Fireworks - should they be banned?
Chris Hogan, 11th November 2013, Pet
Guy Fawkes Night is over for another year and although most of the UK's fireworks are set off on or around November 5th, they are now being used at all sorts of events and attractions.
For years we've known to keep pets indoors on Fireworks Night but there are two problems with this. The first is that it's no longer only Guy Fawkes Night we have to be concerned about and second - what about pets that can't be cooped up?
Year-round fireworks
Increasingly fireworks are being used at public and private events to round off the evening with a bang (sorry!). New Year's Eve fireworks are common but tend to be large public displays, so you at least get some notice to make sure your pets are safely tucked away.
It's when someone decides to hold a private display at a different time of the years that you can get caught out. It could be for a birthday or Chinese New Year or the Hindu festival of Diwali, which attract public and private displays too. For this reason many countries have outlawed private fireworks, or restricted their size, or the height they can reach.
What about horses?
Horses and wild animals are more of a concern. If you have stables and can lock your horses away for the duration that's great, but a great many horses are kept in open paddocks.
David Harris BVSc MRCVS, writing on the Vet Help Direct website (link below), suggests trying to find stabling you can borrow for the two weeks around Guy Fawkes. But if that's not an option he has this to say:
"... the next best thing is to 'accident-proof' the field you're planning to turn them out in as far as possible – make sure the fencing is safe, remove any wire, fill in potholes, etc. Also, consider tying white or pale feed sacks to fencing, to make it more visible in poor light – tie them tightly, though, so they don't flap and cause a stampede themselves."
He also suggests dispensing a calming agent but stresses that you should talk to your vet about any product you are considering using beforehand.
Is a ban realistic?
In Scotland there are calls for more restrictions on the times when fireworks are allowed to be put on sale, making it easier for people to secure their pets and animals. The Scottish SPCA surveyed vets after last year's festive period and found that over 2,500 firework-related cases were dealt with, with over half requiring treatment.
Led by the SSPCA, campaigners "want to limit the dates shops can sell fireworks to one week before and up to Bonfire Night, during Hogmanay, Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival Diwali" according to the Paisley Daily Express (link below). The paper also quoted Jacquie Dougan, who runs Renfrewshire dog charity Pawsitive Action, as saying that she would like to see a complete ban.
In fact it's not widely known that in the UK fireworks are banned after 11pm, apart from the festivals mentioned above, when they can be let off until midnight (Guy Fawkes) or 1am (the other festivals). Category 4 (the highest level) fireworks should only be sold to professional display organisers and letting them off without the appropriate licence will attract a fine of up to £5,000.
Around the world
In New Zealand a number of issues have caused vets and animal lovers to start a petition to outlaw private displays completely. At least four pets died in the Christchurch (NZ) area on the 5th November this year and a horse died after being impaled on a fence after a display back in August (link below).
In the USA a number of states have had complete bans on firework sales for many years, but these are often undermined by their easy availability in neighbouring states. In some cases laws even vary from county to county within a state.
Could a ban ever happen here?
At the moment, although various press stories report that Scottish vets support the SSPCA's stance, there seems to be little appetite for tackling a ban on fireworks, or private displays, in the UK. Current regulations restrict their sale to certain dates but not when they are used, so there's nothing to stop someone having a private display in April if they want to, as long as they don't let any off after 11pm.
A particularly worrying development for horse riders in the New Forest area (link below) was a series of attacks on pedestrians and riders. On the night before Guy Fawkes a gang of youths in a black estate car were driving past people and throwing bangers, causing one pony to panic, fortunately without injury to pony or rider.
Unfortunately it may take a few more incidents like that before politicians look at bans or further restrictions. Until then we'll keep having to look out for our pets and animals.
