Protect your pets from fireworks

Sathva Mithra yesterday reminded everybody to be thoughtful of animals when the New Year is ushered with a burst of crackers.

Dogs, in particular, suffer due to this blast of crackers which lasts for some time. Dog owners must take special care to protect their pets at the dawn of the New Year, by keeping them safe and indoors.

They must not be kept outside, even in the garden, because they will be frightened by the bang and attempt to get away in panic, which they often do, even through a drain or small opening in a fence, Sathva Mithra said.

It added: “Most dogs that flee in fright meet with the fate of getting hit and run over by vehicles on the roads, whilst others fall prey to dog thieves who are on the look out for well-cared-for pet dogs on the run.

Pet owners should not leave their dogs alone and unattended in their homes if they want them to be safe.

It is not too much to expect that pet owners will take this precaution to protect their loving and faithful friends. If you do not have pet dogs, we urge you to be thoughtful of the dogs in the neighbourhood equally at risk of being traumatised by the blast at the dawn of the New Year.”