Illegal Fireworks Can Kill Family Members, Whether You Know It Or Not

Twice a year dog owners take the time to brace themselves for the inevitable idiocy of private citizens firing off illegal or other fireworks in their neighborhood streets. More times than naught, someone, somewhere, no matter how prepared, pays the price when an ill-timed surprise boom goes off from the house down the street and scares their family pet.

On a few occasions, I have been a peer or neighbor of such a tragedy and of late, I found a neighbor's dog after it was startled by an illegal firework. But in this case, what I found were remains of their pup on the the nearby freeway. The header image is all that I dare post, the rest was just too much to bear or look at again.

I did not appreciate the ass-hat who set off the firework that petrified this poor pup to charge head on, out of fear, to wherever her feet would take her. I did not appreciate having to look closely at the remains of this poor victim of stupidity.

What tore my heart out was when we contacted the owners and watched their grief come forth as they confirmed it was indeed their pup, the love of their life, laid out there between freeway lanes. And with them, my heart broke for them and while they stood in shock, I cried for them.

All because of an illegal and "fun" firework that was set off.

This isn't the first time I've been privy to someone I know losing a dog to fireworks and it probably won't be the last time.

When a pup gets scared, it runs. It does not use its brain. It does not use its training. It does not use habit. Nature takes over and they just all out, run and run and run. Logic goes out the window. Normal reasoning is gone. It's the fear that takes over and drives them until they're exhausted. They don't look, they don't slow, they just run.