This Diwali, animal casualties have seen a fall in number with fewer cases of cats and dogs with burns and other injuries. Diwali was relatively quieter with lesser use of firecrackers and lesser days of celebration. Animal hospitals and NGOs are glad that people have become aware of the distress firecrackers can cause to animals.
“We used to receive numerous cases of dogs and cats with terrible burn injuries because of people tying crackers on their tails. Fortunately, there were no such cases. A few years back, the number of injured birds brought in would touch 60 or 70, this year we have had just 15 birds brought in. Usually the noise outside our hospital in Parel would be extremely distressful for the animals but this time it has surprisingly been quieter,” says Dr JC Khanna, secretary of Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA). “I think it is because people have become more aware of the ill effects of firecrackers and have preferred a quieter Diwali,” he adds. The tradition of bursting fire crackers has caused distress to animals and birds for years and it still does because of their over-sensitive hearing. In this distress, most animals tend to panic and injure themselves.
“We received 10 cases this year, of which two dogs, who were run over, are probably not going to make it. Animals usually run about due to fear, leading to accidents and injuries,” says Ruchi Nadkarni, founder of World For All (WFA).
Birds are still the most affected because it is not just the noise but also the lingering smoke in the air that causes them to suffocate and fall. Most NGOs received an average of 30 injured birds every Diwali, but this year they have received an average of 7-8 birds.
Complaints in the past 4 days
Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 15 birds
World For All: 10 dogs (7 burns and 3 run over by cars), 10 birds
Animals Matter To Me: 13 injured dogs and cats, 3 birds
Plants and Animals Welfare Society, Mumbai: 1 snake, 4 birds
Plants and Animals Welfare Society, Thane: 1 dog with burns, 6 birds
People For Animals: 6 birds
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