My poor bloody dog
It’s bonfire night again and I’ve been holding my poor firework traumatised dog in my arms half the night. He hates fireworks and sudden loud noises. He’s a ‘Rescue’ dog (He was a stray and is now my adopted pet) but someone must have had ‘fun’ throwing fireworks at him when he was a pup because the noise reduces him to a quivering fur bag of jelly. Love him as I do, I can’t help feeling aggrieved at the selfish behaviour of some people.
I was reading the Ceefax (BBC Teletext service page 145) letters this weekend and saw one from a JM of somewhere, who complained about anti-social pets and how he had purchased a large box of fireworks to get his ‘revenge’. This letter annoyed me not a little, and I hope that said letter writer gets what he deserves. It was indicative of a small minded and petty person who was going to commit an anti-social act against all the pets in the area. Not just the few Dogs with irresponsible owners that annoyed him in the first place, but everyone’s pets. Bastard.
If you’re a dog owner (Slave?) like me you’ll appreciate the trauma that such loud explosions cause to your pet. Notwithstanding the artillery barrage this year wasn’t so bad as last. Maybe the worst of the manic firework slingers have all gone bankrupt – now that would be justice.
For my own part I’m on late shift this Tuesday and all next week. Any bonfire parties with extra loud fireworks kicking off after eight p.m. are going to find little mercy from me if they have parked their vehicles incorrectly. Yes I know this is almost as petty and small minded as someone buying fireworks just to traumatise animals, but maybe the parking fines will put a crimp in their activities next year.
I pride myself on being fair, but sometimes the prospect of delivering a little justice for the voiceless is enough to make me drop my usual high standards.
I was reading the Ceefax (BBC Teletext service page 145) letters this weekend and saw one from a JM of somewhere, who complained about anti-social pets and how he had purchased a large box of fireworks to get his ‘revenge’. This letter annoyed me not a little, and I hope that said letter writer gets what he deserves. It was indicative of a small minded and petty person who was going to commit an anti-social act against all the pets in the area. Not just the few Dogs with irresponsible owners that annoyed him in the first place, but everyone’s pets. Bastard.
If you’re a dog owner (Slave?) like me you’ll appreciate the trauma that such loud explosions cause to your pet. Notwithstanding the artillery barrage this year wasn’t so bad as last. Maybe the worst of the manic firework slingers have all gone bankrupt – now that would be justice.
For my own part I’m on late shift this Tuesday and all next week. Any bonfire parties with extra loud fireworks kicking off after eight p.m. are going to find little mercy from me if they have parked their vehicles incorrectly. Yes I know this is almost as petty and small minded as someone buying fireworks just to traumatise animals, but maybe the parking fines will put a crimp in their activities next year.
I pride myself on being fair, but sometimes the prospect of delivering a little justice for the voiceless is enough to make me drop my usual high standards.
6 Comments:
Have you tried your dog with skullcap and valerian tablets (one per day for a couple of weeks or so before a traumatic event)? Our two were amazingly calm this year, even to the point of sleeping through last night's re-enactment of the Battle of the Somme!
I can't believe that people can be so self involved. The dogs that are bothering this person are not at fault, their owners have let them down. They don't know any better than what they are taught. This man and his revenge are a sign that he really has no sense of perspective. I hope one day you give him a ticket and it hurts his wallet, the place most folk like that really care about.
Make sure you're not also teaching your dog to be fearful...if you are concerned about the effect of the fireworks your dog will surely sense it and respond likewise. I've seen the same process happen with kids..parents frightened...kids terrified (& they don't know why.)
Dogs have much more sensitive senses so this is harder to address.
I know just how you feel. I spent a large part of Saturday and Sunday nights standing in a field with a horse, attempting to talk it out of charging around and possibly through barbed wire fences (successfully, I'm glad to say).
Over that time I must have watched tens of thousands of pounds worth of fireworks go up in smoke (without paying a bean towards any of the displays, I might add).
As it happens, the horse fairly quickly became accustomed to bangers, as long as they weren't too close. Something that sounded like bacon frying magnified ten thousand times (which sent up lots of smoke) was more upsetting, whilst a display which sent up dozens upon dozens of screamers all at once really upset the horse.
The only real amusement was that the fireworks were more muted than last year, also a police car with all lights going was seen heading for the site of the impromptu display on Saturday night, which ceased shortly thereafter, so perhaps words were said.
I still think that the sale of the bloody things should be restricted, both in time period and in decibel output of the things, as perceived from directly under the launch site. Oh, and the hell with minorities who want to let the bloody things off at times other than 5th November; sod 'em. They don't like it here, there're plenty of other countries they can emigrate to.
I don't think fireworks should be on sale to the general public. When was it ever decided that it was ok for Joe Bloggs to walk around the street with explosives?
Fireworks for public sale have been banned here for years. I think from when I was about 8 or so. Somehow, there are always truckloads caught at New Years and the area I live in now has hundreds of the things going off in backyards.
The first year, I nearly cowered under the table, so I sympathise with your dog.
I hope he's recovered.
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