Fireworks: An explosion of fear for animals…

Popkei, a beautiful Friesian horse, had been poorly for a while, and was diagnosed early 2019 with heart failure. Despite vets saying he could pass away at any moment, he loved life, soldiered on, and would run out to the field most mornings with his best friend, Shandy (pictured with him above).

Tragically, over the weekend of bonfire night, after consecutive evenings of fireworks in the area at all hours, the stress took its toll on Popkei. His heart didn’t cope as well as it should have, and on 5th November 2019, we tragically had to say goodbye to our beloved boy. We want Popkei’s tragic story to reiterate the importance of not setting fireworks off near animals. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence if:

An act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer

He knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the act, or failure to act, would have that effect or be likely to do so

The animal is a protected animal, and

The suffering is unnecessary.

If found guilty, this offence can carry a fine of up to £20,000 and/or a prison term of up to six months.

And it’s not just livestock who suffer – thousands of animals up and down the country are petrified of the loud explosions, including dogs and cats, plus of course our native wildlife. We are urging people to reconsider setting fireworks off in their gardens, and to instead attend displays that comply with the laws and are less likely to be in close proximity to animals. Please do also choose a regulated display that puts animals first and foremost. It seems ludicrous to us that any local or national attraction that has animals on site, would also host a firework display…