SPCA shares how you can help keep pets safe on Guy Fawkes Day
"The fundamental thing here is that animals can hear a wider range of sound than humans can... the sound of fireworks is seven times louder to them..." - Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
Clarence Ford speaks to Belinda Abraham, SPCA spokesperson.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is calling for a quiet Guy Fawkes night, to protect pets and wildlife as fireworks can cause serious harm to animals.
5 November is Guy Fawkes, stemming from UK history commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Westminster Palace and the Houses of Parliament in 1605. and involves bonfires and fireworks displays.
While the City hasn't legally banned fireworks, the City has mentioned that emergency and law enforcement teams are geared up to intervene, should any dangerous activity occur.
There is a lot the City has done to curb firework activity but there are individuals determined to do what they've always done and set it off, notes Abraham.
'They aren't illegal in Cape Town but having no designated sites makes the discharge thereof... dangerous,' notes Abraham.
"Many people are discharging fireworks in their backyards and neighbourhood streets and I have no idea why because Guy Fawkes is not a South African tradition... it just seems to be an event that's surrounded by hooliganism in general."
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
Considering that animals can hear sounds up to seven times louder than humans, they need to be considered because these loud noises impact and disorientate them, says Abraham.
"The fundamental thing here is that animals can hear a wider range of sound than humans can... the sound of fireworks is seven times louder to them..."
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
"If you think of hearing something like a fire alarm at its peak and you multiply that intensity several times over... and then imagine it as a sudden unexpected noise that would be as startling and distressing as for a dog as a sonic boom or a shock wave would be or large explosion would be to a person.
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
"Of course, for an animal, wild or domestic - their natural response is to flee from the noise and this is where we see horrifically tragic consequences."
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
Abrahams notes the many ways the SPCA has responded to calls about animals in distress on Guy Fawkes Day:
"Dogs have run through glass windows or impaled in fencing trying to get over it or being hanged while running because they were on a chain, some get run over by cars and others get stuck in small spaces... animals like birds and other wildlife fly into buildings, abandon nests leaving their offspring to suffer while getting disorientated while flying - those who aren't rescued will never find their way back home again."
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
"There are other ways to consider celebrating in ways that include those around us and our animal friends."
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
The SPCA shares how you can do your part to help keep animals safe:
- Don’t support illegal fireworks and report them to The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement at 0214807700 (available 24/7).
- Keep pets safe: Ensure they have up-to-date identification, create a secure indoor space, close blinds, and mask outside sounds with the TV or radio. Feed them early and provide enrichment like a stuffed Kong or calming products from your vet.
- Be there for them—older pets can develop new fears with age, so comfort them and keep them reassured.