Please sign this petition submitted by David John Wood

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Firework-abuse/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to License the use of fireworks for public display only on recognised dates.   Every year countless pet and wild animals are killed owing to the random letting off of fireworks.

Children, in the main, insist on annoying and terrifying elderly people and pets.  There is no end to it and I ask the government to restrict the purchase and use of fireworks to public display only.  I am not against fireworks but I am against their random 24/7 abuse.

Think this is an old one and the goverment weren't interested one little bit.  As there are no deaths caused by fireworks and injury in their eyes at a low they don't care about the wellbeing of other animals etc.

But to keep pushing it may one day help.  We have nothing to lose.

My family have a fireworks display every year and this would stop that so Im afraid I wont be signing it. :)

I don't think there should be an all out ban, we too have a family gathering every year, when the 'grown ups' take control of the fireworks, and having 15 children between us it would be a shame for them to miss out on the enjoyment,  I do think though they should only be allowed to be sold for a few days before 5th November etc. then we wouldn't have the weeks before hand of fireworks going off at all hours.

It is Year round, and of course it could be argues what's special about Guy Fawkes, only we Brits celebrate that.  How can we justify allowing fireworks for one occasion and not others.

Most other countries use Fireworks for New Year (and of course Chinese New Year, and they invented fireworks), though this was never traditional in England that I know of.

People who want to celebrate other festivals, or even birthday parties might rightfully argue against such a restriction.

I would prefer to only have fireworks for public displays or professionally organised ones at suitable venues (not your garden as most fireworks for safety need more room than the modern postage stamp garden has) which should be advertised well in advance.

I don't think the general public should be able to buy them - or at least not the way they can now, with Tesco and Morrisons selling them at the entrance to their stores.

I can understand people wanting to keep up their family traditions - but I'm afraid that I will sign it.  Perhaps having people apply for licenses for special events would be one possible solution?  That way the eejits wouldn't be able to get them so easily, and certainly not just on a whim to irritate the neighbourhood and frighten pets; and families could still have their gatherings.

I also think that there should be some sort of system by which said families have to advertise around a certain radius so that everyone is aware of what is happening when - not to invite all and sundry, of course, just to make people aware.  That would help a great deal, even if it was just in the local paper, as then not only would us owners of phobic pets have some warning and be able to prepare better, but those aforementioned eejits would stand out more - and there could potentially be evidence (i.e. the absense of a notification in the paper) that they have not applied for a license, or something similar.

Kind of thinking as I'm typing here by the way, these are not carefully considers musings!

Tracey, you don't have a dog do you. I wonder if you would change your mind if you watched your dog tremble so badly you feared it might die of a heart attack or bloat because of fireworks. I see you have a four legged guest right now. We'll ask you again on Tuesday. ;-) :)

Well said Lori - I've often found that dogless people aare for fireworks continuing to be sold.  I've had many arguments with an ex-friend because of it - she is not doggy at all, and couldn't grasp at all how I feel having to watch Remy go through what he does every year.  Even now he's much better, I can still remember those early days and it makes my heart break.

I was discussing this with a friend last night. She's British so has nice childhood memories of bonfire night and fireworks as a child but also remember that they were nothing like what the public has access to now. They had sparklers and the much smaller and quieter fireworks. They sell things to the public that used to only be used by public city displays - and these are being let off in back gardens of built up areas. Madness.

We were talking about this at work yesterday - me (25), Barbara (~40) and Mavis (77).  We all said what you've said - we can remember really good displays and bonfires as kids, sparklers, catherine wheels and lovely proper fireworks - but nothing like it is today.  No weeks either side of nov 5th with people letting them off, and the bangs seem to all three of us to be MUCH louder these days (and utterly unnecessary in this respect).

Mavis says there's a family in the house behind hers that, after nov 5th, will be letting off fireworks into the small hours right up to New Year's.  She's looking into complaining - seems no-one thought of it before, or perhaps even realised they could.  Apparently a neighbour down the road complains to her about it every year - I suggested the neighbour keeps a written record and goes to the council with it, and Mavis too.  As you say, madness.

> I was discussing this with a friend last night. She's British so has nice childhood memories of bonfire night and fireworks as a child but also remember that they were nothing like what the public has access to now. They had sparklers and the much smaller and quieter fireworks. They sell things to the public that used to only be used by public city displays - and these are being let off in back gardens of built up areas. Madness.

