On the January 2, we came home from holiday to find our Tiffany stuck in our front door gate – she was dead. Tiffy has always been petrified of fire crackers and would look for a place to hide. I have tried all the calming pills on the market and nothing worked with her.
I got my niece to come and look after our doggies (we have three) and she came every second day to feed and play with them. She was at our home on Saturday, December 31, and they were all fine. On Old Year’s Eve 2015 we were at home and Tiffy got scared of the crackers and squeezed herself through the gate and tore all the tendons in her back leg.
So last year I decided to put chicken fence on the gate so that she does not try and squeeze through again.
When we got home we saw that Tiffy had chewed the fence to get in she had torn her mouth to pieces ripping the wire apart. She squeezed through and was bleeding all over the front door. It looks like she tried to get out again and her leg slipped on one of the bars and got stuck. She tried to free herself and broke her leg in a few places.
Our little yorkie, Melvin, tried to save Tiffy and has broken all his teeth. She must have suffered terribly and must have cried a lot. What gets me is that none of the neighbours came to check what was going on; no one called the security company or even the animal anti cruelty to find out why our Tiffy was crying like that.
I belong to a community group and one of the ladies on there put a message up on Old Year’s Eve saying “what kind of people go on holiday and leave their dogs to cry like this over New Year’s?”
My message to that lady is, what kind of people don’t get up to check what is going on? If someone had checked, my Tiffy might have been alive today.
Someone on Facebook had said “people with animals should get sitters to watch their dogs when they go on holiday, they get a baby sitter to watch their kids then they should get one to watch their dogs. Why you blaming the crackers you should blame yourself.”
We should be looking out for each other and not quick to comment and judge on things if we don’t have all the facts. When my neighbour’s dog barks or something doesn’t sound right I go and check to see if they are OK. One day my neighbour’s gate opened and they didn’t see it and went to work while their doggies were running in the street. I called the security company, they got hold of the owners and came and sat at the house until the owners returned.
Clearly, I must be the only one that still does that.
Fire crackers need to be banned and communities need to catch a wake up and start looking out for each other.
Chantelle Habib
Councillor Marina van Wyk sent out a request to residents, for those who want to, to sign a petition against fireworks:
Thank you for all the letters I received against fireworks in residential areas. The DA is putting together a task team to come up with a proper solution for all. Every person has the right to a joyful Old Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, for many, it was a nightmare.
An idea is that we establish fireworks parks/zones where people can come together, have a picnic or something and set off their fireworks happily in a semi-controlled environment to prevent animal abuse and personal injury, as it happens every year.
People who don’t want to participate can stay away and also have a wonderful time without having to worry about their animals. A workable solution can be found.
Several animals died (I have letters and photos) and several people were also injured. Fireworks displays can be spectacular but not at the cost of causing devastation, injury and death to animals and people.
Should you wish to sign the petition you can log onto www.petitions24.com/the_total_ban_of_fireworks_displays_in_residential_areas
Clr Marina van Wyk
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