December 10, 2022, 3:04 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Loud bangs and flashes of light in the sky terrify many pets. Yet owners still underestimate the dramatic effects fireworks and the like can have on their four-legged friends. On a single New Year’s Eve night, hundreds of dogs and cats go missing. PETBOOK explains the impact New Year’s Eve has on pets and wildlife.
We humans like to celebrate the end of the year loudly. Allegedly, the noise is supposed to drive away evil spirits. In reality, we mostly drive away our pets. For them, New Year’s Eve regularly becomes a nightmare. Unlike humans, they cannot make sense of the sudden bangs. Noise and flashes of light scare them. Often, panic reactions occur, causing animals to run away and, in the worst case, die in an accident. Every New Year’s Eve night, hundreds of pets go missing. But it’s not just dogs and cats that suffer during the New Year. Wild animals are also frightened by the fireworks and are literally scared to death.
Overview
What New Year’s Eve Means for Pets
Pets like dogs and cats have much more sensitive senses than humans. Cats, for instance, can hear even the slightest noise. The sound of a pot falling in the kitchen is like a heavy metal concert without ear protection to a cat. Dogs have similarly sensitive hearing. How must the sound of fireworks affect them? In nature, loud noises almost always signal danger, like thunderstorms or earthquakes. Animals naturally seek shelter and wait until the noise or danger has passed.
Additionally, dogs and cats can perceive vibrations in the ground through their paws. These can occur with larger fireworks, which are primarily ignited by being thrown. Animals cannot make sense of this and react with panic.
Also interesting: How to Help Your Dog with Fear of New Year’s Eve Noise
Hundreds of Animals Reported Missing Every Year
It often happens during walks that dogs break free in panic and run away. Therefore, walks should be moved to early afternoon, and only short walks should be taken in the evening–preferably with a safety harness. Cats that enjoy roaming can become so panicked by the fireworks that they run so far out of fear that they can’t find their way back. Unfortunately, many dog and cat owners still underestimate the impact New Year’s Eve has on our pets.
According to the database of Tasso e.V., hundreds of pets are reported missing every New Year’s Eve. Dogs top the statistics. From the 2020 to 2021 New Year’s transition, there were 540 missing animals (including 331 dogs and 208 cats), while on the night of December 31, 2021, to January 1, 2022, 729 pets were reported missing (including 454 dogs and 275 cats). These figures only account for animals registered or reported with Tasso. Therefore, the actual number of missing animals is likely much higher.
Additionally, the New Year’s transitions of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 were years with sales bans. This does not apply to 2022. A fireworks ban was also not enacted. Some cities have designated no-fireworks zones, but these are unlikely to have much impact on pets during New Year’s Eve.
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Deadly Danger for Wildlife
New Year’s Eve is not only frightening for our pets. Many wild animals also suffer from the noise at the turn of the year. Some even die from the stress. The animal protection organization Peta points out that significant energy loss due to disturbances or panicked fleeing can have life-threatening consequences.
New Year’s Eve can be particularly deadly for birds. Fireworks scare them into flying up to 1,000 meters high, while they usually rarely reach heights over 100 meters. This energy loss is critical in winter when they need it most and can hardly replenish it, according to the Nature Conservation Association NABU. In Rome, on New Year’s Day 2022, streets and sidewalks were littered with numerous dead and shocked birds, as reported by the “Corriere della Sera.” It is suspected that the birds died of heart attacks.
In Germany, specifically in Leipzig’s Rosental, as well as in Clara-Zetkin and Johannapark, dead and injured animals are found every year, according to NABU. In winter, large bird roosts are located there, which are startled by the New Year’s Eve noise. Additionally, many wild and domestic animals suffer burns, shock, damaged hearing, and other injuries after New Year’s Eve.
Animal Rights Activists Call for a Fireworks Ban
Because animals suffer significantly on New Year’s Eve and numerous pets go missing in a single night, Tasso is calling for a ban on private New Year’s fireworks. For dedicated fireworks fans, centrally organized displays could be a viable alternative, the association states in its article. To emphasize this demand, Tasso, together with the German Environmental Aid and the Jane Goodall Institute, has sent an open letter to Minister Faeser.
Furthermore, animal rights activists like the German Animal Welfare Office e.V. appeal to the public with campaigns such as “Donate Instead of Fireworks” on social networks.