Dog scared to death by fireworks from Bonfire night celebrations

The RSPCA estimates that 62 per cent of dogs, 54 per cent of cats and 55 per cent of horses show signs of distress during firework displays

Fireworks in London on Bonfire night, 2021 (Getty Images)

A 10-year-old Labrador-Staffie cross was so startled by fireworks from a bonfire night display in Hemlington, North Yorkshire that he died, it is reported.

Owners Judith and Malcolm Watson, took to social media to grieve their loss and raise awareness around the dangerous impact that fireworks can have on dogs.

“Just after 6pm one almighty loud and quite near bang literally scared our boy to death,” Ms Watson wrote after Friday night’s display.

She said that Dexter was startled, and he immediately ran into the bathroom where he collapsed.

“It was so quick and there was nothing I could do to bring him back.”

She called for fireworks to be banned, and said that those who let off fireworks were “senseless” and “selfish”.

Dexter is not alone in suffering serious distress related to firework displays. Over the past five years, the RSPCA says that they have received 1,621 calls about fireworks and their effects on animals, noting that 62 per cent of dogs, 54 per cent of cats and 55 per cent of horses show signs of distress during the pyrotechnic displays.

Pets often seek safe spaces when they feel threatened, often ending up in a corner or under a bed (AFP via Getty Images)

These signs of distress are displayed through cowering, hiding, shaking, and even running away, as many animals seek out a safe space when they feel threatened, the organisation says. In drastic scenarios, this stress can lead to seizures and cardiac arrest.

Pet owners and charities have escalated their concerns about the impact of the Bonfire night celebrations into a petition, calling on the government to review fireworks rules and better protect animals. More specifically, it called on the government to limit the sale and use of fireworks to displays only, by introducing licensing through local authorities.

The petition garnered 301,610 signatures and was debated in Parliament on Monday night.

Conservative MP Elliot Colburn said that while he was “torn” on the issue, he called petitioners’ arguments “incredibly persuasive”.

“For example, my dog, Willow … is absolutely terrified of fireworks, and indeed she spent most of Saturday night cowering in a corner, hiding.

“They can also be incredibly distressing for people living with autism, [and] for veterans who are suffering from PTSD.”

But Paul Scully, the minister for small business, outlined why the government does not support a ban on the use and sale of fireworks.

“Banning fireworks could have significant and adverse unintended consequences for public safety,” he said, “in particular perpetuating the emergence of a black market of illicit fireworks.”

The matter now lies with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which will decide whether any changes will be proposed to the current laws around fireworks, which permit public use of fireworks for 16 hours a day, every day of the year.

A separate petition to better protect animals from injury and distress related to firework displays is currently live on Change.org; to date, more than 886,000 people, including Ms Watson, have signed it.