A devastated dog owner has told how her 18-week-old puppy died of a heart attack over the weekend believed to have been caused by fireworks.
Susan Paterson posted the tragic news on Facebook group Wombwell Wise on Sunday evening, along with images of Molly, a tiny black terrier, before the tragedy occured.
She wrote: "Due to the enormous amount of fireworks with loud bangs going off around Wombwell and lower Darfield last night, we lost a young terrier with a heart attack.
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"Please think of the animals. Molly was only 18 weeks old and died of FRIGHT caused by fireworks."
A distraught Susan urged fellow animal lovers to support a ban on fireworks, with fellow pet owners revealing their animals had been left terrified by the loud bangs.
Upset Karen Palmer shared on Facebook how her dog was left cowering in terror over the sound coming from displays across the country at the weekend.
The dog owner, from Stranrear, in Scotland, shared a video of her Border collie Will trembling in fear as she stroked her dog's paw in reassurance.
She wrote: "For all you people letting off fireworks tonight. I hope you're all having a bloody good time cos I know someone who isn't...... my poor boy!!!! Get them banned for public sale and used for organised displays only."
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After more than a million views of the footage, Karen urged those who had shared and commented about their own pets in distress, to sign a petition to ban fireworks.
It calls for fireworks to be banned from general sale and has already racked up more than 154,000 signatures and counting.
As comments flooded Karen's page, she thanked people for asking how her dog was and sharing tips and tricks to calm him down.
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She added: "The purpose of me sharing this so publicly was that I genuinely do not think people see or want to believe the effect that fireworks can have on domestic animals as well as wildlife.
"The impact it has on me and [my partner] Mark when we see our boy like this is heartbreaking but it's equally distressing for his two other furry brothers who get distressed also, not by the fireworks but by seeing Will in such a state. Thank you all so very much and I hope everyone's fur-babies continue to stay safe throughout firework season."
Another worried dog owner Helen Longhurst shared footage of her dog on Twitter hiding behind the couch while fireworks were going off.
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She wrote: "The poor little pickle. Fireworks = terrified dog. @RSPCA_official this is #BangOutOfOrder I've said this many times, but I really think fireworks should be for license display only to bring back some control of not having random fireworks every night."
One Twitter user shared a video of his shaking dog wrapped up in a blanket: "Firework season, with a dog who already suffers from anxiety and stress issues. Completely out of ideas as to how to comfort him. Just gonna have to ride this one out."
Ruby Alice wrote on Twitter that her mum had built a fort for her dog, sharing a picture of the poor pooch: "My mum really texts me everyday with an update of my dog and today she made him a shelter to protect him from the fireworks."
Recently, leading vet charity PDSA found that 7.3 million cats and dogs are afraid of fireworks - meaning they're likely sat at home anxious and miserable throughout the firework season.
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PDSA Veterinary Nurse, Joanne Wright explained: "Pets have sensitive hearing, so a sudden loud noise to us can be utterly terrifying to them, particularly as they don't understand the source of the loud bangs and bright flashes.
"When they become scared, their first instinct can be to run from the danger, which means they could easily go missing, putting them at risk of road accidents, getting lost or being injured."
Sainsbury's announced ahead of the season that they wouldn't be selling fireworks, while Co-op haven't sold them for the past five years.
Ahead of Bonfire Night, we compiled a helpful guide in the hope of making firework season as stress-free as possible for your pets.
It includes making your home as sound-proof as possible, building up your pets tolerance to loud noises, using pheromone products to relieve stress like sprays or plug-in diffusers, making a den for them to hide in at home and also an owner staying composed and relaxed.
Featured Image Credit: PexelsTopics: Life News, Real, Animals, Dogs