▷ Animal suffering on August 1st / FOUR PAWS warns of stress for animals on the national holiday – Insurance for Pets

30.07.2021 – 08:28

FOUR PAWS – Foundation for Animal Welfare

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Tierleid on August 1st

FOUR PAWS warns of stress for animals on the national holiday

Zurich, July 30th, 2021 – When the night sky is lit up with bright colors and firecrackers echo loudly across the country, Switzerland celebrates the national holiday on August 1st, as every year. What causes many a’s and o’s in humans means pure stress or even sheer panic for animals. That is why the global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS recommends the
Domestic, wild and so-called farm animals
for the sake of completely avoiding fireworks or bonfires.

Every year on August 1st, colorful, popping fireworks are set off across the country. Animals hear a lot better than humans and cannot understand why it is so loud. This leads to great fear or even panic in domestic animals, wild animals and so-called farm animals.

Pets are very sensitive. Therefore, measures should be taken before and during the actual evening. Dominik del Castillo, campaigner at FOUR PAWS Switzerland recommends: “The simplest thing would be sure not to ignite any crackers. Firecrackers frighten many pets, some even react in panic.  » In addition, the animal welfare organization advises not to leave pets at home alone, because cats and dogs in particular are sometimes very afraid of the loud fireworks noises. If you have cats that are free to roam, you should preferably close the outside cat doors on this day so that they cannot run away in a panic.

Dogs often seek protection from their owners. Consoling should be avoided. This only increases the dog’s uncertainty that something is wrong. It is best for the dog owner to remain calm and relaxed, because this gives the four-legged friend security. Physical contact alone helps many dogs deal better with stress. Nervous stroking is not recommended; Quiet, slow movements or, even better, just «hold», however, are very popular. Pet owners can also take the precautions listed below to reduce the stress for their animals on August 1st.

What pet owners can do:

• The room should be darkened and the television or radio should be switched on in order to shield yourself from the outside as well as possible.
• The animals should definitely be given the opportunity to retreat
• Small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs must be handled very carefully when fireworks are fired, because these escape animals can panic from the effects of light and noise. The animals should be offered additional hiding places in the enclosure. If the animals live outside, the outside enclosure should be turned so that it faces a wall or similar.
• One option to calm pets is homeopathic remedies or Bach flowers. Conventional medical sedatives should only be used in exceptional cases and after consultation with a veterinarian.
• Experience has shown that it is quieter in rural areas. If you want to do your dog a favor, you can leave the city with him during the national holiday.
• Special treats can be provided to help the dog understand that the noise is positive. In dogs that have not yet experienced many fireworks nights, fears can be reduced in this way.
• Going for a walk should be done for the last time on August 1st in the early evening so that you are not out and about with the dog in the loudest time after dark.

Wild animals and so-called farm animals are also affected by the August 1st spectacle

When planning August 1st, wild animals and so-called farm animals are often forgotten. These animals suffer on the Swiss National Day just like pets. The native wild animals, especially escape animals such as deer and brown hares, startle at every unfamiliar noise. The explosion in combination with the beacon from the rockets panics the animals, which in extreme cases can also lead to miscarriages or panic escape with fatal consequences.

For small mammals, hedgehogs, reptiles and frogs, bonfires are a major, mostly underestimated danger. Many of the animals look for a supposedly safe hiding place in the dry piles of wood. But as soon as the bonfire is lit, the small creatures fall victim to the flames. FOUR PAWS gives tips on how to better protect the animals from flame death:

• Only erect the pile of wood as soon as possible before it burns down.
• If possible, set up a closed protective fence with a height of at least 30 cm around the pile and only remove it shortly before lighting the fire.

To ensure the most stress-free night possible for pets, wild animals and so-called farm animals, FOUR PAWS recommends avoiding fireworks in the vicinity of forests, wetlands, nature reserves, zoos and farms. The best thing to do is to completely avoid fireworks and bonfires.

Photos

The high resolution photo can be found here.

Photos may be used free of charge. They may only be used for reporting on this media release. A simple (non-exclusive, non-transferable) and non-assignable license is granted for this reporting. A future reuse of the photos is only permitted with the prior written consent of FOUR PAWS.

Copyright: FOUR PAWS

Austrian law applies without its reference norms, the place of jurisdiction is Vienna.

Medienkontakt:
Chantal Häberling, Kommunikation Schweiz
VIER PFOTEN Schweiz
Enzianweg 4
8048 Zürich
Tel. +41 43 311 80 90
chantal.haeberling@vier-pfoten.org
www.vier-pfoten.ch