Exactly! That's how I remember it too - wasn't like a war zone every night. :rolleyes: And you went to the public display to watch the big ones. I would be happy enough if firework sales to the public were restricted to the smaller quieter ones the way they used to be and the other ones only allowed for public displays. Do you think a petition like that might work?

It is the most awful thing. My dog drools, pants, hyperventalates, wide eyes - showing whites. It doesn't just effect her for the night, she is knackered the next day, hates going outside even in the day. She hardly walks for a month during they are going off. Her noise phobia gets worse and worse each year. Not just fireworks but anything that bangs or cracks - tin cans clattering, motorbikes, cars, trains, doors closing, cutlery draw opening, etc... you get the point. I could cope if it was 5th Nov, 31st Dec but it is the constant bangs for 5pm - 11pm.

2 yrs ago she hyperventilated so much that she got teteny (all muscles went into spasm). Sorry as you can see this is a really emotive subject for me and when i see BOGOF offers on fireworks i just dread how she is going to react.
Sorry

>My family have a fireworks display every year and this would stop that

Have you ever seen a dog so terrified that it's beside itself, trying to dig through the floor to escape? Have you ever seen a horse that's bolted in terror around its field and injured itself? Have you ever seen sheep panicked and abort their lambs (remember that people let ff fireworks all year round)?

If you had I'm sure you'd be a little less keen to repeat the experience.

Have your party and your burgers and your hotdogs and your drinks and your bonfire and your Guy and your sparklers and your Catherine wheels by all means. Just don't have the rockets and other fireworks that make screeches and bangs.

I have signed several petitions and written to my MP. It's not just about how frightened the animals are. I've had them come through the roof of my conservatory, people's houses and laundry have caught fire, public and private property is destroyed by kids who think playing with gunpowder is fun. Then there's the fallout; what my neighbours send up is astonishing. I find concrete cylinders 3 cm in diameter all over my garden. I usually have to go pick up a bag full of garbage in the morning before I let the dogs out and hope I found everything. And the idea that selling them just around November is silly. We have fireworks going off all year and any time of day and night around here. If they must sell them to the public I wish they would limit it to sparklers and the small, pretty, sparkly fireworks that don't make such horrendous noise. There's no need to set off the kind of large rockets that sound like cannons going off. :(

But, until everyone writes to their MP we're not going to get anything changed.

JUST don't have any......

I too think they should be limited to sparklers and pretty fireworks.  I don't want to spoil peoples fun, we had great fun as children on bonfire night.  But just as much fun can be have with the bonfire, bbq and non banging fireworks.  It would also stop the yob element buying them as they only want the ones with the big bangs.

I loved bonfire night as a child - however I don't think there were such loud bangs in those days.  Lots of pretty golden rain, catherine wheels that span if you were lucky and great sparklers.  Rockets went whoosh and disappeared - the only down side was the bangers that caused no end of pain - remember one landing in my friend's firework box - it all went up in a plume of smoke - but big bangs were not that frequent - everything seems to squeal and bang now.  Saying that (fingers crossed) tonight hasn't been too bad yet.  There has been at least one big display but so far my dog is quite calm.  Perhaps the dap collar is working.  It is the ones going off late at night that should be stopped - no fireworks after 9 o'clock I say.  Pity we can't limit them to one night a year - but new year has become popular too - my son goes to Holland with his girlfriend and he says it is like world war 3 has broken out - bonfires everywhere too.  We won't stop them now.

Couldn't agree more!

Last night I opened the back door and walked outside into the back garden just as my next door neighbour let off a rocket.  Well I fl**ing jumped out of my skin and fell off the step.  It was quarter past 10 and OH was in bed as he was on the early shift. I wasn't expecting it, there was no warning, it was about 6 foot from me just over the fence and it sounded more like a bomb.   I was livid.....and I don't get livid very often.

IMO, licensed displays only.... away from built up areas...  or better still get rid altogether but that won't happen..:rolleyes:

Signed but I don't think it will do much good.  It doesn't get the voters going - not like fox hunting. 

I have signed, but I don't think it will do much good.  I signed the last one on there too, but as perrodeagua says, the government aren't interested.

I hate fireworks, and thankfully we rarely hear them where I live.  I used to live in Birmingham and they were an all year round thing there.  A good friends dog is terrified of the things.  I've been there when the poor dog is screaming and shaking, running into doors and walls trying to escape from the noise.  It's not a nice thing to see. :-(

Don't just sign petitions, write to your MP. :) I think if they got thousands of letters from their constituients they might start taking notice. It's very easy to do online if you want. Go to http://www.writetothem.com and enter your post code.

