I am going to write to both my local Councillor and my MP, and would urge you all to do the same, asking for their support in having the sale of fireworks banned both prior to the 5th November and 'on offer' .... they are way too readily available and are being bought, and let off, by people who have no clue what they are doing, people who have often had a drink.

This evening, before 5:30pm, two were let off, practically outside our front door, and it sounded like two bombs going off ... Bootsie is still shaking. I know the vets are willing to give something to calm our dogs, but it's not just the 5th of November any more, it's AT LEAST a two week stretch. Once tomorrow is over, doubtless the supermarkets, and shops, who are selling them 'BOGOF' at present will be selling them even cheaper to get rid of their stocks ...

I CANNOT STAND seeing Bootsie so distressed - he doesn't understand what's going on, and I know many of you feel the same.

Fireworks are fine as part of an organised display, once a year, on the 5th November but that should be it. Personally, I would rather they were completely banned.

PLEASE let's not have to go through another year like this.

I am going to see what I can find by way of an online petition as, I understand, that if a certain number of people register complaints online then the Government are obliged to act. I will post again when I have more details.

Meantime, stay safe everybody ....

Susan.

Hi susan, cannot agree more!!!!! I had to give missy meds last year and tonite again, my stomach is doing somersaults at the thought of it. i would normally just not give them but she gets sooo stressed and trys to find the smallest corner and her fur actually stands on end, bloody ridiculous to put her through this. Anyway, meds it will be as this seems more humane than having her absolutely petrified.
Hope you find the petition, i think its under E petitions but not sure.
Hope bootsie is okay tonite and all the other poor frightened dogs. For some reason pancho doesnt even lift his head, thank goodness.

Glad when this month is over xxx
Mary

Have tried e-petitions, and there was one there but it closed on 29th October, and was not accepted by the Government

Will keep looking, and if I can't find anything I'm going to start one myself.

Like you, my tummy is doing somersaults ... Bootsie spent most of last night panting, shaking and pacing - it's HORRIBLE

Big cuddles to Missy & Pancho - will be thinking about you all tonight - you'll probably be able to hear our TV from up the road !!!!!!!

Love,
Susan xx

If you carried explosives and set them off any other day of the year you'd probably get arrested and charged with terrorism offences...

Well said Steve.

This has been the night from hell .... I HONESTLY thought that Bootsie was going to end up having a heart attack - from 5pm until 9pm his heart was thumping, he was panting, pacing and shaking This has been the worst year yet.

Thinking of all the poor domestic animals who have been terrorised tonight.

Mary - how are you getting on?

Susan xx

Found a live one! It finishes tomorrow though so sign quickly and get sharing. Hope the dogs have calmed down now. Raven was a bit nervy but it's our town display on Friday so not over yet

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56569

My dogs seem to cope remarkably well, we never leave them alone and I took them for a long walk this evening early because I knew we wouldn't go later, just for a pee in the garden, I feel really sorry for those darlings who take it really hard, I can clearly imagine what it is like for them, I did get an anxiety attack and had to take medication and go to lie down. I feel like under air strike.

Well done Wendy, thanks ... will sign now.

Glad to report that Bootsie is now sleeping peacefully .... it's just SO unfair Even with us remaining calm, and acting as if nothing was wrong, he was just so distressed and we HATE seeing him like that - it's the only thing that bothers him. Watch out for a tirade from the Rover Reporter in the next Newsletter!

Hope everybody else ok.

Susan x

Poor you Monika .... hope you feel better now. It's not just our dogs who are affected

Susan, Mo & Bootsie x

Well found, Wendy. I have added my name to the petition.

Kitty wasn't too bad on the whole, but was certainly not particularly happy, and was very clingy all evening. She did not want to stay in the garden to do her business after her tea (even though I took her out at a quiet time), but did both poo and pee on the hall carpet just a few moments after we came back indoors, something that hasn't happened for 8 months now as she quickly mastered her house training. She is back to her normal happy self today though, so obviously did not suffer as much as some.

I do hope that all those of you who have been so severely affected (both animal and human) will soon be feeling fine again!

Best wishes, Jo

I am just distraught.

I accompanied my hounds into the back garden at 5.30 pm when the first firework of the night went off at the back of my house, my hound screamed, scaled my six foot fence and bolted for her life with me following in the car. It took 15 minutes to find her 3 miles away where she had ran headlong into a moving car on a rural road. I rushed her to the vet but whilst her heart and lungs were strong she was unresponsive and had to be put to sleep.

This was a little saluki girl that was dumped four months ago (when she was nine months old)malnourished, a skin fungal infection, weak and chronic conjunctivitis and just as she got her lease for life back, her life ended ...how many more pets/people have to be injured or killed before action is taken, it is beyond belief!

Oh Anji,

I am SO sorry to hear about your hound

You gave her her life back, only for some idiot to end it having a bit of so-called 'fun' ... this HAS to be stopped.

Thinking about you at this sad time.

Susan, Mo & Bootsie xxx

Mo and I have both signed - the petition closes today (Thursday) at 15:23, so PLEASE sign if you can ....

Susan x

Anji,
I'm so sorry to hear of this and lost for words - how tragic, and all the worse for being so sudden. I expect the car driver is also traumatised.
And all this in the name of fun. If people knew how much stress fireworks cause to animals, I think they would be much more likely to restrict them to organised events. Why are big organisations that have muscle, like the RSPCA/SSPCA, Dogs Trust, and RGT not mounting really effective campaigns?
My hounds are indifferent, and we don't get much firework noise, but Mike's Jack Russell, Charlie, is petrified.
How on earth do you manage at Baltree, Celia and Jimmy? Are you far enough away that the noise doesn't upset them?
Stress caused by fireworks is one thing but a directly related death is quite another. The big animal welfare organisations need to make a consolidated approach to impose new legislation on fireworks. I shall be contacting them in my small way.

