Pet trauma leads to call for rethink on fireworks
A Hamilton couple spent Bonfire Night trying to soothe their dog on her birthday as she suffered severe stress from fireworks.
Pet pooch JJ was shaking with fear as loud bangs screamed through the night.
And owners Sarah Bunclark and Cheryl Randall now fear losing their beloved hound to heart failure as the noise continues to terrify her.
The Jack Russell Terrier turned 10-years-old on November 5, but spent her birthday traumatised by the fireworks being repeatedly set off by locals through the night.
JJ soon after became sick and was too scared to even leave the house.
Sarah and Cheryl were heartbroken trying to sooth JJ and tried everything to calm her down, including playing Classic FM radio – the station puts on music every year to help pets on Bonfire Night.
Sarah told the Advertiser: “I just wish people would have a little more consideration for all pets, as we know fireworks will never ever stop completely.
“Or why can’t fireworks be made silent over here like some other countries have done?
“It scares me, every time fireworks are due to go off, Bonfire Night, New Year, that my poor girl is going to end up going into heart failure or something as she gets so worked up, pants so heavy and trembles so badly that we know it is definitely putting a big strain on her heart.
“And then she ends up being sick and refuses to even step one paw outside at the end of the night to even go to the toilet, and she will now be nervous for a few days until she knows all is safe again.”
The Hamilton couple are calling for more consideration from the public as stress caused by fireworks is so damaging to dogs like JJ.
Their night was spent trying everything to help her.
Sarah added: “Nothing worked for my poor girl, we even tried the new thing of cutting a sock both ends and putting over her ears but that still didn’t help her.”
A video that show’s JJ’S distress can be viewed at the Advertiser’s Facebook page or website.
Sarah said: “In that video she was hid under a table that we turned into a den for her, as well as her having two crates as dens to hide in.”