Think of the cats and dogs before lighting that firecracker — PAWS, EcoWaste Coalition

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the EcoWaste Coalition asked people to "think about our four-legged friends this holiday season" and urged the public to shun firecrackers this New Year's Eve.

Pets at home and stray animals suffer during the holidays because of the deafening sound from fireworks and firecrackers "ignited in the belief that such practice can shoo away bad luck and pull in good energy and fortune."

PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera explained, "Cats and dogs are specially gifted with acute sense of hearing. Pyrotechnic explosions can cause acoustic trauma to animals."

Animals usually get stressed because of the noise generated by firecrackers, scampering to find a safe spot from the painful effects it has on their ears.
PAWS urged pet owners not to neglect their animal friends during the festivities this New Year's Eve.

If you can, PAWS and EcoWaste Coalition suggests talking to your neighbors about avoiding fireworks or at least, ask them not to light or throw firecrackers in front of your house.

They also recommend that owners take their dogs for a stroll in the afternoon of New Year's Eve and make sure they are fed and hydrated prior to the ruckus during midnight. Make sure the pets have a place to hide if or when the noise outside becomes unbearable. Let them hide under the bed if possible. Remember that dogs and cats do not understand the sound coming from the firecrackers and they perceive this as a threat, which means it is your responsibility to make them feel less stressed.

PAWS and EcoWaste Coalition also advised pet owners to "close the windows, put the curtains down and play a relaxing music to neutralize the noise from the outside" in order to make your home as relaxing as possible for your pets.

This "acoustical violence" against animals is just one of the reasons why various groups are calling for a ban on fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices. The Department of Health also launched an "Iwas Paputok" campaign to decrease the number of people who get needlessly injured during the festivities, while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources warned against the harmful effects of the chemicals in fireworks to the environment. —AT/ALG, GMA News