Bonfire night firework concern over guide dogs

As Bonfire Night approaches and the days get shorter, Amanda Baker’s heart sinks.

For Amanda, who is partially-sighted and supported by her guide dog, Eddie, it means she will have to stay home every evening to protect him from his terror of fireworks, because they never know when they might go off.

Amanda, from Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, says the season has already started where she lives, and hearing the bangs and whistles sends seven-year-old Eddie into such a “state” he can’t work, and can take hours to recover.

The British Fireworks Association said it encourages responsible use of fireworks and urges people to be considerate of their neighbours, particularly those with pets or noise sensitivities.

Amanda said she has raised the issue on local social media channels to no avail, adding that the effect on her dog is horrible to see.

“Eddie gets very stressed. He pants, he cries,” she said.

“As big as he is, he climbs all over me. His heart’s racing. We’ve tried everything that’s available to comfort him. He won’t eat, he won’t drink anything, he won’t go out to the toilet.

“It’s very stressful for him and on top of that it’s stressful for us because we’re worried about him. Sometimes he gets so stressed I worry he’s going to have a heart attack or a stroke, because there’s no comforting him at all.”

It means a loss of independence for her too, as she cannot go out without him.

The charity Guide Dogs said about a quarter of guide dog owners report that their animals show signs of distress when they hear and see fireworks.

Tim Stafford, director of canine affairs, said the organisation works hard to socialise their puppies and expose them to firework sounds through recordings.

But the real thing is very different – and though most dogs will quickly recover from unexpected sounds, some cannot, he said.

Mr Stafford added: “Someone who would normally go home on the bus or the train, because they are perhaps leaving an office after dark, they can’t do that in firework season.

“Because they have to protect the dog from that fear, so the dog can work safely for them.”

Though he would like to see more restrictions on the sale of fireworks, he said things could be more easily improved by people choosing silent fireworks, or only going to organised displays, rather than having fireworks at home.

In a statement, the the British Fireworks Association said it understood the concerns raised by Amanda Baker and Guide Dogs, but that it was important to balance them with the possible negative impacts of stricter regulations, such as a potential rise in black market sales for fireworks which it would be more difficult to manage.

But it does want to see some changes, such as raising the minimum age for buying fireworks from 18 to 21, and a clampdown on the sale of illegal fireworks.

It added: “We at the British Fireworks Association work very closely with the government and have formulated a ten-point plan to help tackle anti-social behaviour and changed the Firework Code to cover some of the key areas we felt we could make a difference through education.”

Eddie has now been prescribed a sedative medication to help him stay calm through firework season, but Amanda said though it helps, it only “takes the edge off”.

She is doing all she can to keep him calm, covering the windows with blankets to block out the noise and the flashes of light, and turning up the volume on the television.

She added that last year he was almost withdrawn from working because of the issue, but she begged to keep him.

“We’ve worked really hard to get him back to where he is now. He’s wonderful at working, it’s just the loud noises,” she said.

“He gives me confidence, there’s such a love and a bond between us, I feel I can conquer the world when I am with him.”