On the 'One Show' on BBC1 the other day theyr were saying how to cure your dogs fear of fireworks using certain methods.
This lady was trying it for the programme on her dog and when the fireworks started going off the dog hid under the bed, but not just under the bed, the lady pulled out the bed drawer and the dog was inside the drawe at the back shivering and scared, if people could see first hand what it does to these poor dogs they would be quicker to siogn these petitions!!

One of the methods was to use bandage to wrap round your dogs body making them feel more secure and in contact with something, seemed like a good idea.

Tracey, you don't have a dog do you. I wonder if you would change your mind if you watched your dog tremble so badly you feared it might die of a heart attack or bloat because of fireworks. I see you have a four legged guest right now. We'll ask you again on Tuesday

I must have a well behaved dog because the fireworks didnt bother him at all. :)

>I must have a well behaved dog because the fireworks didnt bother him at all.

It's nothing to do with being well-behaved. It's to do with fear and phobias. Would you say that someone with claustrophobia was being 'badly behaved' if they panicked in a lift? Or is someone felt sick with fear and cried when they had to have a filling at the dentist?

And how would you feel about someone who deliberately shut a claustrophobic person into the lift, or a dentist who drilled a person's tooth without anaesthetic?

JG I think you've taken what I said out of context. I was responding to the comment I had been left about seeing how the dog I am looking after coped. Its nothing at all to do with claustrophobia or anything like that.

Tracey, you don't have a dog do you. I wonder if you would change your mind if you watched your dog tremble so badly you feared it might die of a heart attack or bloat because of fireworks. I see you have a four legged guest right now. We'll ask you again on Tuesday

I must have a well behaved dog because the fireworks didnt bother him at all.

The dog you looked after is not being well behaved, its like mine, not frightened of fireworks.

He is well behaved AND not frightened of fireworks.

Is that better? :rolleyes:

:D...yep, but the well behaved bit has nothing to do with him not being afraid. A dog that is afraid is not being badly behaved though. I think your post read that those that have dogs that fear fireworks and show this are badly behaved, which of course is not the case, and thats what JG meant. or thats how I read these posts :D

No its not what I meant. I know that when my horse spooks at something he's not being naughty (thats just when he bucks after!) and if something makes me jump Im not being naughty either. I just meant by his reaction to the fireworks I would not ban fireworks.

I see what you mean, and likewise I wouldnt want fireworks banned on the response of my dogs. However, I would want them banned because of what happened to a mare I had in foal who was scared by them, and because I know of an awful lot of people who's animals (not just dogs) are scared of them. The 'little' fireworks of 'yesterday' caused enough problems, not just animals but with people and buildings too, and the injuries sustained, never mind what goes up in the air today. What annoys me is that you cannot cater for the event being just one or two nights, and the fireworks of today are huge and make the most awful noses. I do not see the need for them outside a licenced event and thats bad enough, but at least you can expect it, rather than them going off at all times of the year without notice.

>but with people and buildings too<

Did you see the story about the baby that was almost hit by a rocket it its bedroom and the 9 year old who had one almost hit her in the bath. Both times the things crashed right through people's windows and into their homes. Similar to what has happened to us a few times with them going through our conservatory roof. Another baby was badly injured by one that was thrown into a shop as a prank. And this is just my local area. I guess it will take the deaths of several children being killed before the government will think about losing the tax money from their sales. Close calls are obviously not enough. :( :(

That's exactly what I meant, Calmstorm. Thank you! :)

Tracey, your post suggests that animals that are frightened of fireworks are being badly behaved. They're not - they're terrified. The dog you were looking after wasn't being 'well-behaved' (though he was) - he just wasn't terrified. He's lucky.

I dont think my posts suggest that animals that are afraid of fireworks are not well behaved but I apologise if thats how they come across.

I must have a well behaved dog because the fireworks didnt bother him at all.

This can be read that the opposite is true, for a dog to show problems with fireworks means it is badly behaved. Like saying 'I must have a wellbehaved horse because it didnt shy at the bag flapping in the hedge'.

