Photo credit: Belinda Schindler
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Amid growing evidence that fireworks severely stress wild animals and pets, a pet owner in North Somerset is trying to make her county the UK’s first “low noise firework county.” According to Somerset Live, Lorraine Hopkinson-Parker from Backwell set up the petition after her friend’s horse tragically died, with vets saying it had suffered stress attributed to the noise of fireworks.
Hopkinson-Parker also commented, “[m]y youngest son who is 13, despises fireworks, because he can see first hand, the terror they inflict on our dogs.”
Noise in general, including that from fireworks, can be an added stress for people with autism spectrum disorder or those with post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among combat veterans.
Alternatives to traditional fireworks include low noise fireworks, laser displays, and drone displays.
We hope Hopkinson-Parker is successful, and that similar efforts spread to other counties and other countries around the world.
