A beloved dog who helped her owner in his battle with cancer has died after being 'scared to death' by loud fireworks being set off on Bonfire Night in East Kilbride.
7-year-old whippet Mikka, from Lindsayfield, sadly passed away early on Friday morning after her heart stopped, with the noise of the fireworks outside having left her "in such a mess with nerves".
The devastating news was shared by Claire Nicolson, a friend of Mikka's family, who runs the 'Lost Dogs In East Kilbride' Facebook page.
Claire told the East Kilbride News: “Mikka was in such a state on Bonfire night. The fireworks were so loud, she was in such a mess with nerves and her wee heart just stopped.
“She died the following morning. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. For a dog to die like that, it’s devastating.
“Through the Facebook community, we are aware of a number of dogs across the country that have died as a result of heart attacks caused by the fear and stress fireworks cause. Something has to be done to limit the impact they have on pets, animals and even communities.”
Unfortunately, Claire said that Mikka wasn't the only dog - or animal - in the local area that left in a terrible state as a result of the distress caused by last week's fireworks.
She said: “It’s not just Mikka, there are so many dogs locally we know about that were left in a terrible, terrible state as a result of fireworks last week.
“People have shared pictures and videos with us and to see the state these beautiful animals are left in – it’s just cruel and unfair. And it’s not just dogs; it’s cats, horses, rabbits and wild animals, too.
“Ultimately this year, due to COVID-19, obviously all public firework events have been cancelled, meaning that there were a lot more carried out by members of the public.
“In some streets in East Kilbride there were five and six different houses setting off fireworks at a time.
“That is too intense for animals.
“It’s a constant noise and bang, or flash of light that these poor animals are having to deal with. I know so many dog and pet owners who have said that their pet has really struggled this year.”
And she is calling for the Scottish Government to issue stricter rules surrounding the sale of fireworks to try and help prevent other dogs from suffering the same terrible fate as Mikka.
She said: “Introducing licensing via local authorities would help protect vulnerable people and animals from the distress and anxiety caused by unexpected firework noise and pollution.
“I really urge everyone to be more cautious and thoughtful going forward.
“We need to raise awareness, we can’t continue to have these devastating outcomes.”
