Rockets terrify old pet
The owner of a dog which spent Guy Fawkes weekend shaking and crying says she thinks the private sale of fireworks should be banned.
Richmond resident Jen Trow said her 121⁄ 2- year-old greyhound, Shy, spent each night of Guy Fawkes weekend in extreme distress due to fireworks being let off nearby.
Now, Trow is calling for the ban of private sale fireworks, saying a public display on Guy Fawkes night should be enough.
On Guy Fawkes night, Trow took Shy for a walk, gave her dinner, and administered a dose of anti-anxiety medication from the vet.
She closed up the entire house in preparation, and put the radio on to disguise the noise. Despite this, the greyhound could still sense the fireworks, as well as hear them and feel the vibrations.
The video Trow posted shows the greyhound panting heavily as her entire body shakes, despite having a sock sprayed in Adaptil (an antianxiety spray) wrapped around her head and cotton wool in her ears.
Trow said she just sat next to Shy, cuddling her and holding her until she calmed down. This took four hours.
The reaction was so extreme that Trow said she was worried Shy’s heart might give out, after three nights of distress.
Trow said Shy had reacted this way each year around Guy Fawkes for the almost nine years Trow has had her.
The retired ex-racing dog was usually extremely placid, and was a ‘‘lovely old lady’’. Usually, she would sleep the majority of the day. The
reaction shown in the video was an ‘‘extreme change’’ from her usual self.
Trow said the randomness of the fireworks was part of the problem. While she could plan for November 5, on the other nights it was always impossible to know what would happen.
She would like people to know fireworks can cause considerable harm to people’s animals. She had seen online that other people’s animals were distressed by fireworks as well.
Trow said the public sale of fireworks needed to be banned. Australia had banned the public use of fireworks 40 years ago, and New Zealand was long behind. However, the Warehouse had recently stopped selling fireworks, which
Trow commended.
Guy Fawkes Day was a ‘‘long outdated’’ tradition. Trow did not want the spectacle to be cut out completely, and would be fine with a big fireworks display such as the one at the Nelson Speedway on Saturday night.
‘‘Half an hour, done and finished. No more.’’