Lyn Edwards and her dog, Lady. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Lyn Edwards and her dog, Lady. Photo / Alyssa Smith
When Lyn Edwards’s dog Lady was a puppy, the noise of fireworks sent her running for a small space to hide.
“Her first experience was not good at all. She disappeared and we couldn’t find her. We searched high and low for her around our fully fenced property, Edwards said.
“It turns out she had squeezed under the bed in the spare bedroom. She was so frightened and I remember being upset that this poor girl wasn’t even a year old and was frightened over something I couldn’t control.”
Edwards, who lives in Levin, said Lady, now 10, is still just as frightened of fireworks.
“When the noise is close by, Lady will tremble, breathe heavily, pant and get up and find her small space. She can’t quite fit under the bed anymore so she’s found another hiding spot.”
Edwards said after a decade of putting up with the noise, she’s had enough. The last straw, she said, was on the night of Friday, November 8.
“For about three hours that night, from 8.30 pm to 11.30 pm we just had continuous noise from all directions. It wasn’t until 1.30am that morning that Lady settled down.
“When the fireworks go off, I try to sit and calm her down but it doesn’t work. The only thing that settles her is when the fireworks have finally stopped but at that point, they had been going for so long. I’ve tried the thunder blankets and other calming measures the vets supply but it just doesn’t work.”
When Lady hears fireworks close by, she will go and hide until the noise stops. Photo / Alyssa Smith
She said the noise doesn’t just impact animals, but people as well.
“All of this has me thinking of the people affected by fireworks. I have a grandson with autism and I know that loud noises can be very distressing for people with autism who have sensory differences. As well as this, I started thinking about the people with kids who are afraid of the noise and people who are waking up and going to work tired because they’re not sleeping properly. It’s just a frightening experience for a lot of different people. It’s thinking about the bigger picture and what these fireworks are doing to people.”
Given the calls for a ban, Edwards can not understand why it hasn’t happened.
“My friend Theresa Searles knows of a local woman whose horse died after a fright, likely caused by fireworks. Theresa herself has a dog, Dobby, who is also frightened of fireworks. I just don’t understand why they haven’t been banned when they can cause injury and harm.”
She said a ban on the private use of fireworks was the best way to ensure no one else — animal or human — was injured by fireworks.
“I know some people say it’s their right to have fun but when it’s causing distress and panic, it’s not good at all. The way I see it, it’s like a stereo playing music — if you don’t like the music, you shouldn’t have to listen to the music.
“Secondly, if the sound is staying on your property it wouldn’t be an issue but since sound travels, it impacts others. People need to think of others and the impact that lighting those fireworks is having.”
