Festive revelry proves traumatic for animals
What’s festivity for us is traumatic for them. Those at home are an anxious lot, but those on the streets have a harrowing experience that starts days before Diwali. We are talking about four legged creatures and man’s supposed best friend — dogs, for whom the festival of lights turns into a nightmare.
Dog lovers in the capital agree whole-heartedly on this.
Says Sukhjinder Kaur, coordinator marketing and sports Prasar Bharati, who owns four dogs. “This is a difficult time not only for dogs, but also birds. I just don’t understand, there has been awareness about ‘say no to crackers’ in schools for the past few years, yet I see many actively bursting them. It’s sad that sometimes it’s parents who push their children to burst crackers.”
Animal lover Deepika Sharma, resident of Jorbagh, cordons off a service lane in her locality and keeps all the dogs there till Diwali is over.
“I put the bedding there along with food and water and stay with them, as they get really scared of the loud sound. Mild crackers like a chakri or anar is still okay, but bombs should be banned. They really scare birds and dogs. I get into random fights with children’s parents in my colony who question me as to why I tell their kids not to burst crackers. Sometimes, people even throw crackers from their terrace into the service lane where I am with the dogs,” she adds.
There’s no solution to this, as expecting people to stop bursting crackers is out of the question. Avers Sankalp B., a student and resident of Kailash Hills, “Our resident welfare association has been issuing a notice every year requesting everyone to burst crackers in the big open park to avoid any untoward incident. It’s disheartening to see that nobody cares. I feed dogs in my lane and they disappear during Diwali. My pet too, gets really anxious whenever kids burst crackers. Stuffing his ears with cotton or covering him with shawl or a heavy cloth doesn’t work.”
Kaur talks about her pet, who on hearing cracker sounds used to jump into her lap and shiver. She tried to cover him, but it didn’t help.
Sunanda Sharma, a student and member of People for Animals, says she tries to speak to kids wherever she can and tells them about the ill-effects of crackers.
“As kids don’t really know the consequences of their actions. I make them understand. If only animals could speak for themselves, they’d be able to convey what they go through,” she adds.
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