Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Some dread the festival of lights

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deepavali is the festival of lights. Over the years, it has also increasingly become a festival of noise. While the ‘atom bombs’, ‘mala’ crackers and ‘rocket bombs’ may provide hours of delight to people, the noise they generate cause hours of agony to animals, particularly dogs, which are very sensitive to noise.

It is not uncommon during such times for pet dogs to run away from their kennels — hopelessly disoriented by all the noise — and then find it impossible to find their way back.

When the crackers get going, dogs may exhibit signs of acute terror, says Latha Thampi, Zoo Watch activist. These including copious salivation, running in circles, trying to hide under a sofa or bed and refusing to eat and obey commands, Dr. Thampi said in an e-mail to The Hindu. The dog should be safely locked in the kennel and should only be let out when the owner is nearby. Before the dog is let out, the gates of the house should be locked. If there is no kennel in the house, the dog should be taken to a secluded area at the back of the house and chained securely.

A supply of fresh water should always be available for the animal.

A dog that tries to enter the house and hide under a sofa or bed should not be prevented from doing so.

There are pet owners who sedate their dogs during such times. However, this should only be done under the supervision of an experienced veterinarian, Dr. Thampi cautioned.

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