A pet dog has reportedly died of a heart attack after a firework display scared them, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Locals set off fireworks in the English village of Knowsley, near Liverpool, yesterday (Jan. 27), and one woman commented “Some fools have let off industrial fireworks near my brother’s place and his neighbor’s dog has had a heart attack and died,” before asking why the government haven’t yet banned them.
Calls For Tighter Firework Restrictions
In the UK, fireworks are legal to buy for over-18s throughout the year. It’s illegal for under-18s to buy fireworks, or for anyone to set them off between 11pm and 7pm. However, the cut-off is midnight on Bonfire Night, and 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year.
It’s no secret that fireworks stress animals out. And as a result, many people and organizations have called for tighter restrictions. A statement from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said, “We’re piling pressure on the Government to bring in tighter controls around fireworks after a number of shocking incidents in which animals were attacked with fireworks or died having been spooked”.
More Tragic Incidents
It’s not the first time a dog has died after firework displays in the UK in recent months, either. In November, veterinarians had to euthanize 12-year-old rescue dog Derry after he suffered a fit on Bonfire Night.
Dog parents Sarah and Mark Frost said that their pooch had internal bleeding after a private display near their home. After hearing a loud noise coming from upstairs, they found the Collie in distress. He lost control of his body, urinated and defecated, and couldn’t walk or move.
They brought Derry downstairs, where he was only able to move his eyes. Tragically, when they brought the dog to the vet they told them they couldn’t do anything to save him. The kindest thing was to euthanize him. “We were devastated,” Sarah said at the time.
