Caring for pets in the festive season

Every year, Chetpet resident Vaishnavi J. struggles during Deepavali. Her two dogs are irate and terrified with the noise of firecrackers, and she has tried everything from anti-anxiety pills to industrial noise protector ear muffs and white noise to drown out the sounds.

“One year, when we couldn’t bear it any longer, we went to a mall’s underground parking lot. That was the only time we had total peace,” she said.

For pets and pet owners, this is a difficult time of the year, said Shravan Krishnan, founder, Hotel for Dogs. “We tell dog owners to put a tag on their pets with a name and phone number in case they get scared and run away. Try to leash your dog and don’t force the dog to do anything — they may hide under the bed if they are scared, so let them do that,” he said.

Hotel for Dogs, along with two other organisations, Cloud 9 Kennel and Nursing Care and Save Earth for Next Generation, have formed a 24-hour rescue team on Deepavali, he said. The team will be available for rescues, treatment and provide ambulance services for animals and birds that may be injured.

“Animals may not know there is a cracker at a particular spot and birds sometimes get injured too with firecrackers that explode in the air,” he said.

Veterinarian R. Sokkalingam at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said pet owners must be very careful around this time, especially of poisonous and flammable substances. “Make sure to wash your dogs’ feet once you come back from walks in case they have stepped near crackers,” he said, adding that last year they had seen over 20 dogs and a number of injured birds.

R. Jeyaprakash, director of clinics, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, said pet owners should stay with their pets throughout the day. “Mood modifiers can be tried. Take them outside only when there have been no crackers burst for at least half hour,” he said.

A note from the People from Cattle in India said that animals both at home and on the streets went through immense stress during this period.

Animals on the roads have a tendency to chew on leftovers and the sharp metals used in crackers can cause serious injuries to them, the note said.

The organisation has also set up a rescue team to attend to emergencies on October 28,29 and 30, and are providing name tags to pet owners.

For help with pets, call: phone numbers 7845018969, 9841588852 or 9789042295.