A dog owner from Northumberland is urging caution on Bonfire Night after his dog became so spooked by the fireworks that it ran away and was later killed by a speeding train.
Celebrations for Guy Fawkes Night cause a great deal of distress for pets who are left trembling with fear amid the fireworks.
This was the tragic case of two-year-old Mida, who escaped from her family due to the loud bangs.
Michelle Kennedy, from Berwick-upon-Tweed, was distraught after her father, Michael, left for a walk with their two Bearded Collies but returned only with one.
My dad was walking our two Bearded Collies around 5pm on Bonfire Night, she said.
It was just starting to turn to twilight, so it was not quite dark yet. He thought he would walk the dogs before it became dark and fireworks started.
Unfortunately for Michelles family, the nearby caravan site had begun its display early, with no warning.
She added: Their show was about 100 metres from where my dad was, and both dogs got a fright and ran away
My dad managed to get a hold of Dezzie, but lost Mida. After some two days of searching by the whole community, she was discovered on the train track and had been hit by a train.
The incident happened happened on Bonfire Night in 2017, causing an immense amount of stress for the entire family, who suffer with guilt because of it.
Michele added: The loss was awful for all of us, and especially for my mum and dad.
My mum was extremely upset and still carries the emotional scars with her, while my dad suffers with the guilt of this a lot.
Speaking for her experience, Michelle and her family would like fireworks to be banned for general sale to stop such tragedies from happening.
She insisted they should only be used for big, organised displays, with plenty of advance warning being given to pet owners.
Missing pet data from Petlog, a lost and found pet databases run by The Kennel Club, shows 81% more dogs were reported missing by their owners during the two weeks of November 2023 which saw Bonfire Night and Diwali, compared to the previous two weeks.
Four in five (80%) dog owners notice significant changes in their dog’s behaviour, while a third (30%) say their dog is ‘terrified’ of fireworks, according to new statistics released this week.
Charlotte McNamara, Head of Health at The Kennel Club, urged the government to review legislation to better control the use of fireworks.
She stressed that the element of surprise is a key issue, adding: The unfamiliar sights and sounds of fireworks, including loud bangs, flashes of light and strange vibrations can be really distressing for dogs, as this research shows.
Alongside thousands of dogs showing clear signs of fear during displays, there are also devastating longer-term consequences, with pets going missing and running away.
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