Have we honestly come to a point where we enjoy ourselves shamelessly at the price of another’s torture? Especially during festivals.
I know people might lash out at this statement and tell me it’s their religious sentiments I am impinging on. I am not hurting anyone’s feelings, or saying that celebrating festivals is wrong. All I am saying is if our celebration causes stress, anxiety, and even death in some cases, then it is unacceptable. Here, I am not talking about our fellow humans, but the furry four-legged angels whom we conveniently forget during these times. Do you even realise the sheer torture animals go through when we light up that rassi bomb next to them, or, as a prank, kids tie crackers to their tails just to see their reaction? What have we, the human race, become when we cannot even understand the suffering we put these animals through during festival time? Have you noticed how dogs walk around with their tails between their legs? Yes, it’s because they are shit scared.
Let me break it down for someone who feels I am blowing things out of proportion. There are reasons why these animals experience these heightened levels of anguish. Try to read it from a ‘humane’ perspective.
Animals Are Extremely Sensitive To Noise And Light
Animals can hear noises that the human ear cannot. The sheer loud burst of noise without notice brings about a substantial level of discomfort to their ears, to the point that it’s unbearable to them. Bursting crackers right in their vision can cause temporary or permanent blindness.
Animals Perceive Fireworks As Danger
Since these pre-planned human celebrations are unannounced for animals, the sudden noise and light pose a danger to their otherwise peaceful everyday lives. They feel threatened, and often act out of fear by running onto roads which could result in accidents and fatal injuries.
Animals Feel Trapped
Since we take our celebrations everywhere, without sparing a spot, the animals have nowhere to hide from the fireworks bursting in every direction. They are stuck in their place and have to go through the ordeal for hours, alone, scared, anxious, and fearful.
The Streets Are Their Home, Not Ours
We are fortunate to have a roof over our heads for a peaceful night’s sleep, but strays have to make the streets their home. When our celebrations get out of hand, we destroy their homes, and we harm their families—pups, kittens, and all baby animals run away, get lost, and are even killed. How do you think a toddler would react if they were to be put next to loud fireworks and celebrations? That same logic applies to these animals who haven’t the slightest hint of what’s going on, nor anyone to care for them.
I know celebrating festivals is a big part of our culture, but we can also do that with dance and music. When did fireworks become a compulsion? Just because we may not have pets, will we turn a blind eye to the unwarranted torture we put animals through? Being a proud cat owner myself, I know how my cats jump and run under the bed hearing even a single firecracker being burst downstairs. Can you imagine the effect the jarring sound and light has on un-housed street animals? They will be traumatised for weeks, or even months. We are supposed to be the most intelligent species on the planet, and yet we are the ones inflicting the most pain on others. How do we expect animals to understand when we claim to be the smartest of them all? Why can’t we be more empathetic and keep our celebrations harmless? I urge you to keep the fireworks at minimum or at least not burst them next to an animal’s home.
Please stop people from performing cruel pranks on these animals and report them immediately.
Please shut your windows and curtain at home to reduce your pet’s stress as much as possible.
Please provide adequate food to strays during the festival time because they usually starve themselves due to anxiety.
Please attend to injured animals and take them to the nearest animal shelter, they need all the help you can give.
Please do your bit to save our strays and pets. Just because they are strays or non-human animals doesn’t mean we trample all over them. They deserve a peaceful and safe life, as we all do.
It’s a small price to pay to show that we have still have humanity left, and do our bit as individuals to love and support these selflessly loving creatures!