PETA Europe Offers Tips To Keep Cats And Dogs Safe On Guy Fawkes Night

Frightening Fireworks Displays Can Mean Runaways, Injuries


For Immediate Release:
3 November 2006


Contact:
Karen Chisholm 020 7357 9229, ext 229


To dogs, cats and other animals, Guy Fawkes Night may seem more like War of the Worlds than an autumn celebration. Noisy 5 November fireworks are frightening to animals, who don’t realise that the explosions are entertainment, not danger.


After fireworks displays, animal shelters nationwide report an increased number of lost animal companions. Many of these animals panic and jump over fences or break chains, and others might even jump through plate-glass windows to get away from the terrifying sounds. Lucky animals are reunited with their families, but others are never found, and some suffer serious injuries or even death from their attempts to escape the noise. Many dogs and other animals are taken to shelters with bloody paws from running or with torn skin from tearing through wooden fences or dashing into the road and being hit by a car.


PETA encourages everyone to take the following precautions to ensure the comfort and safety of their animal companions:


– Keep cats and dogs inside during fireworks displays, and if possible, stay with them.
– Leave your animals at home during the celebrations; never take them with you to watch fireworks displays!
– Never leave animals tethered or chained outside, they can hang themselves if they leap over a fence while trying to run away from the noise.
– Close your windows and curtains. Turn on a television or a radio that’s tuned to a classical-music station to help drown out the sound of the fireworks.
– Make sure your animal companion is wearing a collar or is micro-chipped just in case.