traffic. Fireworks cause the same anxiety.

These days I think people have access to more varieties of fireworks and large fireworks displays go much longer than previously.

Right, OP.

Pets are right snowflakes these days.

Bunch of liberal pansies.

It was different in my day I tell you, when dogs were dogs, and anyone who made a fuss got drowned in a bag with a brick in the river.

The world’s gone soft eh.

Newsflash, OP: animals aren’t humans. How humans react to fireworks is irrelevant to how animals do.

but my cat isn’t fazed at all

Same with mine. He would get up in the window and watch them.

My neighbours have gone out for the evening and their dog barked constantly for the 2 and a half hours that they were out for, with a new frenzy of barks every time the fireworks went off.

Yay for you. They're loud here. My pets have been hiding since 730. They've only stopped going off by me at 130. My one has only just come out from hiding. Shes had to have meds to calm her.
what an ignorant or goady post.

So awful for the animals that are scared. My cats don't seem to care but it's not at all loud here and they are used to the teenagers music anyway.

Do you think owners don’t?? I have plug ins, spot ons, and meds! I come home early WHEN i know they’ll be set off yet they go off on randoms days.
if you either don’t have pets or don’t have pets affected, don’t make sweeping statements.

Well, it's 3am and I've just come back from looking for the cat. She's been petrified all night with fireworks as they started at 7pm. 12.45, I went with her so she could have a wee, as the fireworks had finished.

So I thought. Some tossers threw some right in front of her/us and she bolted. I actually don't know if she was hit with any parts of the firework, she's not responding to our calls and walked a long way. It's freezing out there, she's not eaten (because fear stops her eating) and I am beyond worried.

There's the bloody problem with pets and fireworks.

I have a dog thats not bothered by them, I could take him to a fireworks display.
But many many animals are petrified.
Because, for a start they arent always quiet, they can sound like artillery bombardment where I live . And its certainly not a few minutes, it goes on for the whole of November.

Anals are scared because they hear it and they dont know what the fuck the scary noise is. Humans do know what it is and arent scared. Dont know why that is hard to understand.
As for the horses that get injured ir killed every year bolting in terror........

They cant sedate them for a fucking month can they?

If you’ve ever had to scrape dog puns out of a Persian rug you might think differently. My dog is petrified and I have done everything in my power as recommended and he still freaks out from around July onwards when they start up until around Feb when there’s a lull for a few months.

Ive had to ban dog from upstairs where there’s carpet and replaced all my beautiful rugs with Ikean machine washable rugs in preparation for the next big night.

it makes it very difficult for everyone and has changed how me and the kids enjoy big occasions like bonfire night and tonight. Also the constant door knocking and ringing in Halloween. I invariably stay in now on those nights because I can’t bear thinking of him alone and scared and potentially being sick.

So if you have a sensitive child and they are scared by the noise as some are is that down to your shit parenting for not training them to like it?
As with people animals all have different personalities and some just plain don't like it and get terrified. Nothing to do with the blaming you want to throw.

I actually don't even understand how the OP could be that daft. Just because you don't have pets it's pretty common knowledge that many are terrified of them. Although common sense isn't so common these days unfortunately. Thankfully my dogs don't notice.. Not because I trained them specifically to not, they just don't care. Not sure how you'd even train an animal to ignore it when they happen so infrequently so not like you can keep taking them near it and terrorising them until they get used to it. There are so many thoughtless people around. They're actually illegal here without permits but there is always some entitled fuckwits letting them off.

I can't stand them personally such a waste of time and money. Seen one seen them all they're incredibly pointless.

Sorry but that is a load of nonsense.

Of course people can celebrate.

But I fail to see what is celebratory about creating deafening noise which is quite frankly akin to gun fire and frightening not only pets and wild life but humans as well? That's not about about celebrating. That is about deliberately being offensively annoying.

Photo of our dog tonight attached. The poor boy hid himself among the coats in the hallway closet shivering. 😥

I hate the sound of it these days. It makes me think about the wars being waged around the world.

The fireworks near me went on for about an hour woke me up at midnight they were so loud and my daughter 20 minutes later. I’ve only just managed to get her back to sleep and here I am laid wide awake but exhausted.

I am lucky my dogs have always been fine with fireworks as they were hunting dogs in their youth. However my friends 2 dogs go absolutely crazy not stop barking and shaking. They are very distressed by it. My in-laws dog hides in a cubby they made her to try and feel safe.

Then there is my friend whose husband was a chef in the army. Causes him horrific flash backs.

Gone are the pops and fizzes of years ago . It’s now like living next to an army firing range with bombs . Nothing nice about that at all . They should be banned to the public and only approved demonstrations by the council allowed . Organised displays are fine but a lot of the public misuse them to cause distress and alarm .

They started at 3pm here, before dark and probably di head kids and I’m awake now but I’ve just been woken up by what sounded like a load of mortar shells. It’s not small popping. Dog is terrified.

@SoldTheMovieRights You realise there are 'silent' fireworks that actually produce small popping noises, and garden fireworks that produce a somewhat higher volume, then loud fireworks which are, loud, and then display grade fireworks which are car-alarm triggering, house shaking, window rattling, feel-it-in-your-boots loud... right?

Those Cat F2 and F3 (public use) fireworks can be easily over 100decibels, the professional Cat F4 which legally only licenced professionals should use but everyone knows someone, are into the 150db+ range.

Not all fireworks are exactly the same volume.

One night of half an hour of mild popping sounds is fine, very few people or animals would take issue with that.

3 solid weeks of random, no warning, sometimes rattling on for hours, starting from as early as 2pm somedays, of the all varieties of volume - thats another matter entirely. I started showing symptoms of stress after that never mind the dogs (Who are in my case, not actually scared of fireworks currently and we work hard to do what we can to ensure they stay that way).

In humans, when they are subjected to unpredictable stressors, stressors they cannot escape from or find a way to stop... we often see the development of PTSD.

We see the same behaviour processes/patterns in animals - we're not not ethically allowed to test them and call it PTSD... but from an animal behaviourist, it absolutely is.

Behaviour modification to 'undo' PTSD or extreme sound phobias, in animals, when you the handler are NOT in control of the stimulus... is incredibly difficult, sometimes it's impossible. It's not easy if you are in full control of exposure to the stimulus and can explain the process to the subject.

So yeah, thats the big deal. It can be incredibly traumatic for some people and for many animals, and it is very very hard to deal with due to the unpredictable timing and volume and duration of exposure.

I want to see fireworks banned.

I’m very lucky that my dogs have never been afraid of fireworks,, but that doesn’t stop us feeling concerned for the animals and people that are scared of fireworks.

The fireworks in my area started at 5pm and carried on until a little past midnight. I can’t image how stressful that is to people and animals affected by them. It takes ages after the fireworks stop for a person or animal to begin to feel safe again.

Just because you don’t see or feel something, doesn’t mean you can’t feel empathy for others.