Because of their heightened sense of hearing, many of our furry friends often find New Year’s celebrations a rather terrifying time that could cause potential injury or worse. According to the RSPCA’s chief veterinarian, Dr Magdoline Awad, fireworks are especially dangerous to animals, stating that “dogs in particular are scared of the noise and often injure themselves while trying to escape and unfortunately many are killed.” Furthermore, these loud sounds can also damage animals’ highly sensitive ears.At this time of year, pets pulling Houdini acts are unfortunately quite common. Along with the fleeing from fireworks, other reasons our animal companions turn into escape artists include loud parties, people going in and out the front door, and increased anxiety in the first place due to a disrupted routine.
During the festivities, you may want to take some extra considerations towards your pets’ needs and daily routine. These are some things to do ahead of time to prevent dangers and mishaps:
- In case your pet does run away, make sure to have your pet microchipped and keep current tags on their collar.
- If there are children around, make sure the pet does not get teased with noise-makers or fireworks.
- Remind all your guests to keep the doors closed.
- During noisy times, keeping your pets, their beds, and plenty of treats, in a quiet room with soft music may limit the noise and anxiety.
- Consider keeping your outdoor cats inside at night during this time.
- For those of you with horses, consider not stabling them at a location where they will be subject to excess noise from fireworks.
- Try taking your dogs out on a few extra walks for some calming one-on-one time before and after the celebrations. If throwing a party, give them a little break during the noisy festivities.
Relevant Articles:
Protect pets from fireworks: RSPCA
Happy Holidays with Your Pets
Holidays present dangers to pets
New Year's parties are full of perils for pets
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