Fireworks

 Someone in the village has been letting fireworks off tonight.
I found Dorothy with her head pushed next to the Thermal store tank in the airing cupboard shaking uncontrollably.
Strangely Albert was sat with her in a brief and unexpected moment of solidarity 
I managed to extricate her and hid her behind me in my arm chair until she stopped shaking Violently 
She is now lying between my feet
Alert and wide eyed but calmer


51 comments:

  1. The silent fireworks haven't really caught on yet. Poor Dorothy. Elsie just barks.

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  2. Hate the bloody things. A neighbour lost a horse due to fireworks. It couldnt cope. I sign all the petitions to stop them but the idiots still let them off. Poor Dorothy. Tomorrow Classic FM are doing an evening for pets playing calming music.

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    1. The ponies are fine, I’ve been out to check . Winnie , Albert and Mary are good too
      It’s just Dorothy

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  3. Two of our five dogs are petrified of thunderstorms and fireworks. Fireworks are only legal here in our area of New York State twice a year, but it seems the police don't enforce it. Poor sweet Dorothy!

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    1. She’s better now , it’s been an hour

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  4. Same here, everyone has decided to have their party a day early.

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  5. Anonymous10:25 pm

    A product called Thunder shirt kept my dog calm though fireworks, loud storms,etc. Just something to keep in mind of she doesn't outgrow the fear.-Mary

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  6. i hope they were celebrating a biden win.

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  7. There had been a barrage of explosions all evening, two cats and one dog finally recovering after quivering for three hours.....

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  8. My lily shakes too and hides under a desk in the small bedroom-loud music seems to help a bit x

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  9. I've caught up with reading you at last. Glad your isolation is almost over. Dorothy? Did someone badly mistreat her at sometime? Would she have been born that anxiety ridden?

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  10. Our Rita Mae reacts the exact same to fireworks, thunderstorms, and any loud noises - shaking, crying, and inconsolable. It pains me that I can’t calm or soothe her. We just hug her close and reassure her with pets and kisses. I’m glad Dorothy is better.

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  11. Glad she's okay now. That Albert is such a sweetie.

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  12. my cats HATE fireworks, as do I. they sound like gunshots. we have enough damn gun problems over here without fireworks.

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  13. My childhood enjoyment of fireworks was always spoilt by worrying about animals' fear of them.

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  14. Poor girl. Why do people have such a fixation on fireworks anyway? The last few years here, it seems no occasion is too unimportant to skip them.

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  15. I think animals who are rescued never forget their gratitude to you. Unfortunately PTSD is forever in most cases. I am glad she has you.

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  16. Fireworks? Must have been an American Democrat.

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    1. Now that's strange conclusion ~ signed, an American Democrat

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  17. Barbara Anne1:06 am

    Poor, sweet Dorothy. I'm glad to see her tucked safely between your feet, John. Our first dog (1974) hated thunder and fireworks and would hide in the bathtub until the world was quiet again. When neighbors here shot off fireworks, the cats would crouch in DH's shoes!

    The count in the US isn't over yet so hope remains!

    Hugs!

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  18. I feel sorry that Dorothy was so frightened of the fireworks. It was good that you were there to make her feel safe.Fuzzy Pom wasn't afraid of them for very long. We had just gotten him as a puppy years ago around Independence Day and when fireworks were being shot off we laughed and cheered and clapped our hands like Fuzzy had done something funny. We did the same thing with lightning and thunderstorms and I think that helped him not be afraid. Now that he is deaf, he is completely unaware of them unless he can see them light up outside the window. Then he wags his tail about the bright lights.

    Here in the Midwest USA in our neighborhood, we now hear fireworks from mid June all of the way until the end of July, and then for several days around New Years Eve. Where we live we also often hear the sound of illegal gunshots. It is crazy, and is a fairly recent thing within the last 5 years or so. Some of the fireworks actually sound like bombs and make me jump. In our middle class neighborhood there are many ex-military people who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some of them have PTSD issues with the sound of fireworks explosions. The weeks on end of loud, obnoxious fireworks blasting at any time of day or night need to be regulated by some enforced laws, but around here, they aren't. It seems like people are losing their common sense in our country.

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  19. Anonymous4:08 am

    The democrats have won and now they are going to take away all the wealth the boomers accumulated over their lives with high taxes and cutting SS, and are going to destroy your white suburban neighborhoods with low income housing. Everything you boomers spent your entire lives working for is now going to be destroyed. And you deserve this for selling out your own children's futures. You are feeling hopeless right now? Congratulations, this is how your children have felt for the past 20 years. Your karma is coming, boomers!

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    1. Oh, pul-eeze. [eye roll] Somebody's been following the Talking Yam's twitter feed too much.

