Dog owner calls for fireworks crackdown after pet dies from stroke

A dog owner whose pet died following fireworks has called for a crackdown on sales to the public.

Karen Clayton's Romanian rescue dog Lyssa is believed to have had a stroke caused by the stress of loud explosives earlier this month.

Mrs Clayton, who lives on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, said she used medication from the vets for Lyssa and her other Romanian rescue dog Toby on Guy Fawkes Night on November 5 because they are "absolutely terrified" of fireworks.

But she said five-year-old Lyssa was left "violently shaking" in a corner when there was an unorganised display on November 9.

Mrs Clayton said: "Lyssa started off her normal running around the house barking, she was wetting herself on the floor. Toby hid under the bed and was crying. We were trying to comfort them.

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"Then Lyssa started to slow down and she went in the corner against the wall and she was just violently shaking, looking up at the ceiling in the corner, wasn't really responding to us.

"The fireworks stopped but she stayed in the corner. In the end, I picked her up and put her on the bed. Then she did sleep but she was still shaking all night."

She said that in the morning Lyssa, who is described as healthy before the fireworks, did not want to get up for food or go for a walk.

She said: "I picked her up off the bed and she started to walk down the hallway but she kept falling over."

Mrs Clayton took her to the emergency vets and then her usual vets after she went downhill and lost control of the lower half of her body but she was put down days later.

She said: "I don't think members of the public should be able to buy fireworks. I think they should only be at licensed events and they should only be at certain times.

"I don't think any fireworks should be sold to members of the public. People need to realise that it's not only our dogs, there's horses, cats, wildlife, people with PTSD."

Labour MP Sarah Owen is pushing for new laws to ban the loudest fireworks and restrict their sale to licensed shops.

She said: "This story is heartbreaking, and the loss of a pet is always a really difficult thing to have to deal with.

"Our fireworks laws just are not fit for purpose. We know from the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and countless other charities the effect ad-hoc displays from members of the public using powerful explosives have on pets, causing stress, anxiety and in this case, heartbreakingly, death.

"Organised and professional displays allow for pet owners, those with PTSD or families to plan around and make arrangements, but the thousands of private displays don't allow this advance planning.

"My Bill aims to restrict both the noise and the power of fireworks that can be bought by the public, banning the louder rockets that cause so much of this pain. It will also close the licensing loopholes that allow unlicensed sellers to sell powerful fireworks at this time of year.

"I hope MPs and the Government will support it, so there are fewer stories like this every Autumn."

A petition with more than one million signatures was handed in to Downing Street ahead of Bonfire Night calling for tighter restrictions on the use of fireworks.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: "We are sorry to hear of the death of a beloved pet dog and our thoughts are with the owner during this time.

"We endeavour to keep pets and the public safe and have launched a new fireworks safety campaign to help people use them safely and appropriately."