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Sharon Comrie: Consider the animals around you before setting off fireworks at home

Many pets and wild animals can find fireworks extremely distressing (Photo: smrm1977/Shutterstock)
Many pets and wild animals can find fireworks extremely distressing (Photo: smrm1977/Shutterstock)

Animals don’t know what fireworks are – all they hear are terrifying explosions. Minimising their suffering is vital, writes Sharon Comrie of the Scottish SPCA.

Remember, remember the fifth of November. What does it mean for you? Is it fun and excitement, or is it dread and fear?

This November will be the first time in two years that there have been no restrictions on large gatherings for Bonfire Night. New legislation has come into force, controlling the sale and use of fireworks in Scotland. Anyone under the age of 18 is now prohibited from buying fireworks or pyrotechnic articles, such as flares.

So, while we prepare to enjoy these celebrations again, it is vital that we do so in a way which keeps animals safe and abides by the law.

The shock from loud and frightening firework explosions can have a long-lasting effect on humans and animals alike. Dogs, cats and other animals don’t understand what fireworks are – all they hear are terrifying explosions.

These blasts can leave them confused, disorientated, lost, and in a state of severe shock. They can even be fatal.

The frightening noise also causes wildlife to flee. In a state of panic, the animals follow their instincts and often end up escaping to unfamiliar areas or roadways, or blindly flying into buildings and other obstacles. They can also abandon nests, sadly leaving their young vulnerable to predators.

Ellon locals gather at an organised firework display in 2018 (Photo: Scott Baxter/DC Thomson)

But, it’s not just the noise that can be dangerous for animals. It is common for fireworks to launch in unexpected directions, causing potentially even fatal injuries to nearby animals, and starting fires which can quickly spiral out of control.

Such fires cause great damage to the environment and can be deadly to humans and wildlife. The smoke from fires or from the fireworks themselves can also exacerbate any respiratory diseases in animals, such as asthma, and make it difficult for them to breathe.

Official displays are safer, cheaper and more green

The best way to safely enjoy fireworks is to attend an organised event. Official displays allow those with animals to plan their evening around the time of the fireworks and put measures in place to safeguard them. Not only that, but they’re also safer, better for the environment, and significantly cheaper.

This year, the Scottish SPCA is encouraging members of the public to donate what they’d normally spend on their private fireworks display to animals in our care instead. For the price of a packet of sparklers, we could feed a baby hedgehog for at least a week!

If you’re still planning to host your own display, please carefully check the area first and give any neighbouring farmers plenty of notice. It’s vital that fireworks are never set off near horses or farm animals, whether in a field or sheltered inside.


Sharon Comrie is community and engagement manager for the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)

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