Redwings Horse Sanctuary’s petition asking the Government to reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks from 120 to 90 decibels has reached 100,000 signatures. It means the UK Government and Parliament petition must now be considered for debate.
The charity is asking people to keep signing and sharing by following this link.
Research, including a Redwings survey of over 5,000 UK horse owners, suggests that reducing the permitted noise levels for fireworks could reduce their negative impact, and hopefully result in fewer horse deaths.*
The charity itself has lost three of its own rescued residents in the past and with Bonfire Night taking place tomorrow (Wednesday) their preparations have been in place all week.
They have hundreds of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, many of whom have previously endured cruelty or neglect, living at Visitor Centres in Norfolk, Essex, Warwickshire and Angus, Scotland, as well as other sanctuary sites.
Helen Whitelegg, Redwings’ Campaigns and Policy Manager, said: “It takes a lot of effort to try to protect our rescued residents from the negative effects fireworks can have on them and, unfortunately, we know from experience that our best efforts are not always enough.”
Amongst the techniques employed are additional evening monitoring; provision of supplementary feed; the removal of temporary electric fencing and delays to changes in herd management, such as reintroducing a horse who has been under veterinary care.
Helen continued: “It’s several years since Cinders, Sprite and Percy died in incidents relating to fireworks being let off near Redwings but, having seen for ourselves the awful suffering fireworks can cause, the season will always be an anxious time under current fireworks regulations.
“Staff at our Ada Cole Visitor Centre, in Essex, have already been contending with fireworks being let off close by every night for the past two weeks.
“One of the horses who lives with us at Ada Cole worked himself up into a state during a fireworks display nearby on Saturday. Our horses usually live out, but he is in on box rest in the barn due to laminitis and was sweating to the point he was foaming and pacing his stable.
“It took two members of staff over an hour to collect just part of the debris from the display, which had landed in the fields our horses live in, earlier today, and there’s more to do tomorrow.” (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO)
Redwings launched their Keep Horse in Mind campaign last year and are also working with other charities and individuals to raise awareness, gather information and seek changes to legislation.
An MP drop-in event is taking place in Westminster next week organised by the Fireworks Impact Coalition (formerly the Fireworks Working Group) with the aim of influencing those with the power to bring about chance. The Coalition is made up of 19 charities, including Redwings, who represent both animals and humans impacted by fireworks, from assistance dogs and zoo animals to military veterans and people living with PTSD. The event will take place on Wednesday 12th November between 1.30pm – 4.45pm, in Dining Room B, House of Commons. A template letter, asking your MP to attend, is available here and you can find your MP’s contact details here
To find out more about Redwings’ work on fireworks – including advice and resources to help horse owners prepare – please visit: www.redwings.org.uk/fireworks
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