Dear Editor,
The attached image is a vivid picture of a dog scaling his owner’s fence running for cover from the sound emanating from the steady firecrackers on New Year’s night, Wednesday, January 1, 2014. As can be seen the dog, Django, is caught on a spike on the fence, with his body hanging – the picture speaks for itself – a gruesome sight! It was the children in the neighbourhood who saw the animal and ran one block away to the home of Ms Syeada Manbodh for her help to rescue the animal.
Syeada’s first attempt on her own proved futile since the children were refusing to help, afraid that the dog might bite in the process. Syeada then had to leave the dog hanging, to go and seek the help of a second person to disentangle Django from the fence. Unfortunately Django succumbed early Saturday morning, on January 4.
I suggest this image (as well as others supplied but not published), courtesy of Syeada Manbodh, be put on display at police stations, the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) and in business places selling firecrackers as a reminder of the danger and threat these fireworks pose to animals. While it might be fun and entertainment for human beings it sends a message of danger and death to the animals, who run for cover away from the safety of their places of abode.
My plea is to the Ministry of Home Affairs, police authorities and the GSPCA to take action before other animals suffer the same fate. Who knows what other animals have already suffered? Suffice it to say that this one came to light. The place for firecrackers is in wide open spaces such as parks, but certainly not in homes, yards and streets as is openly practised in our society. I believe animals are the ones that suffer the most from these deadly firecrackers and sadly the authorities are not taking visible action and allow the mayhem to continue.
I hope that my pleas would be heard as I add my voice to the many other voices speaking out on this issue.
Who knows, it might have been the very children who were setting off firecrackers who ran for help for the dog? I am convinced that children seem not to make a connection between their fun with firecrackers and the fear it produces in dogs/animals that resulted in this tragedy.
I imagine that animals struggle to understand what this sudden spate of fire accompanied by noise that goes on non-stop really is. The animals not knowing what this sudden madness is scamper to get away from what sounds like war and disaster.
Yours faithfully,
Maria Rodrigues
