Guy Fawkes – a night every pet owner dreads – wreaked havoc over the weekend causing distress for both animal and owner.
According to residents, the loud bangs and fireworks appeared to come from the Dunoon area, as well as Joe Slovo with some fireworks reported in Brooklyn too.
The City of Cape Town said in a media release last week they (the City) no longer provide designated fireworks sites for Diwali, Guy Fawkes or New Year’s Eve, and that no fireworks will be allowed unless a permit has been obtained to host a fireworks display.
“The sale or storage of fireworks is only allowed if the necessary permits are in place; no person under 16 is allowed to handle fireworks, and the discharge of fireworks without a permit, is prohibited,” the statement reads.
However, for some this message fell on deaf ears as fireworks lit up the sky, resulting in animals running away, being injured or just being tortured by the loud bangs.
One owner, Jacques Cornelius, who has a rescue dog (Manny), says he is still dealing with the aftermath of Guy Fawkes.
“Manny is a rescue dog and I still train him due to the trauma he suffered as a pup,” he told TygerBurger.
“Saturday night was so bad in my area, I hardly slept as Manny kept barking for every loud noise”.
He (and other pet owners) are calling for a ban on all fireworks.
“I know one needs a permit to buy fireworks, but where I come from this is not the case. You can get fireworks at our local corner store, Maybe the police need to thoroughly check these stores,” he says.
Increased visibility
Although law enforcement agencies increased visibility in hotspot areas over the weekend, the City says the narrative around Guy Fawkes needs to change.
“But this is not something that the City alone can do. It ultimately boils down to common courtesy and respect, and this needs to be inculcated at home. Our appeal is to residents in hotspot areas to stand up against the destructive behaviour that has become associated with this day,” says Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s inspectorate and wildlife teams were on standby to respond to any animal emergencies as a result of Guy Fawkes. Fortunately, no animal emergencies were reported on Saturday.
“Fireworks are weapons of terror for animals,” says the SPCA’s communications manager Marisol Gutierrez.
“Using them to frighten animals is cruel and illegal.”
It is not only domestic pets that are adversely affected by fireworks – but they also affect birds and wildlife – as well as pollute the environment, the SPCA says.
As part of its educational outreach campaign about the dangers of fireworks, the SPCA has visited several schools in the run-up to Guy Fawkes.
“It is disturbing how many children said they were going to set off crackers over the weekend – they had no idea that it is dangerous, illegal and inflict harm on animals. But thankfully, by the time our education team left, their excitement about fireworks had turned to concern for their pets,” Gutierrez says.
Complaints received
The SPCA’s inspectorate emergency line, however, received several complaints relating to the discharge of fireworks in certain residential areas, of which all these calls were referred to the City’s law enforcement to be dealt with.
An SPCA representative was also present last night (5 November) at the joint operational centre until after midnight.
The operational centre is a collaboration of all the relevant authorities, including law enforcement, metro police, the South African Police Service and others that were monitoring all incidents relating to Guy Fawkes, discharging of fireworks and any incidents that require a response.
“We are happy to report that our animal pound has not received many stray animals today (Saturday).”
The SPCA normally sees the aftermath of the fireworks a few days later and is preparing to admit a higher number of stray animals in the days to come.
Animals in distress
If it is a stray cat or dog in a healthy condition, contact the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement’s animal control unit on 021 480 7700 and they will arrange for collection.
The SPCA says if you come across an injured or sick stray cat or dog, or wildlife in distress, to contact their inspectorate on 021 700 4158/9 or 083 326 1604 (after hours) and they will dispatch a team member to assist.
