Fireworks
Public Notice
Queen's Birthday Long Weekend
RSPCA opening hours:
Friday 5 June: 9am - 5pm
Saturday 6 June: 9am - 10pm
Sunday 7 June: 9am - 10pm
Monday 8 June: 9am - 4pm
Phone: 1300 477 722
12 Kirkpatrick Street Weston
Domestic Animal Services opening hours:
Friday 5 June: 9am - 10:30pm
Saturday 6 June: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 7 June: 10am - 2pm (lost and found dogs only)
Monday 8 June: 10am - 2pm (lost and found dogs only)
Phone: 6207 2424
After Hours: 132281
Mugga Lane Symonston
Advice for taking care of your pets around firecrackers this weekend.
Please continue to read beyond the 'Caged Birds' section for further detailed advice on keeping your pets safe and happy this weekend.
Dogs
- Exercise and feed your dog prior to nightfall, a well fed and tired dog is less likely to stress or injure themselves trying to escape.
- Dogs should be contained in the house or outdoor enclosure, prior to nightfall, with all possible exits blocked, including windows.
- If you have to be away from your animals during firework activity, provide a safe space indoors with chew toys, bones and their normal bedding. You can also leave a radio on to give comfort.
- Ensure your pet is registered, which is the law for dogs.
- Ensure that your pet has identification of some form, which is the law in the ACT.
- If you know your pet suffers from firework stress and you can't stay with your animal, organise a 'dog sitter' or enquire about medication from your vet
Cats
- Cats generally will try and go underground and enter places such as drains at the first sign of fireworks.
- All cats should be brought indoors at nightfall regardless of firework activity, especially during such events as those being held this weekend.
- You should feed your cats before nightfall.
- Ensure that your pet has identification of some form, which is the law in the ACT.
Horses
- Some horses suffer from firework phobia and should be housed away from activity, exercised and fed during daylight hours.
- In extreme cases veterinary help should be sought.
Caged Birds
- Caged birds should be brought inside with their cages covered.
- In outdoor aviaries confine birds to smaller areas and cover with thick rugs/blankets, leaving space for air circulation.
Keeping your pet safe during the Queen's Birthday long weekend
The Queen's Birthday long weekend can be a very stressful time for your pet. Every year, many pets end up at the pound or at the RSPCA shelter after having escaped from their yards in a panic at the noise of firecrackers.
The peak of the firework activity should occur between 5pm and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7. These are the times when you should be most vigilant about assuring your pet's safety. However, as we all know there are fireworks that go off outside those legal times, so it is advisable to be ready and proactive throughout the weekend and the following days/weeks.
Here are a number of measures that you can easily take to assure your pet's safety and reduce its stress:
- Keep your pet inside your house, even if your pet is normally an outside pet. Even if your pet (dogs especially) doesn't normally jump over your fence or dig underneath it, once exposed to the loud noise of fireworks it might panic and be successful in escaping. It will then be vulnerable to being hit by a car or getting lost.
- In your house, provide your pet with a place where it can hide if it wants to. This can be a mat, a perch or box on an elevated surface (for cats), or a kennel (for dogs). If your pet decides to retire to this hiding hole, just let it be. Cajoling your pet and trying to appease its fear might warrant your pet into thinking that there really is something to worry about.
- It is recommended to block your pet's view of the outdoors by bringing down the blinds or by shutting the curtains. Even more importantly, put on some music, turn on the radio, or use your washing machine to create noise that might cover the noise of the fireworks. If your pet is allowed to roam in your entire house, then put on several sources of noise so that there is background noise in every room.
- Keep your family busy during the peak time of the firework activity, and act as you would normally: prepare dinner, eat, play with the kids, watch television. The less fuss you make around the fireworks, the better. This will convey to your pet that there is nothing much to worry about.
- Playing with your pet is likely to help make it feel more relaxed. If your pet is not overly stressed by the noises of fireworks, you might be able to engage it in fetching or chasing toys, or (for dogs) tugging on toys. Some pets are too stressed to play so this may or may not work, depending on the animal.
- If you are unable to play with your pet because you are away or busy, then provide it with things to do on its own. For a dog, this might involve giving it a bone or rawhide chew, a Kong™ stuffed with frozen food, or a treat-dispensing ball. For a cat, this might be some furry or feathery toy to chase, balls (paper balls make great toys!) or woollen items to toss around.
We wish you and your pet a safe and happy long weekend.
RSPCA ACT Media Release
1 June 2009
RSPCA ACT is urging all pet owners to ensure their pets are microchipped and updated address details are on file in the lead up to this weekend's firework activity.
CEO Michael Linke said that while this was just one of several simple precautions animal owners could take to avoid the heartbreak of losing a beloved member of the family the message didn't always seem to get through. "Every year animals turn up at our shelter lost and terrified. People really need to put themselves in the place of their pets, and try to understand the sheer blind terror that fireworks can inspire," he explained. "Let's hope this year is the last. It is unreasonable to expect pet owners to endure continuing illegal firework activity, something all too common at this time of year."
"Generally animals' senses are so much more advanced than ours, and on cracker nights all they hear and see are incredibly loud bangs and blindingly bright flashes with no understanding of what it all means."
He said most animal owners take responsibility and make every effort to minimise the distress experienced by their pets and follow some basic steps. However others don't and sometimes the extent of the activity beyond the sanctioned times is just too much to bear.
"It really is common sense. Animals not confined indoors or in stables or outbuildings may panic and run. This can lead to severe injury, even death, particularly if they run onto the road to be hit by a car.
"By making it easy for organisations like the RSPCA to identify animals through microchipping and collar tags, owners and animals can be reunited so much more quickly … literally in hours, not days or weeks.
"Ideally owners should stay home with pets, but if that's not possible, they should place the animal in a quiet room surrounded by their favourite toys, and possibly items holding the owner's scent, with a radio playing quietly in the background. Some dogs benefit from a long walk earlier in the day followed by a good, hearty meal. A tired, well-fed dog is more likely to sleep during firework activity."
For horses and other livestock, he said removing them to a safer location was best or alternatively keeping them securely stabled. Smaller animals like birds and rabbits, should be brought inside or have cages covered with a thick blanket to muffle sounds, ensuring it doesn't inhibit access to fresh air.
"We also cannot stress enough how important it is that animals are not tethered. Panicked animals can injure or even choke themselves in an effort to get away," Mr Linke said.
He said that if owners were aware that their animals were extra sensitive to events like fireworks and exhibited extreme stress, they should speak to their vet about medication to ease the animal's anxiety.
