Lighten up Deepavali for our 'pawsome' buddies

CHENNAI: In the heaving bustle of celebrations, with glittering skies from the soaring firecrackers, the cheers of Deepavali, then there are those creatures surrounding us, who do not see the light and life in the roister.

A celebration, harming the life of others, isn’t really fun, which Sai Vignesh, founder of Almighty Animal Care Trust believes.

Residing among his rescue animals in his farm in Tiruvallur, the 23-year-old animal activist highlights how firecrackers can affect the lives of animals, stating, “Deepavali isn’t about firing crackers, it’s a festival of lights, not of sounds. Not just dogs or cats, but crackers even affect the cattle. Every year, thousands of fire accidents occur, resulting in animals losing their lives and also being disabled permanently. Some people deliberately throw crackers on animals, which is even more horrifying.”

Sai Vignesh also elucidates on how the meat consumption increases during Deepavali festivities. “There will be a surge in consumption of goats, cows and chickens, which, as an animal activist, it’s sad to see the throats of the animals getting slit when people are gathering for a celebration,” the social activist adds.

The life of Bharath Surya, a manager at a start-up and an animal rescuer from Happy Paws in Mogappair, seconded Vignesh, as he is also on a mission to safeguard the tender lives of stray animals.

“We definitely see a spike in the number of rescues during Deepavali. The animals, with their fear for the sounds of crackers, run haywire, in search of safe shelter. In this process, they get hit by vehicles sustaining brutal injuries. We also see a lot of pets running out of their homes due to this fear. Not to forget the adverse effect the fireworks have on the environment, drastically affecting the birds,” Bharath explains.

Domesticated animals, having a roof on top of their head, and a loving family, still go through the unfavorable effects of the celebration of lights. They become anxious and restless, shivering until the noise settles in the night. Pet boarding, being an appropriate solution for pet parents to leave their furry animals to, sometimes might not be the apt choice to make. “Dogs expect the human touch of their close ones during the time of panic. Also, they will feel abandoned when they’re put in a boarding, making them assume any place outside home to be very noisy and traumatic, ending up with a permanent fear of the outdoors,” explains Sowmiya Kaarthikh, Managing Director at Dogtopia pet boarding and resort at Madipakkam.

In order to help the indoor furry creatures, Sowmiya urges pet parents to create a small cozy place where the pet can curl up and lie down. “There are mufflers available for dogs to protect them from loud noises. Most importantly, all pets need their family around when they feel vulnerable,” she adds.