Fences around fires and no firecrackers: animal welfare tips for August 1st
Published: Thursday, Jul 25th 2024, 10:00
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The fireworks on the national holiday put many pets and wild animals under stress. In addition, tens of thousands of small creatures such as hedgehogs, mice and insects are burned in the piles of wood that are heaped up for the August 1 bonfires every year. Some tips on animal protection:
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETREAT
The animal welfare organization advises owners to set up firecracker-free zones. This is because animals react particularly sensitively to noises. The sudden, unfamiliar noise - and often even days before - frightens them. It can also lead to hearing damage.
Windows, doors and, if possible, blinds in the home should also be closed during the day to muffle noise and flashes of light. A background noise from the TV or radio can also help to mask outside noises.
Keepers of small animals and birds should keep enclosures and aviaries in a room that is as quiet as possible and at some distance from the window and cover them with a cloth. Outdoor enclosures should be screened off and secured against fireworks.
BEWARE OF PREMATURE CRASHES
Pet owners should only walk dogs on a lead in populated areas a few days before August 1, as premature firecrackers could cause them to run away in panic. Accidents caused by the distraught animal are often the result.
NOISE CAN HIT THE STOMACH
Anxiety can also upset the stomach or trigger overreactions in four-legged friends. Consistent refusal to eat, diarrhea, violent trembling or incessant howling are typical signs. Anyone who has ever observed this "fireworks neurosis" in their dog should take them to a vet a few days before August 1st. They can prescribe calming tablets or drops to alleviate the effects of such anxiety. However, it often helps if a trusted person stays with the animal on the national holiday.
CONSIDERATION FOR WILD AND FARM ANIMALS
Noise is a stress factor not only for pets, but also for wild animals in forests and meadows and on farms. Horses on pasture, for example, are at risk of panicking and escaping. Experts therefore advise that fireworks should also be avoided at the edge of forests, in bird sanctuaries, in forest clearings or in parks near farms.
Studies on the long-term effects of fireworks on wild geese show that the birds react with fear and panic, fly away from their roosting grounds and retreat to less populated areas, sometimes in flights of hundreds of kilometers. Even days later, the geese did not return to their normal behavior. According to the researchers, this could affect their chances of survival, at least in harsh winters.
PROTECTION FROM BURN DEATH
In the case of smaller 1 August fires, Swiss animal protection advises that the wood collected should only be piled up or at least restacked on the day of burning. As soon as there is a night in between, nocturnal animals can hide in it. They cannot be scared away afterwards by noise or poking.
For large piles of wood, experts advise erecting a protective fence around them. For large fires, the woodpiles are often piled up several weeks in advance and cannot simply be moved. The fence prevents animals from hiding in the pile. A protective fence can be erected quickly and is only removed one to two hours before the fire burns down.
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