SEC-S14/W5 - Say no to fireworks. For the sake of pleasant company, don't ask questions and never criticize...

^{Romeo, our Border Collie}

Midnight, December 31, 2023!

Millions of people will be watching the magnificent art of fireworks displays that will be put together and broadcast on television all over the world.

When we think about these displays, we think:

• Dubai’s Burj Khalifa
• Sydney’s Harbour
• Paris’ Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe
• London’s River Thames
• Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro
• Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana

And in South Africa, we think about the beautiful City of Cape Town with the majestic Table Mountain.

Cape Town has been in the news for the last few weeks. Their permit to host a fireworks display at the Cape Town harbor on December 31, 2023, was retracted after numerous appeals from residents and animal activists were received against the show.

The City of Cape Town took it further and lodged an appeal in the High Court of South Africa against this ruling.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is known as the SPCA in South Africa, also handed in a report of 29 different experts who gave their opinions about fireworks and the devastating effect they have on pets and wild life.

Unfortunately, the high court ruled in favor of Cape Town on Friday, and a five-minute firework display will be allowed. The main reason was that the city has already spent more than 150,000 STEEM to host the show, and "the commercial benefits outweighed the environmental impact." What a shame!

Do we use fireworks during the year-end holidays?

The answer is NO.. NO… and NO!

This is, however, not the answer that neighbors and festive holidaymakers will give you.

Ballito, where I live, is a popular holiday destination for thousands of holidaymakers during the month of December. These visitors don’t care, as they are not living here. They are here for a good time, and that includes the firing of fireworks.

Our dogs and their behavior when there is a lot of noise

As I am sitting here writing this post, we have the dogs inside the house as fireworks are going off outside. They were going crazy earlier on.

We have two border collies, and the female nearly ran through the glass sliding door when the first bang noise was heard.

It breaks my heart to see them like this.

We had a lot of rain the last couple of weeks, and one evening there was lots of lightning and thunder. When the first thunder struck, the two of them came running into the house, both jumping onto my lap where I was sitting in the lounge.

Their behavior changes completely when there is a loud noise. They are restless, and they would even urinate in the house though they are well house-trained.

Have I seen any negative effects of the use of fireworks on animals?

Believe it or not, fireworks can have negative effects on people, animals, and wild life.

From our experience as dog owners, it is not the flashing lights that scare our dogs, but the load bangs. It is these bangs that make our dogs react completely out of their nature.

Loud bangs or noises can cause:
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Stress and
• Physical injuries

I have heard of numerous incidents where animals got so scared that they ran from familiar places to unfamiliar places where they could be lost.

In fact, let me show you some of the WhatsApp messages we’ve received in the last few days.

This year, during Diwali, we had a lady who left her neighborhood and stayed in our self-catering apartment so that she could take her dogs away from the Indian community in which she is living. Her one dog starts biting himself when he hears and sees fireworks.

Say no to fireworks for the sake of the animals, because they will suffer

Amidst the joyous festivities, there is a darker side to the explosive sounds and bright flashes of fireworks, and that is the terrible impact on animals. It is our duty to say NO to fireworks.

Gauthami Shankar, who is an eco-activist, started a petition way back in 2018 against fireworks. He wrote the following:

"I would request everyone to step back, take a look at the harm your causing. Fire a sparkler or two, meet your near and dear ones and please try keeping the noise levels at the lowest and carbon footprint at its minimum."

It doesn’t take a lot to comply, does it? The little it takes starts by YOU!

Say no to fireworks. For the sake of pleasant company, don't ask questions and never criticize.

^{The images are my own}

^{Poster created in Canva in aid of saying NO to fireworks}

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