Charlie grew up in Skövde, close to a military training field. We trained him a lot so he got used to loud bangs and noises. Charlie wasn’t scared of fireworks until we moved to Stockholm. One of our neighbours let his underage son shot fireworks outside where we live when we walked home. He was recording it and said to his son that the fireworks was beautiful.
Charlie was fine at that moment because he was trained to be fine. I asked my neighbour if it was legal to shoot firework without a permit, especially letting an underage kid shooting it. He shrugged and said ”Who knows?”
I told Charlie that we must hurry home. We walked only a few meters before another firework was shot. It was so loud. It was low enough for us to feel the air pressure and the vibration in the air. That was when Charlie got so scared and tried to run off.
Two years later, Charlie has to stop going outside when it is dark. He loves going outside for an evening walk. Now he refuses to go out at all. He has to take supplements which help him to stay calm enough to get through every night. He has to take it at least for three weeks because people here shoot fireworks two weeks before new year and a week after. It gets dark before three in the afternoon in Sweden. So Charlie’s day stops when the sun goes down. He lives in fear until the sun goes up the next day.
We try to soundproof our home, but we cannot do it 100%. He still can hear loud bangs. Last night (27th of December) he was so stressed from the fireworks. I tried to comfort him. It is not just his life that is stopped, mine too. I drop everything when we hear a bang. I have to sit with him. I cannot work since he needs me. He fell asleep because he was up all evening, terrified from the fireworks. And another fireworks at one in the morning. It was loud enough to woke me up. Of course Charlie heard it too. I comforted him again, he fell asleep, and another fireworks at three in the morning.
What happens to those pets that their owners cannot be home with them all the time? Is it not sad that they will never understand that they are safe from those loud bangs?
This is our lives before and after new year. My Charlie lives in fear. Other dogs and cats live in fear. Wild animals live in fear. We even change our routines so we can take many walks before it gets dark. Guess what? They shoot fireworks at one in the afternoon too. So our day gets shorter and shorter.
If Charlie lives a long life. Let’s say until 15 years old. He will have to go through this ten more times. I will see my dog being scared to death ten more times. We will see dead animals every year after new year. People celebrate their lives when those poor animals’ lives end.
Aren’t we a selfish species?