Fireworks panic ends in death for Cape Town dog

A Cape Town dog, distressed by fireworks set off during New Year celebrations, jumped a fence and entered a neighbouring property where it was mauled by pit bulls.

Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) spokesperson Belinda Abraham said the incident happened in Lavender Hill. The dog was euthanised after its owner contacted the SPCA.

Abraham said though New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day saw fewer calls to the SPCA than in previous years, several serious and heartbreaking incidents were reported. She said these revealed the “hidden and often unrecorded impact fireworks continue to have on animals”.

“Importantly, the measurement of distress caused by fireworks is not solely based on calls received. It is grounded in the undisputed fact of the unquantifiable distress and trauma caused by large explosive bangs and the many unreported matters of suffering that never reach our phone lines,” said Abraham.

She said another incident happened in Scottsville, Kraaifontein, where a family returning home after being away overnight found their dog dead and hanging over a fence.

“The dog had been secured on a running chain. The owner reported fireworks in the area were particularly intense, and it is believed the dog panicked and attempted to escape,” said Abraham.

“These incidents show exactly how fireworks put animals in impossible situations. A dog jumping a fence or trying to flee a secured area is not ‘misbehaviour’, it is a fear response. When panic sets in, animals act purely on instinct, often with fatal consequences.”

Abraham said the SPCA received eight or nine calls during New Year’s Eve, and four calls on New Year’s Day.

“Most reports involved dogs that had escaped their properties and were found roaming the streets after being frightened by fireworks,” she said.

“People often look at call numbers as a measure of impact, but that is a dangerous assumption.

“A quieter phone does not mean animals weren’t terrified. It often means the suffering happened unseen, unreported or was only discovered hours later. Most of the harm caused by the loud sonic shocks of fireworks is unquantifiable, and it frequently goes unreported. Many animals panic in silence. They hide, they break free, they injure themselves trying to escape. In some cases owners only realise something is wrong once it’s too late.”

Abraham said the SPCA reiterates that fireworks can “trigger extreme fear responses in animals, causing them to run blindly, jump fences, become entangled, or enter unfamiliar and dangerous spaces”.

She said lower call volumes should never be taken as proof of reduced harm as the distress and trauma inflicted by large bangs are real, severe and not fully captured by reporting mechanisms.

“Fireworks may last only minutes for people celebrating, but the consequences for animals can last far longer, and in some cases cost them their lives,” she said.

Abraham said her organisation urged pet owners and communities to remain vigilant in the days after fireworks displays, as displaced animals could be hiding, injured, or unable to find their way home.

“True progress won’t be measured by fewer calls,” Abraham said.

“It will be measured when people stop setting off fireworks illegally and start adhering to the city’s bylaws so animals are no longer subjected to fear, injury and death.”

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