Every year around 5 November, animals across New Zealand are put at unnecessary risk due to the harmful effects of fireworks. Here we discuss the negative impact of fireworks on animals, people and the environment.

Fireworks are primarily used for recreation and human entertainment, despite the overwhelming evidence that they negatively impact domestic animals, wildlife and the environment.

Studies, both in New Zealand¹ and internationally² have documented the fear behaviours companion animals exhibit in response to fireworks. The sudden, unpredictable bursts of light and noise cause distress and anxiety in pets³.

Pet owners frequently report issues such as animals escaping, vocalising, trembling, urinating or defecating, and displaying destructive behaviours during fireworks displays. The negative impact on wildlife is also becoming more widely recognised, with effects that can extend far beyond what we see in our homes and neighbourhoods.

According to surveys, up to half the pet dog population react fearfully to fireworks⁵,  with over 15% of fearful dogs requiring several days or longer to recover from a firework event. Sadly some dogs (3%) show changes in their behaviour for weeks or months afterwards.

For our valued pets, fireworks are associated with a range of issues including:

Increased stress and anxiety: The loud noises and bright flashes can cause significant stress for pets and wildlife. Animals may react by hiding, fleeing, or displaying signs of panic.

Increased fear and disorientation: In response to fear, animals may respond by freezing, hiding or fleeing, depending on where they are in relation to the fireworks. Many animals that are not contained, such as horses, outdoor access cats, rabbits in outdoor hutches and birds in outdoor aviaries as well as wildlife, can become disoriented by the sounds and lights, they may panic and try to escape potentially leading to collisions with structures or other animals.

Increased potential for injuries: Animals may injure themselves while trying to escape the noise or become dangerous to handle or cause injury to humans due to their fear responses. In some cases, the strength of the fear response may lead to death. In a New Zealand survey, 26% of horse owners reported increased running in response to fireworks, often associated with fence-breaking and injury⁵.

Quality of life disruption: Fireworks negatively affect an animal’s quality of life in the short and sometimes longer term, and for wildlife fireworks may disrupt their breeding and feeding patterns, particularly in birds during nesting seasons.

So what can pet owners do to help their animals get through this time?

Short-term tactics

If fireworks events are imminent, then there are some actions you can take to prepare and provide for your pets safety during the period when fireworks are available for private sale and use.

Check your animal’s identification details are up to date: Whether this is their microchip details on our New Zealand Companion Animal Register, their ID tag or collar – ensure there is a way to identify your companion animal if they go missing.

Create a safe space: Set up a comfort area in your home where your dog/cat can feel safe during fireworks. Making a cosy den using a blanket, putting the animal’s favourite toys and making use of an item of your clothing to create familiar scents will help to keep the animal feeling secure.

Stay with your animal: Make sure that you are with your pet, and you keep your own emotions steady so they are not sensing anything from you and you’re able to help keep them feeling calm and safe.

If you can, sound-proof an area of the house: Close windows and doors and use white noise machines, classical music or even air fans to help mask the sound.

Other ways to reduce anxiety: There are other options to explore which may or may not work for your animal. For example, canine thundershirts (snug-fitting garments) can provide a sense of security for some anxious dogs, although you will need to test this before you use them during the firework period. Pheromonatherapy may also be useful – this refers to synthetic pheromones to influence the behavior and emotional state of animals, particularly pets. It is assumed to have an intrinsic effect on the emotional processing of animals. Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) plug-in diffusers available through vets, and placed around the house, resulted a reported improvement in dogs’ clinical signs during firework exposure⁶. There is also a feline version available that appears to be useful for reducing stress in cats.

Move your animal temporarily if appropriate: Horse owners are usually better advised, if they can, to remove their horses to another property where they know fireworks cannot be heard, however if this is not possible there is some guidance on this site about how to prepare your horse.

Consult your vet regarding medication: If you are extremely worried about how you pet’s will cope, and your animal’s fear and anxiety is severe, consult your vet who may recommend short term medication to help your pet manage during fireworks events.

