The way a human experiences Diwali is very different from the way dogs experience it. While you might enjoy the colourful crackers that light up the night sky during this festival, dogs cannot keep their calm and get scared of the loud noises.
Elmo isn’t a dog who is frightened of things, but during Diwali, it’s a different story. “When loud crackers are lit up, Elmo will start running towards the window and start barking to see what’s wrong outside. As Diwali night progresses and the crackers continue to make noise, he will cry and run all around the house like a maniac trying to warn us that something terrible is coming. After he tires himself out, he will run to me, put his head on my lap, and shiver and cry. Elmo hates cuddling during this time and avoids human touch as much as possible. When he does this, we know he is really scared!” says Abhir Agarwal, Elmo’s parent.
Rambo is two years old and last year during Diwali, his parent Nupur Chaudhuri could see how anxious and nervous the crackers made him.
“Particularly the bombs, the ladis and the rockets that burst in the sky. He refused to go downstairs for walks and either followed one of us everywhere or sat under the dining table. Also, our two dogs Sultan and Ghost — who are not scared of anything — get very agitated when crackers are burst. They bark more and react to the loud sounds,” she says.
Even Buddy, who isn’t bothered by people talking loudly or animals fighting and making a noise, goes hysterical during the festival. Yash Bhosle, his parent, says, “He mostly finds a safe abode for himself under the bed or the dining table. This is because maybe he knows the sound of firecrackers is something he cannot control or stop and that makes him frantic.”
How to help your pet keep calm
Chaudhuri shares that she keeps talking to Rambo and tells him that there is nothing to be scared of. But she points that each dog is different, quite like how no two babies are alike. Being present with your pet through this difficult time is very important. “Be with your pets during this period to lessen their anxiety, let them find a safe spot and remain there till they feel like, shut the windows and balcony doors so as to lessen the impact of the cracker noise, keep talking to them, play soothing music to distract them, hug them and make them feel safe with you around. These are things that we do and it works to a large extent. With Sultan and Ghost, the hugs and calming sounds work very well.”
Bhosle says that his pet is petrified of the smoke and sparks of firecrackers outside, so he draws the curtains and tries to divert Buddy’s attention.
Agarwal suggests putting on the television to drown the sound of firecrackers. “I usually walk him early evening before crackers start or late night after everyone is done bursting crackers. In between if I need to step out and he sees firecrackers lit everywhere, he freaks out,” says Agarwal.
Celebrate without noise nuisance
After the ban of firecrackers in the capital, parents of pets in Pune claim that they couldn’t be happier if the firecracker ban was imposed in Pune as well. Bhosle states, “Why hasn’t the judiciary considered imposing the same law in Pune and other cities too? I’d like to at least hope that the city ends the human-animal conflict, starting from celebrating a noise-free Diwali!”
But it’s not only out of their concern for their pet that they advocate a noise-free festival. “Elmo is lucky to have a home where he is taken care of. There are thousands of homeless animals on the streets who have nowhere to go. So many kids even abuse animals by tying crackers to their tails or bursting it right next to them. It’s very dangerous and inhuman. I hope that we see a firecracker ban all over India,” says Agarwal.
Further explaining how bursting crackers affects the dogs that live on the streets, Chaudhuri says, “So many strays and pets get displaced from their areas because they are running away from the sound — this in turn results in dog fights, dog bites and so on. Purely as my pet’s parent, I’d support a ban on crackers but we have to also think about how it’s going to affect the people in the chain of production and supply of firecrackers.”
Leaving us with a good point to ponder upon, she adds, “A ban would be good if it is well thought out because some people’s livelihoods depend on the sale of crackers. We all know how the recent liquor ban affected so many people and how that whole fiasco turned out.”