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  20. Our last dog, Bok, was petrified by fireworks. Our new dog, Billy, doesn't even flinch. It's not going to be a good night for a lot of dogs, loud bangs can be fun, but people can have just as much fun with the 'pretty' ones.

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  21. Poor Dorothy. That depth of fear aroused can't be easily overcome, so comforting her until it's over is the best you can do. I feel so sorry for the animals spooked by fireworks, and really frustrated that governments won't ban private sale and distribution. WHY EVER NOT??? It's such a logical thing to do.

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  22. Oh, thats too bad Dorothy is subjected tonthat noise.

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  23. I think there will be more random 'at home' fireworks this year as there are no organised displays. It's so cruel for pets, livestock and wild animals.

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  24. Poor thing hope she's ok. I loved fireworks as a child but they where so much smaller not display grade. I'm thinking an all out ban, especially now our alert level is severe, basically you can buy mini bombs, how bloody stupid is that. Oh yes my dog hates fireworks but doesn't mind shotguns.

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  25. Poor dear girl, I hope being bundled with you helped her.

    I love to see fireworks - but only in ‘proper’ displays. I wish they were banned for home use.

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  26. Oh poor Dorothy during the years we only had one dog who was bothered by fireworks and thunder I always sat with her all night if need be. We had an incident last week where a fire cracker ended up going through a window and singing an 80 year old ladies hair who was
    sleeping.

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  27. Poor, dear little Dottie; she's breaking our hearts. Hope for her sake and that of ALL animals around tonight will be much quieter, though I fear it likely won't be. :-(

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  28. When I was a child firework night lasted one night , now it seems to last a fortnight . I do not agree with people being able to buy fireworks I believe it should just be organized events .

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  29. Anonymous8:37 am

    Hi John,

    Our much loved chihuahua, Cindy, was a rescue dog who was terrified of fireworks. She'd been put in a binbag and thrown from a car when she was a tiny puppy and she couldn't tolerate the sound of fireworks, shooting and thunder. We tried everything to keep her calm and then we found the only thing that worked was to take her in the car and drive for hours with the Classical Music channel playing - it always calmed her!! Latterly, we used to hire a cottage in a tiny hamlet in the countryside where there were no fireworks at all and we would spend a blissfully quiet week and she wasn't aware that it was Bonfire Night at all!!! have you tried one of those plug in things that are supposed to emit some sort of calming aroma? I doubt if they work, but anything is worth a try. All best wishes to you and your gang, Stay safe,
    Love
    Kim
    xxxxx

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  30. My dog is petrified of the bangs, too. Living half a mile from the Safari Park where they normally have a two night Firework Spectacular (their vets say it doesn't worry the animals, though the RSPCA don't agree...) one thing to thank Covid for is that this year they can't have it!

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  31. Poor Dorothy! We had fireworks in our neighborhood over the past few nights but Olga is weirdly immune to them. She perks up a bit but doesn't seem to get scared.

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  32. Poor thing. I had a friend whose dog would cower under the sofa (where he barely fit) during fireworks. Cruelty to animals.

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  33. Joan (Devon)10:27 am

    Our first dog, Bonnie didn't bother about fireworks, in fact she was happy to go for a walk when they were all going off. Our four dogs after Bonnie, (three were rescued) behaved as any other dog by coming to us for reassurance etc, but our current dog, Grouse, (we didn't name him as he was rescued too) is terrible with any loud bangs in daylight as well as night-time. It could even be someone banging a car door shut that makes him fearful even though he saw the person closing the door. We live out in the country so at certain times during the year there is shooting and that sends him into a panic as well as fireworks. He visibly shakes with fear. We have our suspicions as to why, going by where he cam from.

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  34. Poor Dorothy, I know what it's like to have a dog that is absolutely petrified, Rosy our Jack Russell was just the same.

    Suky though really doesn't bother so I don't have to worry about her at all. In fact she loves to stand and watch fireworks. It must be lovely to have the mentality that nothing in the world is ever going to hurt you.

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  35. Next year you will have to get Dorothy some earmuffs - perhaps made from squirrel fur.

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  36. We've had them the last few nights and the cat's are scared witless by them. Poor dorothy. Have you seen 'Vancityvanlife' on youtube John, he is a van dweller had has a bulldog. You may like to take a look.
    Briony
    x

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  37. the dogs name is cruise.

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  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5V2OGmVFIw&ab_channel=VANCITYVANLIFE

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  39. Like you I spent over an hour trying to calm my poor old dog Molly. Today she's so very clingy and not her normal happy go lucky self. Can only imagine how poor Dorothy felt. Ban the noisy fireworks and keep the pretty ones - can'tsee the sense in the massive bangs. Hope tonight isn't too bad. Wandax

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  40. What is worth celebrating in the beginning of November? The coming of winter?

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