Bob Kerridge: People and animals suffer fallout from Guy Fawkes

Bob Kerridge

It was early on the Sunday morning after Guy Fawkes night that the young black cat was discovered lying on a South Auckland road.

On closer examination it was clear that the three burned patches of skin, the result of a deliberate misuse of fireworks, had caused the cat to run in fear into an oncoming car. He was left on the road to die, a symbol of the senseless carnage that comes as the result of fireworks.

The sale of fireworks to the public had begun 10 days earlier and that little black cat was but one victim among a score of senseless incidents to occur on a daily basis as a result of people and fireworks.

A long list of cases were reported throughout the country during those 10 days including: an 11-year-old Auckland boy who suffered the loss of an eye when a firework exploded in his face, a boy who was burned on the back of his neck in Horowhenua as the result of a firework thrown at him from a passing car, a huge scrub fire in Queenstown resulting from fireworks which threatened 50 houses and caused the evacuation of more than 100 people, a large explosion from a homemade bomb made from sparklers in Rotorua that blew letterboxes apart (one of many such incidents nationally), and a house in Christchurch that was seriously burned as the result of a firework being thrown through its window.

In Auckland more than 90 animals were collected as strays, many of them injured, by the SPCA (against the normal average of 30 per week).

This year 1700 tonnes of fireworks were imported for sale to the public, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year, according to the Environmental Risk Management Authority.

This would account for a year like no other with 10 consecutive days of disturbances involving some excessively offensive fireworks.

The fire service bears the brunt of the workload with 350 reported blazes in homes and other buildings, cars and vegetation, with extensive and expensive damage caused as a result.

Ever since the brave Beverly Pentland began her crusade to have fireworks banned from public sale over 30 years ago, the SPCA has been a strong advocate in this cause on behalf of the numerous animals who suffer at the hand of fireworks.

In March 2005, through its magazine Animals' Voice, the Auckland SPCA encouraged its readers to send cards to the then Minister for the Environment, Marian Hobbs, whose response was: "The Government is aware of animal welfare concerns and instances where animals have been deliberately mistreated. The circumstances of these cases can be very distressing.

"If you think the community opinion has changed we will need evidence of this. Until we have a shift of opinion, we will retain the present legislation."

As a result of this challenge from the minister a survey was conducted, with Auckland SPCA support, by a team from Unitec led by animal behaviour and welfare researcher Professor Natalie Waran.

The survey received a response from more than 1000 people, with 3527 animals. Although, predictably, there was almost a unanimous call to ban fireworks, the major thrust of the survey was to determine the effect of fireworks on animals.

It was disclosed that 51 per cent of the surveyed animals were disturbed by fireworks with approximately 60 per cent of those being very or extremely scared, resulting in behaviours that included hiding, shivering/trembling, cowering and escaping. A small but significant number of physical injuries to animals affected by fireworks was reported (5.5 per cent), and 7.8 per cent of the respondents found it necessary to seek treatment for their distressed animals.

In wider consumer surveys conducted recently, including one by the Fire Service involving 1000 people, 54 per cent of those surveyed called for a total ban on the sale of fireworks to the public.

The figure of 54 per cent was again the result of a 24 hour poll from news website Stuff, conducted in the last week of October.

In an initial response to public pressures to ban their sale the new minister, David Benson-Pope, at first declared that "the Government has no plans to change the law relating to fireworks" (November 3).

But he subsequently signalled that "the Government will consider reviewing fireworks legislation if there is a clear public desire to ban their sale" (November 5).

Clearly now is the time to see that "review" move from words to deeds as we have a nation of angry people who have been tormented and invaded by a senseless season of fireworks and who have made their demands quite clear that action be taken against their sale to the public.

What better time for our Parliament to take a stand and limit the sale of fireworks to licensed commercial and professional events organisers for public displays on days that this nation really wants to celebrate?

That would be a fitting memorial to that unnamed black cat who suffered his final hours thanks to the stupidity of people with fireworks.

* Bob Kerridge is chief executive of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.