Puppy dies of heart attack after being frightened by fireworks
Written by News on 05/11/2019
A pet owner says her puppy died of a heart attack after being frightened by fireworks.
Molly, an 18-week-old terrier, “died of fright” due to “loud bangs” going off in the Wombwell and Darfield area in South Yorkshire.
The puppy’s owner, Susan Paterson, posted about the incident on the Facebook group Wombwell Wise.
“Please think of the animals. Molly was only 18 weeks old and died of FRIGHT caused by fireworks,” she wrote.
Ms Paterson later added: “Thanks for all your comments. We are still trying to make sense of what happened. Dreading the fireworks again tonight.
“Molly may be gone but she will never be forgotten and will live on in our hearts.”
The pet owner urged people to sign a petition calling for a review of regulations around fireworks to protect animals.
The petition currently has almost 500,000 signatures.
Another heartbroken pet owner said her rabbit had also been “scared to death” by fireworks.
Donna Pilgrim shared footage of her rabbit, Archie, shaking with fear.
She described how Archie had “let out a squeal and laid on his side” after hearing the bangs and would not stop shaking.
He passed away the following morning.
The RSPCA says it has received 2,285 calls about fireworks since 2014 and is calling for restrictions on the public sale of the products.
A poll carried out by the animal charity found 62% of dog owners said their animal showed signs of distress during the fireworks season, while 54% of cat owners reported the same.
More than three quarters of respondents said fireworks should be restricted to traditional dates.
RSPCA chief veterinary officer Caroline Allen said: “We’re extremely sad to hear of Molly’s death and our thoughts are with her family at this time.
“That’s why the RSPCA is calling for the public sale and use of fireworks to be limited to four specific celebration and festival dates (November 5, December 31, Chinese New Year and Diwali).
“We’re also campaigning for a noise restriction on the maximum level of decibels fireworks can reach and want to see all public fireworks displays licensed and advertised in advance.”
Last month, Sainsbury’s announced it would stop selling fireworks to help protect pets and the elderly.
(c) Sky News 2019: Puppy dies of heart attack after being frightened by fireworks