Longer-term strategies

For those pet owners who know that they are likely to experience local private firework displays in advance. These involve systematically desensitising pets to the sorts of stimuli associated with fireworks. Studies have shown that owners who spend the time preparing their dogs (and cats) when they are at a young age – will see the benefits for their animals who are less reactive to triggers such as the loud bangs associated with guns, cars back firing and loud fireworks.

However for those who’s animals have already acquired a fear response there is a need to try to modify their emotional response through a combination of behaviour modification, environmental management, and sometimes medication from the veterinarian. Effective strategies to be used to prepare and/or manage your animal’s emotional response include:

Desensitising through gradual exposure: Start by playing recordings of fireworks at a low volume when the animal is in a calm state, gradually increasing it as your dog becomes more comfortable, but never pushing the animal out of his comfort zone.

Use of positive reinforcement: Pairing the gradual introduction (low volume) of the fireworks sounds with treats, toys, or playtime to create positive associations.

You can also reach out to an accredited professional to provide advice and support for you and your animal during this time. You can see a list of those people accredited by Companion Animals New Zealand here.

Fireworks are fraught with risks for animals, causing distress, fear, and even physical harm. It’s crucial to recognise these dangers and take proactive steps to prepare ahead of time, helping to ensure your animal's well-being and safety, and allowing them to get through fireworks season with less stress and fear. Your pet depends on you to protect them—let's make sure they feel safe when the fireworks begin.

References

Dale A.R., Walker J.K., Farnworth M.J., Morrissey S.V., Waran N.K. A survey of owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand. N. Z. Vet. J. 2010;58:286–291. 
Overall K.L., Dunham A.E., Frank D. Frequency of nonspecific clinical signs in dogs with separation anxiety, thunderstorm phobia, and noise phobia, alone or in combination. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2001;219:467–473. 
Gates, MC, Zito, S, Walker, JK, and Dale, AR (2019). Owner perceptions and management of the adverse behavioural effects of fireworks on companion animals: an update. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 67, 323–328.
Riemer, S., 2019. Not a one-way road—Severity, progression and prevention of firework fears in dogs. PLoS One, 14(9), p.e0218150.
Gronqvist, G, Rogers, C, and Gee, E (2016). The management of horses during fireworks in New Zealand. Animals 6, 20.
Sheppard, G. and Mills, D.S., 2003. Evaluation of dog‐appeasing pheromone as a potential treatment for dogs fearful of fireworks. Veterinary Record, 152(14), pp.432-436.

As the weather cools at this time of year and we start to feel the cold, there is an often misplaced perception among many horse owners that their animal must also be getting cold and will need to be rugged. But before dashing out to cover our horses up, it's worth considering if this is actually the case? Or are we making them “too hot to trot”?

Over-rugging can be problematic for horse comfort and wellbeing. It is important to know how to strike the right balance for our climate and the needs of your individual horse.

Our New Zealand climate

New Zealand has a diverse climate. While it ranges from subtropical in the far north to temperate in the south, it also includes extremes and microclimates in the coastal and mountainous regions. Our country’s weather patterns are heavily influenced by our maritime location and mountainous terrain, resulting in variable conditions throughout the year. Winters can be chilly – especially in the southern regions – but much of the country enjoys mild temperatures for a significant portion of the year.

We are great at planning our own outfits for NZ’s variable weather, but it can be tricky to interpret how our horses experience the same conditions. It is important to remember, horses don’t feel the cold in the same way that we do. The temperature range that a healthy adult horse will feel comfortable in, where they can regulate their own body temperature is between 5°C and 25°C.

Research suggests that horses only begin feeling the cold below 5°C . That’s well below when we throw on a jacket. Horses are extremely efficient at regulating their body temperature, which they do by eating more forage, seeking shelter, reducing the blood flow to the limbs (to reduce heat loss), increased movement and shivering. As winter approaches, a horse will naturally grow their coat in response to the shortening day length. Therefore, although well intentioned, putting a rug on when the horse’s body has already started prepping for winter, may be negative for their health and wellbeing.

