“Have a heart, don’t take part!”

Leading pet charity Blue Cross is urging people to “Have a heart, don’t take part!” when it comes to hosting or attending at-home fireworks displays. It launched its campaign with a giant ECG monitor at the Southbank Centre in London, to warn the public about the impact that ‘at home’ fireworks can have on the health of our pets.

Many pets can react negatively to the sound of fireworks, causing their blood pressure and heart rate to rise. And with councils across London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Dundee, Glasgow and Cardiff axing their public firework events due to the cost-of-living crisis, Blue Cross fears a spike in private ‘at home’ displays this year – putting the health of our much-loved pets at risk.

New research* by Blue Cross, which found that:

• 60% of UK pets are fearful of fireworks – with the most common reactions including shaking, panting, and bolting
• Almost two thirds (62%) of pet owners believe there should be a ban on fireworks in residential gardens
• Over a third (36%) of the public admit that don’t tell neighbours when they are going to let fireworks off
• Over half the nation (56%) are likely to attend an ‘at home’ fireworks display this year

Becky Skyrme, animal behaviourist at Blue Cross, said,“Even though many people are somewhat aware of the impact fireworks have on pets, they may not understand the severity of the issue – leading them to prioritise fireworks over pet welfare – however, every year thousands of pets will suffer as a result of fireworks being let off.

“That is why we are excited to launch our Have a Heart, Don’t Take Part campaign on Thursday by constructing a giant EGC monitor to raise awareness of the shocking effect fireworks have on pets. We would like to invite Londoners to come down and visit Blue Cross at the activation to learn more about how we can enjoy fireworks but with our pet’s safety in mind.”

* About the research