Concert For Animals set to soothe skittish pets on Guy Fawkes night
The loud and sporadic noise made by fireworks can cause anxiety for animals. Photo: Pixabay
Pets and their owners can tune into the country's first Concert for Animals tonight to soothe nerves during Guy Fawkes.
The concert, a collaboration by RNZ Concert and the SPCA will include music shown to help calm animals.
SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said there was a body of research around the impacts of music on animals, in particular for animals in shelters, which have been used to form the basis of the playlist.
SPCA centres around the country will be tuning in on Tuesday night, she said.
She said the SPCA has been campaigning for decades for a ban on the private sale and use of fireworks.
An online petition to end private sales had topped forty four thousand signatures by midday Monday.
Dr Vaughan told Midday Report the best thing owners could do was be with their animals.
She advised getting some exercise in early, closing doors and windows before it gets dark, and settling in for the night.
SPCA supports the use of fireworks in controlled and notified public displays.
Some may find the use of pheromone diffusers and sprays useful, and Vaughan suggested owners who know their animals react badly should talk to their vets about the use of medication.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) said every year veterinarians see badly injured horses who have panicked and run through fences, attempted to jump out of paddocks, or run on to roads, endangering themselves and motorists.
Cats and dogs often get anxious and attempt to flee, resulting in an increased risk of injury and trauma. Large animals in general suffer from fear and stress related to fireworks, and fireworks also impact wildlife.
In its position statement on fireworks, the SPCA says wild animals change their behaviour in response to loud and abrupt noises which can lead to physical injury, disrupted feeding, abandonment of young, stress and death.
People also directly target wildlife and other animals who are injured or killed deliberately with fireworks.
In New Zealand, the sale of fireworks is restricted to just four days a year, from Saturday 2 November to Tuesday 5 November but there are no restrictions on when they can be used.
NZVA Head of Veterinary Services (Large Animals) Cristin Dwyer said this unpredictability, especially when fireworks are stockpiled and set off at other times of the year, is one of the biggest challenges for pet owners.
"This means animal owners often feel helpless because they may not have a choice or be given enough warning to move their animals to a safe place," she said.
"Fireworks have a significant impact on livestock animals, specifically on horses, so we urge anyone setting off fireworks to consider their surroundings, discuss their plans with their neighbours, and be prepared to stop if someone indicates their animals are distressed."
The Warehouse, once New Zealand's largest fireworks retailer, stopped selling them in 2021, saying they "no longer reflected the company's values."
The 'Concert for Animals' playlist is available here (scroll down to 6pm). You - and your pets - can tune in on the radio, or stream from rnz.co.nz, the RNZ App, SKY TV channel 422, or Freeview Channel 51.
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