The risks associated with over-rugging:

One of the primary concerns with rugging is overheating, particularly during periods of mild or fluctuating weather or when horses are highly active. Under normal conditions, horses will actively respond to cold or hot temperatures by seeking shelter or shade. Unfortunately, the horse cannot escape from a rug (easily) and so cannot regulate their own temperature.
Sadly, there are some horse owners who choose to keep a rug on their horse 24/7. When horses are constantly covered, their skin may become sweaty and damp, creating an ideal environment for skin issues such as dermatitis and fungal infections. In addition, they will miss out on the benefits of sunlight on a large part of their body and research shows that this can affect the level of the Vitamin D the horse needs for remaining healthy.
Rugs aren’t a natural attire for a horse. They don’t always fit well and can be too tight or too loose. They can also impede the horse’s free movement and reduce some of the benefits horses get from natural behaviours such as rolling and grooming each other. In addition, when the weather is nasty, rugs sometimes leak and can become heavy when wet and muddy. They need to be regularly checked for comfort and dryness, and a spare rug should be available for these circumstances.

So - when is a rug needed?

First and foremost, not all horses require the same level of protection. Factors such as age, breed, body condition, and health status, coupled with the environmental conditions, and access to feed and shelter, all influence a horse’s tolerance to cold temperatures. Older horses or those with underlying health issues may benefit from additional insulation, whereas younger, healthier horses may do well with little to no coverage. If a horse has little body fat (a fat score of less than two on a scale of 0 to 5), a rug will be needed if temperatures drop. The horse’s legs, ears or face are not the best areas to indicate how cold they are, instead their neck, withers and body temperature should be assessed.

There is no strict rule for NZ’s conditions. 10°C is a good benchmark for when rugging could be considered (but not necessarily implemented for the reasons given earlier). For instance, research shows that horses with a thick winter coat, can comfortably tolerate temperatures well below freezing (0°C) without the need for rugs, especially if they have access to shelter from the elements and good quality feed. The latter supports the horse by providing them with adequate energy to stay warm. Conversely, horses that have been clipped, or those moving from warmer too cooler climates and therefore not acclimated nor equipped with a thick coat, may benefit from rugging to maintain comfort and prevent chilling.

After taking into account your horse’s individual needs, the next step is to consider the weather conditions they will encounter. Autumn brings cooler nights followed by warm days. Therefore, a rug might be appropriate at night, but should be removed during the day. Autumn daytime temperatures can soar to nearly 20°C in some areas and if it's not possible to remove the night rug, the horse will be too hot. Even a light cotton rug challenges a horse’s ability to thermoregulate as temperatures rise; one Australian study showed that whilst the cotton rugs intended to reduce fly irritation might serve that purpose, they also resulted in heat stress in horses when the temperatures were above 25°C.

Letting horses decide

Researchers in one creative study taught horses to ‘vote with their muzzles’; the horses learned to touch symbols which represented whether they wanted their rug on or off. ¹ Interestingly, no horse preferred a rug on when experiencing temperatures above 20°C. Even at 10°C the horses showed a preference for ‘no rug’, however this was dependent on other weather conditions, such as wind and rain together (opted for the rug) or more sun (opted against the rug). In addition, older horses were more likely to choose a rug on when temperatures reduced. While we can’t all enrol our horse in a preference study, we can take note of the research related to horse preferences and observe what our horses are doing. Are they seeking shade, even when we feel comfortable? Is their coat hot or damp under their rug? Are they breathing more than they would on a cool day? (An adult horse’s normal resting respiratory rate is around 8 – 16 breaths a minute). If you notice any of these signs, take note of the weather, and try removing the rug when conditions are similar.

Concluding thoughts

Reevaluating our approach to horse rugging in New Zealand demands a nuanced understanding of our diverse climate and the individual needs of our equine companions. The risks associated with over-rugging emphasise the importance of striking the right balance between protection and allowing horses to regulate their body temperature naturally.

With temperatures varying across the islands and seasons, there's no one-size-fits-all rule for rugging horses. Instead, horse owners must consider factors such as coat thickness, health status, age of horse and prevailing weather conditions to make informed decisions. By staying attentive to their horses' cues and consulting with equine professionals, we can ensure the well-being and comfort of our equine partners while navigating the complexities of New Zealand's climate.

If you have specific questions about your horse’s health, speak to your vet.

1 - Study: Horses can Communicate Blanketing Preferences – The Horse