Durban - Animals bore the brunt of Diwali and Guy Fawkes celebrations, say animal rights advocates.
Tanya Fleischer, marketing manager at Durban and Coast SPCA, said since 4pm on Monday, their inspectorate team had collected 65 stray animals.
“This figure does not account for stray animals found and brought to us by the public, as these figures have not been counted as yet as we’ll see some being brought in over the next few days.
“Often people find strays and attempt to find the owners before giving up and bringing them to us,” Fleischer said.
She said a handful of owners had claimed their dogs while others were calling in to report their lost pets.
“Compared to last year, the call-outs were on par. Although it seemed as though there where fewer firework displays in some areas, the bangs seemed to be louder in others,” she said.
Neeri Naidoo, co-founder of Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment (Pact), said they could not accurately assess the impact yet.
“Not everyone is quick to call, so the aftermath is usually a week or two after,” Naidoo said.
On Wednesday night they patrolled the area from 7 pm to 12 pm.
They found one dead cat, two dead dogs and three injured dogs.
“We received at least 10 calls from the morning, with people reporting missing animals,” she said.
Naidoo urged people to report animals they see along the road because it might be a missing animal.
“People should also get their animals micro-chipped because it makes it easier to try and find the owner,” she said.
Naidoo said 10 to 15 animals died and at least 25 were injured in the area during the same period last year.
“We managed to educate people about the effects of fireworks, and I also think because of the economy, people cannot afford to burn their money,” she said.
The metro police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad, said most people had adhered to the limits.
“We received 36 complaints, and most were attended to. Most of the complaints were about a neighbour’s fireworks landing on another neighbour’s property,” Sewpersad said.
He said in certain areas, it sounded like rolling thunder, after sunset.
“By 10.30pm, it had quietened down tremendously,” said Sewpersad.