Spare a thought for our furry friends

Amidst all the problems people in India are going through because of crackers and increasing pollution in the environment, there is a bigger problem which we often tend to ignore in our happiness and joy. Every year, while we are happy that festivals have arrived and we celebrate it with scant regard for the decibel levels, we tend to forget that others might get disturbed or maybe terrified by that sound. By others, here I mean animals.

To know more about how dogs suffer, here are some people who shared their inputs:

Talking about the problems faced by dogs during this time, Bhupendra Khanal, Founder and CEO at Dogsee Chew said, "Diwali might be a happy time for us but it is a very difficult time for the animals, especially dogs. Many pet parents have observed that their pet and stray dogs on the streets get scared and tense when they hear loud crackers. Around 90% of dogs are scared of crackers. As you must be aware, dogs are extremely sensitive and because they have a stronger hearing power, they are easily susceptible to high decibel sounds during such festivals."

While being busy in your celebrations, you must have noticed that the sudden changes in the surroundings with such loud noise and fireworks leave dogs in a stressed and confused state. The ones who have a pet or take care of a dog in their surroundings must know the possible signs of stress in dogs include whining, fear, loss of appetite, salivation and defecation inside the house and in case of stray dogs they run away and find solace in a silent space and that is the reason you will notice many dogs go missing during this festival season. Not only this, sometimes just for fun people hurl firecrackers at dogs too, this is extremely dangerous for dogs.

We call dogs our best friend and those who have pets, treat them like family – various veterinarians suggest to keep the pet indoors and in a familiar space. If there is a loud thud at least you will be around to comfort them. This way, they will not feel uneasy and flee in search of silent or a safe place. Also, keep your doors, windows shut and draw curtains, this will at least help minimise the noise. If you are a dog lover and you like to take care of your friends outside, maybe there is not much you can do but keep a first aid kit ready to help a maimed animal. Have a bucketful of water filled for emergency and for putting off used crackers and sparklers.

Talking about the problems faced by them, some dog lovers revealed that stray dogs also come running into their home to find a safe corner. Amrita Pandey, an Engineering student who lives in a double-storey area in West Delhi feels sad that people are so insensitive to plight of our canine friends. "It is very sad that we put dogs in this state. I have seen incidents of small kids intentionally bursting crackers in front of dogs because they think it is fun."

Kaushal Kohli, a Banker who lives in Mumbai tells that he is unable to sleep these days because of the anguished howling of canines.