DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The recent uptick in fireworks across the Bay State has household pets cowering in fear.
Laney Nee, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Shelter Behavior and Enrichment Manager, says fireworks can have a negative effect on pets because the sudden loud noise and bright light can leave them startled.
“When storms happen, the barometric pressure will tell them that it’s coming; not with fireworks and it’s so detrimental,” she said.
Pets will often have a bad reaction to fireworks, especially dogs.
“Dogs will flee, so you get tons of lost dogs,” Nee described. “Sometimes there’s loss of bladder. Their house training goes out. They aren’t as friendly.”
Mayor Martin Walsh said earlier this month that the number of illegal fireworks calls to Boston police has risen 2,300 percent this year.
With many fireworks displays canceled by cities and towns due to the coronavirus pandemic, people seem to be turning to backyard blowouts.
“We have a free pet behavior hotline here through the Animal Rescue League of Boston; I’ve already been quite inundated with calls about what to do and it’s frustrating to me because we’re quite limited on the information we can provide,” Nee said.
She warned that along with a fear of fireworks, pets can also develop a phobia of a certain time of day if fireworks continuously go off.
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