Following the death of a young puppy, a pet owner who is now calling for people to sign a petition against random fireworks.
Susan Patterson says her 18-weeks-old black terrier Molly died of a heart attack caused by the 'loud bangs going off'.
She reported the sad news on a Facebook post that has since been shared almost 70,000 times, according to MEN.
Susan also promoted the FAC (Firework Abatement Campaign) petition campaigning for the prohibition of random fireworks.
She said: "Due to the enormous amount of fireworks with loud bangs going off around Wombwell and lower Darfield last night, we lost a young terrier with a heart attack.
"Please think of the animals. Molly was only 18 weeks old and died of FRIGHT caused by fireworks.
"Please support the FAB Anti Random Fireworks page and sign their petition"
The post has since accumulated 104 comments and 15,000 reactions, causing Susan to later comment: "Thanks for all your comments. We are still trying to make sense of what happened. Dreading the fireworks again tonight."
The Change.org petition has almost 500,000 signatures - and counting.
Extreme noise levels
Julian Doorne, who started the petition, said: "Fireworks can cause serious distress to animals. They don’t only suffer psychologically, but also physically as many attempt to run away from, or hide from, the bangs.
"With extreme noise levels and people being able to let off fireworks any time of year, it’s difficult for those who care for animals to be able to put measures in place to protect their animals.
"I’m calling for an urgent review of firework regulations to further restrict their use, as a step to preventing needless animal suffering."
The admin for the Wombwell wise Facebook group said that they had received almost 200 new applications to join.
People commented on the post saying that they had joined over the sad news of the puppy, while others asked where they can find the petition to sign against fireworks.
Last month Sainsbury's chose to ban the sale of fireworks entirely, while other supermarkets this year are selling 'low-noise' fireworks.
RSPCA advice on keeping pets secure during fireworks
- Give your cat or dog somewhere to hide which they can access at all times - maybe under furniture or in a quiet corner
- Walk dogs during daylight hours and keep dogs and cats indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off
- At nightfall, close windows and curtains - put on calming music such as Classic FM to mask the sound of fireworks
- Make sure your pet can’t escape if there’s a sudden noise, and remember to make sure your pets are microchipped and keep your microchip details up to date
- Never punish your pets when they are scared as this will only make things worse in the long run
- It’s fine to comfort your pet if it helps them relax, or leave them alone unless you think they will harm themselves.
