My Reflections
Sitting outside on a mild November night, I reassure Luna our outdoor cat and spread loose hay to calm the horses. I can’t help but ponder the days when I would enjoy fireworks. I would admire the bright lights in the sky and find the displays impressive and spectacular. Now, fireworks season brings anxiety, worry and frustration. On reflection, I wonder how I ever enjoyed such an event, which brings fear to many sentient beings.
Animals are often forgotten, or ignorance is relied upon by ignoring, or minimising the suffering of pets and wildlife for human entertainment. We fill the sky with bright lights, loud bangs, crackles and a smoky atmosphere. Not giving a second thought to those around us. The pets in homes nearby, the horses in their fields, the birds in the trees and the hedgehogs in the bushes.
Tonight’s experience
Sitting here alongside the animals, bangs are going off in the distance but all is calm, at least on the surface. With a closer look, Luna the cat and Bumble and Bertie the horses display subtle signs of anxiety. Luna sits in a crouched and tense position, her ears back and head-turning each time there is a faint bang. She comes to me for reassurance and is unusually reluctant to leave my side. Bumble and Bertie munch their hay, stopping and pausing when the distant bangs can be heard.
Then, there is a big out-of-the-blue bang, only a couple of fields away. It takes everyone by surprise, including me. Birds scarper at speed from their nighttime roosts and an owl and a group of pheasants start squawking in distress nearby. Luna runs to hide up a tree and the horses abandon their hay and take flight. The dogs inside have protection from the TV to mask the noise, but they still look up, deciding if they need to take action against the threat. Poppy, the more anxious of the two runs upstairs to seek safety by hiding underneath our bed.
That’s the thing about fireworks from an animal’s perspective. They’re unpredictable. Animals don’t have awareness of our human history, traditions, or entertainment. They see bright lights and hear loud noises and it triggers a fear-based, threat response. They perceive the environment around them as it comes, without our understanding of fireworks.
How fireworks impact animals
The behaviour following the fear/threat response will vary depending on the species and the individual’s learnt history. All however can be impacted mentally. Fireworks elicit fear, worry, anxiety and frustration if an animal can’t escape the threat (think stabled horses). Many animals which seem to cope are likely to display subtle signs of confusion, fear or uncertainty. The animal, no matter the species doesn’t understand or have awareness that the fireworks are unlikely to hurt them.
How we can support our pets
We can support our pets as best as possible by keeping them indoors (if they’re used to this), reassuring them (if they want this), masking the noise, setting them up a safe space to retreat to and hide in, medicating (if recommended by a vet) and by occupying and distracting them with enrichment.
Finally, we can take the opportunity early in the year to gradually and positively help them learn that loud noises don’t need to be scary, or trigger a fear response. Sadly there are no quick fixes here, achieving this will take time and dedication, hence the need to start early in the year!
However, there are many other species where these actions can’t easily be taken (wildlife, stray and feral animals, farm animals to name a few). So, the result of letting off fireworks in an unorganised manner is mental suffering on a large scale.
Animals in rescue shelters
While pondering the scale of distress caused my thoughts move to thinking of the rescue animals all over the country who will be suffering in fright, without reassurance. It deeply saddens me thinking of the animals hiding and cowering in fear, or howling in despair.
Then, I begin thinking of all the shelter staff who will have done all they can to settle animals for the night. They then have to leave, feeling helpless, because the resources available aren’t enough to prevent, or relieve the suffering they know will be happening.
The impact beyond a few nights a year…
It’s just a few nights a year you might say. Well, that’s enough for a horse to lose its life due to running in panic and breaking a leg. Or for stress to cause a digestive disturbance, leading to very painful and life-threatening colic.
Or the poor dog who cowers in panic all evening for a week. This triggers a chronic stress response which weakens their immune system, impacts their gut and causes, or exacerbates pain. This then leads to disturbances in the bond with their much-loved human because they’re on edge for weeks, or even months afterwards.
Then there’s the cat, who hides out in distress and disappears from their home for days or weeks causing upset and worry to their owner. All because of the scary noises and lights which triggered a panic response and meant they struggled to feel safe at home.
The fact is, the perceived threat is enough to cause significant mental and physical suffering in every species.
In a world dominated by humans, animals can and do suffer on a regular basis due to our actions. But, we can take action to reduce this suffering, starting by giving some real thought to how, when and where fireworks are set off.
We can all play a part in reducing and minimising the unnecessary suffering fireworks cause animals! How much mental and physical suffering is a few hours of fun worth?
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