Vets are calling for major retailers to stop selling fireworks due to the distress it causes pets and wildlife.
In an open letter, Dave Leicester, head of video vet at Vets Now, has issued a plea to supermarkets and convenience stores to take immediate action to prevent animals being traumatised and injured on and around bonfire night.
Members of the public can back these calls by signing a change.org petition.
This year, there are fears of an upsurge in unsanctioned garden fireworks displays across the country with the cancellation of large-scale, professional events brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
The RSPCA has estimated that 45% of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks and, with a surge in puppy ownership during lockdown, vets are also concerned that new pet owners might not be aware their pet is scared.
WORRIED
According to a poll carried out by Vets Now of more than 3,400 people, 83% of pet owners support banning the sale of fireworks for private use.
Sainsbury’s decision to ban fireworks in 2019 in all of its 2,300 stores met with an overwhelmingly positive response.
Senior emergency vet Dave Leicester and his team of online emergency vets are bracing themselves to be inundated with calls from worried pet owners in the run-up to bonfire night.
Dave explains in his open letter to retailers: “The dangers fireworks pose to pets, livestock and wildlife is no secret. Every year in our emergency clinics, we see the heart-breaking reality of seemingly-harmless fireworks displays – pets burnt or hit by cars after being spooked, others bolting and going missing, sometimes never to return, self-inflicted, life-changing injuries caused in a moment of panic, and, sadly, also deliberate, malicious firework injuries.
“As organised local fireworks displays are likely to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, more people will look to hold their own private displays using fireworks. This will lead to even greater risk than in previous years.”
