‘Tis the season for fireworks – keep your pets safe
More family pets will run away from home during holidays involving fireworks.
Brakpan pet owners are urged to ensure their animals are happy and safe over the next few days as Diwali, the Hindu festival of Lights, and Guy Fawkes Day are celebrated.
Diwali will be celebrated this Sunday (October 30), and Guy Fawkes Day on Saturday, November 5.
Both celebrations include the lighting of fireworks.
Follow these tips to keep your pets safe:
• More family pets will run away from home during holidays involving fireworks than any other days of the year.
As a precautionary measure in case your pets are frightened and run away, make sure your animals have identification tags or microchips to ensure that they are returned safely when they are found.
• If possible, stay home with your animals.
• If you can’t be home with your animals, keep them inside.
• Make sure that your pets have access to their favourite “safe place” or find a quiet, comfortable, enclosed room where your pets can “hide” if they need to.
• Ensure that they cannot break through a window or slip out of a door.
• Attempt to mask any noise by drawing curtains and playing calming music at a reasonable volume.
• Put familiar and comforting things around them such as toys, baskets etc.
• Provide them with something to do such as giving your dog a chewy bone or lots of catnip or a catnip toy for felines.
• If your pets do react badly to fireworks, then seek professional advice from your veterinarian ahead of time.
• Ensure your pets have a hearty and nutritious meal around nightfall.
This will make them more likely to be sleepy.
Residents are reminded that written permission must be obtained from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality for any use of fireworks.
The EMPD disturbance of peace and Gauteng noise control regulations are:
• Section 42. Disturbance of the peace
(2) No person shall discharge fireworks without the prior written consent of the council, and such written consent shall hereafter be called a “Fireworks permit”.
Such “Fireworks permit” will be readily available at the event and produced on request by an authorised officer.
Any person failing to do so shall be guilty of an offence.
The penalty is a fine of R2 000.
• Gauteng Noise Control (Health and Environmental Health) Regulation 9(d)
A penalty will be given for the discharge of fireworks in a residential area in a manner which may cause a noise nuisance.
Offenders will be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding R20 000.
Also read: SAPS should clamp down on fireworks
Fireworks are discouraged these holidays
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