80% Of People Want A Ban On Fireworks Sales To Protect Pets

Remember, remember the 5th of November... is a night to look after your pets.

While Bonfire Night is usually a time for excitement as we officially ring in colder nights and crunchy leaves, our furry companions may be more confused by the bright lights and loud bangs of fireworks.

And while the cut-off point for setting off rockets and howlers is currently midnight, over 80 per cent of Tyla readers believe sales of fireworks be banned altogether to avoid causing distress to pets.

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Our Twitter poll saw 80.5 per cent back the ban, while only 19.5 per cent believed fireworks should continue to be sold.

The news comes after animal charity the RSPCA have urged pets owners to start preparing their animals for the potentially stressful evening.

The charity has launched their #BangOutOfOrder campaign in a bid to make Bonfire Night a little more safer for animals. They are now calling for changes in firework regulation, including restricting private use to traditional dates, reducing the maximum permitted decibels for fireworks, ensuring all public firework displays are licensed and for private firework boxes to be labelled.

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RSPCA animal welfare expert Dr Mark Kennedy said: "Firework phobia is treatable and we recommend seeking advice from your vet or from a clinical animal behaviourist if your pet finds Bonfire Night frightening.

"While it may take months or even years for treatment plans to take effect for some pets with more severe phobias; for others, there are simple steps you can take at home in the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night to help them keep settled.

The charity has provided a list of tips and hints to help your pet cope. They include providing your dog or cat with a safe place to hide, using pheromone diffusers to help calm furry friends, and soundproofing your house from loud bangs.

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Other, more short-term measures are keeping your pets indoors, provide extra bedding for them so they can shelter, and talking to your neighbours about their plans for Bonfire Night.

A spokesperson for Vetsnow said family pets can experience distress on this night.

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"Many pets suffer psychological distress from the indiscriminate bangs and flashes from fireworks displays," they said. "Sadly, some are even likely to end up injured or missing as a result.

"The country's wildlife and livestock will also be traumatised, as they are every year. That's not to mention the terrible impact fireworks, and the cocktail of chemicals they contain, have on the environment."

Topics: Pets, Animals

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley