Broxbourne Council is calling on all residents to make Bonfire Night safe for pets and vulnerable people.
Every year animals are seriously injured and sometimes die as a result of the stress caused by loud explosions on November 5. This year, Broxbourne Council has written to business owners asking for them to stock lower noise alternatives.
These options still provide the flashes, whizzes and bangs that people love to hear, but in a manner that is much less likely to put beloved pets and vulnerable family and friends at risk.
In the approach to Bonfire Night, councillors voted to make a real difference this year. A motion passed at a Council meeting in July committed the Council to raising awareness of the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people, requiring all public fireworks displays to be advertised in advance of the event, and encouraging local suppliers to stock ‘quieter’ fireworks.
Councillor Linda Russell, who proposed the motion, said:
“The Council recognises the pleasure and enjoyment that fireworks can bring to our community throughout the year to mark different events. However, we are also aware that fireworks can cause injury and fear to some people and animals.
“We have agreed to adopt the motion proposed by the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which provides for an appropriate balance between the enjoyment of fireworks and the interests of all residents and the protection of animals.”
Broxbourne Councillors also agreed to write to the government urging it to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of fireworks sold for private displays to 90 decibels. The current limit is 120db, which is close to the volume of a jet taking off.