Kerre Woodham: Our big blast is a pet hate

I've got a love/hate relationship with fireworks. I love the public displays. The best part of the SkyCity Starlight Symphony is the spectacular fireworks display that follows the 1812 Overture. It's a visual and aural symphony and I look forward to it every year.

But now that we have a dog, I'm less keen on fireworks being sold to the great unwashed. This is a miserable time of year for pets. Our Border Collie is absolutely convinced the sky is falling in, the world as he knows it is ending. He shakes uncontrollably for nights on end in the lead-up to Guy Fawkes night.

I realise that in the scheme of things people take priority over animals. It may all change in the afterlife, but for the here and now, humans are at the top of the food chain and our right to detonate small explosives in our backyard takes precedence over a peaceful night's sleep for our animals.

But I just don't trust my fellow citizens. In an age where a lot of people really don't give a stuff about anything other than their own instant gratification, is allowing them the right to buy big bangy, burny things the most sensible thing to do? I'd hate to see kids miss out on the magic of fireworks, but can't we do it in a controlled way until we learn to be more respectful of one another?