By Coach Bronwyn, June 26, 2022, copyright Bronwyn Katdaré 2022
Fireworks are coming.
It's a reality of summer. An unnecessary one. Some countries have adopted noiseless fireworks but that does not discount the harm it causes to animals and the pollution it causes in the environment.
My dogs and I were in the backyard the other evening and we heard a loud crack like gunfire in the distance. This was followed by a second crack. My dog looked into the sky and ran onto the porch. Overnight, the fire whistle blew and he started to "quietly" howl in his crate. When we were outside today, the fire whistle blew again, causing him to bark and howl.
This dog reacts to many things but sound has not been one of them. That is, until the other evening. Even if your dog is normally relaxed and does not react to environmental stimuli today, this does not mean he will not react to it tomorrow.
In addition to the above recommendations, now is the time to:
secure your fences
do not let your dog outside by himself
take your dog out of a leash
keep your cats indoors
refill anxiety medication
have a Thundershirt handy
attach ID tags to your dog's collar or take a marker and write your phone number on the collar
have your dog wear the collar!
microchip your pets
set up a quiet place for your pet indoors, like a crate
With the Fourth of July right around the corner, you may want to take a little time to get your dogs used to loud noises by having them associate the noise of fireworks with something rewarding like eating dinner. This should be year-round learning, not when it comes down to the wire with fireworks looming.
The environmental effects of fireworks include:
Bees get disoriented and cannot make it back to their hive. This causes death.
Birds have panic attacks from the sounds during the night, upsetting their natural rhythms and causing death. My neighbors used to shoot fireworks into the trees...
Wild animals abandon their dens and burrows while running out of fear, thus abandoning babies. This is dangerous for the ones running and places babies in danger of death.
Fish and other animals die after eating fireworks debris.
Pets have panic attacks, PTSD, and may run away in fear which puts them in danger of not being found and in danger of death. Shelter hours are reduced or closed due to the holiday.
Humans are also sensitive to the sounds and may have panic attacks and PTSD. Last year, my neighbors set off fireworks for 3 hours straight one night. The fireworks continued morning, noon, and night through September!
Do I think fireworks are pretty? Yes. Do I like them? No. Am I sensitive to sound? Yes. Am I empathetic to the fear of the animals outside? Overwhelmingly, yes.
This information was gathered from many sources and anecdotal evidence from years of working in animal rescue. Please use common sense and keep your pets indoors. They really are NOT missing out on the festivities and fun.
(Bronwyn Katdaré is a certified Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Functional Medicine Health Coach. She is also a Certified Pet and Working K9 Trainer and Handler Instructor, an Explosives Detection Dog Handler, a Certified Canine Athlete Specialist, and has owned her own dog training business, Katdaré K9 Coaching, for over a decade).