With bonfire night festivities resuming for the first time since the pandemic, you can expect to see colourful displays, big crowds of people and ,most notably, loud bangs.
The sale of fireworks is coming under increased scrutiny
Whilst this may be enjoyable for us, it’s far from it for our furry friends. In fact, according to PETA, Bonfire Night is actually the most stressful night for animals – with record high reports of animals getting terrified by the fireworks and even “deaths being caused by the shock of fireworks.”
It’s an issue which affects not only pet-owners, but animal shelters across the UK, who have seen a spike in animals being given up due to people irresponsibly getting lockdown pets and not being able to look after them now that life is resuming back to normal. In fact, Dog’s Trust reported an increase of 41% in web traffic to its ‘Giving Up Your Dog’ page between August 2020 and January 2021.
Thankfully, animal shelters know how to cope with this. But what about new dog owners and those who did keep their lockdown pups? Despite several calls from animal lovers to ban fireworks, it appears there’s still a long way to go before this may come into action. So instead, it’s important to know some tips and tricks on how to best look after your pets on this day.
We visited the Celia Hammond Shelter in Canning Town, who shared these expert tips:
Make a playlist of firework sounds to play to your pet beforehand.
This is so the animal gets used to the sounds and it isn’t a complete shock to them on Bonfire Night. A pro tip is to play these sounds when your pet is doing an activity which they enjoy, to help associate it better.
Take your dog out for a walk in the day.
Consider switching your evening walk to a morning walk, so that your pup can enjoy a relaxing time outside before being kept in throughout the evening.
Spend the evening indoors with them and make sure your doors are locked.
To best support your pet on this distressing evening, ditch the festivities and stay indoors with them to make sure they’re doing okay and feel loved. Avoid going into your garden or keeping your doors open, as fireworks can really startle your pet and in some cases leads to some running away in fear. Perhaps consider creating a cosy den which will shield them from what’s going on outside.
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HeadlineBonfire Night 2021: Expert Tips To Keep Your Pets Calm
Short HeadlineHow to look after your pets this bonfire night
StandfirstGot a lockdown pet? Here is how to handle them for the first Bonfire Night back since the pandemic.
With bonfire night festivities resuming for the first time since the pandemic, you can expect to see colourful displays, big crowds of people and ,most notably, loud bangs.
The sale of fireworks is coming under increased scrutiny
Whilst this may be enjoyable for us, it’s far from it for our furry friends. In fact, according to PETA, Bonfire Night is actually the most stressful night for animals – with record high reports of animals getting terrified by the fireworks and even “deaths being caused by the shock of fireworks.”
It’s an issue which affects not only pet-owners, but animal shelters across the UK, who have seen a spike in animals being given up due to people irresponsibly getting lockdown pets and not being able to look after them now that life is resuming back to normal. In fact, Dog’s Trust reported an increase of 41% in web traffic to its ‘Giving Up Your Dog’ page between August 2020 and January 2021.
Thankfully, animal shelters know how to cope with this. But what about new dog owners and those who did keep their lockdown pups? Despite several calls from animal lovers to ban fireworks, it appears there’s still a long way to go before this may come into action. So instead, it’s important to know some tips and tricks on how to best look after your pets on this day.
We visited the Celia Hammond Shelter in Canning Town, who shared these expert tips:
Make a playlist of firework sounds to play to your pet beforehand.
This is so the animal gets used to the sounds and it isn’t a complete shock to them on Bonfire Night. A pro tip is to play these sounds when your pet is doing an activity which they enjoy, to help associate it better.
Take your dog out for a walk in the day.
Consider switching your evening walk to a morning walk, so that your pup can enjoy a relaxing time outside before being kept in throughout the evening.
Spend the evening indoors with them and make sure your doors are locked.
To best support your pet on this distressing evening, ditch the festivities and stay indoors with them to make sure they’re doing okay and feel loved. Avoid going into your garden or keeping your doors open, as fireworks can really startle your pet and in some cases leads to some running away in fear. Perhaps consider creating a cosy den which will shield them from what’s going on outside.
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