Petition to ban fireworks for entertainment in Nova Scotia – Halifax Pi News

For many, fireworks are a celebration. But for animals, the continuous loud popping of bright lights can have a different effect.

“Panic, that’s the main thing, they don’t understand, they don’t know what’s going on,” said Hugh Sisholm, a retired veterinarian in Nova Scotia.

Shisholm said panic can lead to irregular behaviors.

“They do not know what to do, so they run, keep running. Look at the social media after the fireworks display, you will see ‘missing dog, missing dog, horse injured’.

In January, a family in Canning, NS, was forced to put down their beloved horse after being injured in a firecracker run.

That incident prompted the creation of the Change.org petition to ban consumer crackers. In the last few months, it has received more than 14,000 signatures.

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With the summer months approaching – usually the prime time for fireworks – the group behind the petition is trying to pressure the government to enforce the ban.

However, the provincial government says it has no intention of banning fireworks for entertainment and that many municipalities have laws in place to address the issue.

Hugh Sisholm says they did not go far enough.

“Noise rules don’t work because half the time you don’t know where the fireworks are exploding,” he said.

“Half the time the police don’t have time to deal with it or by the time they get there, it’s over, so we have to have some restrictions, some restrictions.”

In Nova Scotia, areas where there is a fire ban are currently prohibited from exploding fireworks, a measure that is updated daily.

The petitioner contends that they have not yet been deterred by the Government’s response and will continue to put pressure on the elected authorities.