PETA Offers Tips To Keep Cats And Dogs Safe On Bonfire Night

For Immediate Release:
20 October 2009

Contact:
Sam Glover 020 7357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]

London – To dogs, cats and other animals, Bonfire Night might seem more like War of the Worlds than a traditional celebration. Noisy fireworks displays are frightening to animals, who don’t realise that the explosions are entertainment, not danger.

After fireworks displays, animal shelters worldwide report an increase in calls about distressed and injured animals. Forty-nine per cent of dog guardians questioned by the RSPCA said their dogs are frightened by loud noises. Many animals panic and jump over fences or out of 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 die in their attempts to escape the noise. Many dogs and other animals are taken to animal shelters with bloody paws from running, torn skin from breaking through wooden fences or other injuries from dashing into the road and getting 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 outside – they can hang themselves if they leap over a fence while trying to run from the noise.
– Close your windows and curtains. Turn on the TV or a radio which is tuned to a classical music station to help drown out the sound of the fireworks.
– Make sure that your animal companion is microchipped and wearing a collar or harness with an updated identification tag – just in case.

For more information on what you can do to help animals, please visit PETA.org.uk.