Some pet owners in Bloemfontein are already preparing for New Year’s Eve. Many are leaving their pets at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) or getting injections and medications to sedate their animals.
The SPCA has warned that the use of fireworks causes extreme distress to pets.
“We try to put them inside the house so that they can be protected and they don’t get exposed – if you don’t protect the dogs they don’t really know what to do, so I think it is the responsibility of the owners to make sure that the dogs are well protected and not exposed,” says one pet owner.
The SPCA in Bloemfontein has received 648 animals during December alone. During the festive season, the SPCA often has to pick animals that have run away due to fireworks, while others are left home alone by people who go on holidays.
SPCA inspector, Tebogo Maswanganyi, says this is when pets are most likely to run away in a panic and get lost.
“Normally when it’s this time of the year and there are fireworks, animals get scared they escape most of them get injured, most of them don’t know where to go because they are very much scared. We had cases whereby animals die due to heart attack in fear of fireworks.”
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