Diwali is just around the corner! Homes across India are being lit up with diyas and it is truly a sight to behold. Diwali is the celebration of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. In that spirit, we would like to shed some light on the use of firecrackers this festive season and what we, as Petizens, can do to care for our pets, community animals and society at large.
Talk to your neighbors, housing association and friends:
- Promote the use of ‘green crackers’ or even better eco-friendly ‘plantable’ ones like these which are made of recycled paper and seeds and do not contain any chemicals and emit any noise
- Suggest a designated spot that is away from both people and animals. That way, pet parents can avoid that spot on their walks and community animals can avoid it too.
- Suggest a designated time slot so that all firecrackers are burst during that time and you can accordingly take precautions and prepare your home for your pet
- Ensure to clean up! The residue of the crackers can be harmful and tends to fly away easily littering the environment
- Community dogs seek shelter during such times. The noise and smells can cause excessive shivering, drooling, howling, psychosis and even excessive barking. Do try and ask your neighbors and security staff to allow them to enter and seek shelter in certain spots in your residential society
For your pets:
- Try to ‘soundproof’ your home. Shut the doors, windows, draw the curtains and play some music or put on the TV to drown out the noise
- Adjust the pet’s schedule. Try to avoid going on walks when crackers are most likely to be burst. You can even skip a walk and let the dog relieve herself in the home if she is very anxious or stressed by sounds.
- Provide plenty of fresh water through the day so that the dog can choose to hydrate herself whenever she feels like it
- Let your dog do what feels comfortable to her. If she wants to be on her bed or hide your bed or wants to be physically close to you or even sit by herself, let her choose her way of soothing herself.
- Tag your dog – have her name, your name and a mobile number listed on it. The chances of a dog panicking and trying to run are very high especially when a loud sound goes off. In the worst case scenario, if your dog escapes from the leash, the tag will make it easier for people to contact you.
For our community animals:
- Keep bowls with fresh water so that they can hydrate themselves
- Try to create makeshift enclosures for them to take shelter
- Inform people in the area (shopkeepers, security guards) to contact you if they see an animal injured or anyone misbehaving with the animals (there are incidents of people tying firecrackers to the tails of animals) so that you can help the animal.
Let us celebrate the true spirit of Diwali and strive to make this festival and every festival an enjoyable and comfortable one for every species that we share space with.
Be A Petizen wishes you and your furry mates a fun, safe and inclusive Diwali!