Well what a night my poor Missy medicated, me panicking and stressed to max over it, horrible horrible night. Ended up with 2 greyhounds sleeping with me last night, Missy under the covers with me and Pancho on end of bed.
On FB the Love Black greyhounds group were all posting up furiously, so many stressed greys and humans.
They have all said they will sign your petition Susan if you get one going.

poor Bootsie heres hoping theyre damp squibs tonite withall the rain xx
Mary

So sad to hear this Anji, thinking of you, what a horrible experience x XXHUGSXX
Mary

OMG - this is terrible - how awful to lose a pet this way. Found out on the internet that there are still many more "parties" being held this weekend. I have tried just about every "remedy" going but haven't found anything that truly works. The only relief poor Annie and my collie got was when they got older and their hearing failed. Never seen the attraction in this and it's not as if it's even a Scottish tradition! I doubt anything can ever be done to stop it so we will all have to do the best we can to protect our babies from this torment. Got the New Year celebrations to look forward to as well......

Omg poor dog im so sorry to hear of that ladys loss of her dog , the goverment dont give a toss about anything they are a waste of space , im lucky my baby willow doesnt bother with them thank god its more the cat that is stressed out my thoughts are with you all gill xxx

Oh well, they've started again ..... 5pm seems to be the time it all begins in Rosyth

Will definitely get something going .... the problem is that this time next week a lot of people will have forgotten the horrors of the fireworks - obviously not those such as poor Anji, who has lost her beloved hound, or those of us who have dogs who get stressed beyond belief.

Thanks Mary, and hugs to Pancho & Missy.

Susan, Mo & Bootsie (who is currently doing a rain dance ...) xxx

Anji, I'm so so sorry to hear that. Truly awful.

Susan, if you start another I'll help push it on Social Media. Quicker these are banned from general sale the better. Wish I'd found that one a lot earlier.

Thanks Wendy - as I say, it is 'easy' to forget about the horror of the past days come next week, and it would be good to get something started now in order that we, hopefully, don't have to go through this for another year.

Have just read, in today's Daily Mail, that In the Republic of Ireland fireworks are illegal for anything other than officially licensed displays ... why can we not have this same rule ???

Susan x

That is terrible Anji, absolutely horrible, my friend lost her galgo girl when visiting her family at Christmas last year, she lives in Germany where they also have some legislation against fireworks but there is none in the Czech republic, the girl got a fright, run out and got run over by a car. Really sad.

Thank you everyone for your comments.

I have tangles myself up in knots with so many 'if only's' but it is never going to change the outcome.

I still have two hounds here at home and I will get Little Lady's ashes back tomorrow so she will be home forever. Never have I been so panic stricken, distressed and overcome as the moment she jumped my fence but the only consolation is that the guy she ran into cared enough to stay with her, keep her warm and consoled her until i found her so she was never alone ....I would have spent night and day searching for her if i needed to.

I hope all your hounds have calmed down, I know for me there was a second night of fireworks tonight and my hounds were in distress and I hate to think about all the cattle etc in the fields, how must they feel?

There is a guide on the following link which i am going to try prior to New Year, never do I want to experience what i went through last night again.

/C:/Users/a/Downloads/Fireworks%20frighten%20animals%20(1).pdf

Hi Anji

So sorry to hear about what happens to your wee girl. You are in our thoughts.

I agree fireworks should be banned from general sale in this day and age. They cause so much distress to out 4 legged friends.

Elaine & Steve xx

My baby girl is home again where she belongs, which brings a slight sense of relief.

I'm so sorry to hear your loss Anji - how horrific for you. Hope you're managing to remember the good times you had together. My dog starts to shake as soon as dark falls now in anticipation- hate fireworks! Best wishes Fiona, Charlotte and Stanley x

Bootsie is the same Fiona ... the bangs have just started here again tonight ... WHEN will they stop ?!? I know there are a few organised displays tomorrow but SURELY that will be the end of it ... she says hopefully.

Susan x

Fly and John, my lurcher and greyhound won't go out in the dark either now.

I was in Asda today who are selling of their remaining fireworks on offer and I had a go at the woman, couldn't help myself ...at least remove them from the shelves after the 5th so as not to prolong the misery for all our pets.

One of my not so far away neighbours collie whilst on a walk last night, slipped his collar and bolted after they started setting them off again but luckily for them he hid out in a garden and was found but both his dew claws were missing.

I hope all your hounds are a bit calmer tonight.

Anji,

It is so kind of you to think of our hounds, when you have lost one of yours ~ thank you.

I can't blame you - I would have done exactly the same, in fact I have come very close to saying something on several occasions since the middle of last month.

Something HAS to be done ~ no-one else should ever have to go through what you have.

Our thoughts are with you,
Susan, Mo & Bootsie xxx

Hi Anji.
We are so very, very sorry to hear what happened.
Fireworks are a curse.
They turn so many laid back dogs into quivering wrecks and they don't get over it easily.
We are lucky at Baltree being away out in the country. Only very distant noises are heard.
Anji - please just think on the good life that you gave the wee girl. We know that you have done this several times. We also know that this won't put you off rescuing another doggie. You are that kind of person.
Our hearts go out to you.
Run free far from noises now little girl.
Celia and Jimmy.