Fireworks terrorize pets | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As an advocate for the domesticated pets in the Salt Lake Valley, I want to make a plea to citizens: Please curtail your backyard and street fireworks. While I understand that the displays and revelry on the eve of the 4th and 24th of July, and on the holidays themselves, are important to some people, why do the fireworks start long before and go on long after the events themselves?

As a pet owner and lover, I observe the terror these animals go through when firecracker pops and booms occur starting at dusk and lasting for several hours. Our dog huddles in the back of the closet, shivering, for most of the month of July and won't go outside at night, even for business purposes.

So have your revelry for a day and then please be mindful of our furry, four-legged and winged friends the rest of the days of the month. Realize their hearing is much more acute than human hearing and they don't understand the concept of holiday fun.

Carol Jeffers

Salt Lake City