If you live in the United States it’s about to get real loud!
They may be pretty and we may have been doing them for hundreds of years, but it is now that we are truly paying attention to what affects fireworks have on our animal friends.
If you have a pet they are counting on you to protect them and comfort them. They don’t understand what all of that extremely loud booming noise is.
This picture below of my Cino is from last night. As cute as it is (at least I think it is), she was actually startled by some fireworks going off in our neighborhood. She first had this reaction as if to say “OK, what was that?!” And then before you knew it she was crouched down practically crawling on her belly to find a hiding spot.
Even if you have your dog on a leash or left your cat at home, there is still danger of them panicking once the fireworks start and getting out of their leash or crashing through a window. It has happened unfortunately, many, many times.
The best thing you could do is stay with your pet to comfort them and keep an eye on them, but if you can’t, then please plan for their safety.
Personally I think there are many other ways to celebrate so there is no need to scare poor animals to death. But kudos to Italy who is now using “silent fireworks” with animals and those with PTSD in mind. This needs to be everywhere!
I leave you with this poem by Jenny Moxham from allcreatures.org called Firework Show. It is a bit disturbing, but I do feel it shows the reality of what can happen and sadly has.
Firework Show
By Jenny Moxham
In panic he leapt through
The window that night,
Half blinded with terror
And frantic with fright.
Paws bloodied and torn
Just one thought in his head,
To escape from the noise
That had filled him with dread.
The fire-filled sky
He could not comprehend,
And so wildly and blindly
He raced round the bend.
And then came the headlights;
A sickening thud,
And he lay on the road
In a pool of red blood.
There he died on the night
That the sky split asunder,
When the heavens exploded
In fire and thunder.
How could he imagine
How could a dog know,
That what scared him to death
Was a firework show.
Animals Are Feeling Beings Too 
My girls aren’t particularly bothered by fireworks (or t-storms); but their older sister, Angel Callie, certainly was in her final years. She would shiver and shake, and try to crawl into the headboard of the bed, climb into my lap, or hide between my legs. And she refused to go outside to relieve herself – even with me holding her leash – she just held it in for as long as she could until there was a lull in the noise. It broke my heart to see my otherwise happy, confident girl so anxious. I miss her like crazy, but at least she doesn’t have to be so afraid any more.
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Awww! Poor sweet Callie. No she doesn’t have to be afraid anymore. She is playing and having a blast in heaven.
My cat is currently hiding under a blanket because we are having a thunderstorm. Later will come the booms of fireworks. I think it may be a hard day for Cino. 😦 But I will be here with her through it all.
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