Apology accepted. :)

Some of the most obedience dogs can be terrified by fireworks, I'm lucky that my two Border Collies that I have now are not frightened by the fireworks, but my last two who were well trained & behaved dogs were terrified quivering wrecks when they heard fireworks, the sound of guns, bird scarers, low flying fighter jets didn't affect them at all, just the fireworks. My eldest & youngest Cavaliers are also affected so much so that the younger one who I co own with a friend, comes here to me as my friend lives near a city that has horrendous fireworks during the day & night for weeks on end & bonfire night is worse than the Blitz according to my friend(who lived through the Blitz of Hull)

I spend the nights with the doors closed TV on full with a DAP diffuser & spray & the dogs on melatonin

I cannot understand why we have fireworks going for for months before & after Bonfire night at all times of the day & night, with scant regard to people let alone the animals.

Four of mine couldn't give a toss and don't even bring their heads up from their sleep. However, I have one that is terrified. I am cleaning up bloody poo this morning as the aftermath of last night, looks like it may be a trip to the Vets.
I believe like others that they should have 'pretty' fireworks for gardens and large one only for display. I actually believe that some people today are not responsible enough to be able to handle what amounts to explosives.

I can say that the DAP, wrap and melatonin worked a treat for my frightened golden. He even picked up a toy to play some games last night. Such a joy to find something that helps. He's not immune but at least I'm not worried about him dying of fright now. I hope your girl is better soon (think you have all girls!)

Well, I had a great night, NOT!!!! the worst ever.  Rockets going off in the next door neighbour's garden.  They were like bombs and my 2 were not happy, even Spender was worried and he usually is such a calm chap.  I went outside and pleaded with them to take the big ones down to the field, they did after a while.

Anyhow, they came back and lit a bomb fire in the middle of the garden, ok that's fair enough........but then they threw a spray can into it.  The boom that came off that nearly put my kitchen window in.  Grrrrrr...

Right!  Last night was Guy Fawks; they've had their fun, now I want my peace.  Anymore and I'm getting on to the police. 

Went out and was annoyed to fidn thery are still beibng let off tonight.  Hasn't 3 days or more been enough.

4 days and tonight!  You should have seen the queue in Tesco's to buy one box get another free yesterday.  I felt evil walking past these people who think it is great fun to burn money.  When my children were young we had some sparklers at home and went to the scouts display.  My son has got a box of fireworks and I told him no way was he going to let them off in my garden.  He wanted to go to my daughters on sat but unfortunately for him our second grandchild decided to arrive!  So the box is still sitting in his car waiting to be let off when folks are least expecting it - not pleased with that.

Still being let off last night & tonight. :rolleyes:

Went out earlier and there are big bombs being let off and my pup Myka is not impressed, she couldn't wait to get home again.  You'd think people would have had enough by now. :(

Couldn't understand why my dog was in a blind panic again at midnight - I didn't hear a thing.  I sat downstairs with her until nearly 3 - and I had in desperation gone to the vet for something to calm her yesterday - I have had a bad week sleeping  with her crying every night and really wanted to catch up.  I went over to the vet to be told that there was nothing else they could do for her - there are a  few dogs that fight medication and looks like I have one.  However there were fireworks going off at that side of town round about 12 - went on for sometime apparently.  I couldn't hear them but my dog could.  I thought she had completely flipped because I had given her medication.  Here I am sitting with matchsticks to the eyes wondering what I am going to do tonight.  I was going to put her in kennels for the night but with the likelihood of more fireworks it would probabally make her afraid to go there too.  

We had them here tonight as well. I don't understand it - people celebrate Christmas on one particular date. They celebrate New Year on one particular date. They celebrate Hallowe'en on one particular date. Why celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night over a period of weeks? It's insane. And inconsiderate, of course.

Just checked the calendar and it was Divali on Nov 9th.  However fireworks are not just used for these celebrations - they are everyones idea of celebration - hence those that have  birthdays etc can keep them for the event.  It is accepted by most folks - just look at Disneyworld - every night ends in fireworks.  Had a quiet night last night - I finally convinced my husband to let my dog sleep in her chosen place last night.  Instead of appearing to give way to her we just went up to bed and pretended we had forgotten she was there.  Will have to start training from scratch to get her to accept being shut away from us again.  Still don't know how we will tackle going out and leaving her - but at least I had some sleep last night.

That should be Diwali

>I have signed, but I don't think it will do much good.

Don't give up hope! :) Fireworks have been banned for public use in other countries,if we all plug away and dont give up hopefully they will be banned here too one day.