'We had to put our beloved dog down after she was spooked by fireworks'

A couple were forced to put their beloved dog down after she was spooked by fireworks and broke both of her legs.

Sharon Fane, 57 and her husband Roger, 59, had to put their greyhound Raven down after the incident on November 5, 2018. Raven broke both of her front legs after hearing the loud bangs and bolting out the door of a restaurant in Warwick where the couple were enjoying a week’s holiday.

The eight-year-old dog was put down a month later in December after her stitches came undone and vets were unable to sew the wound back up. Sharon, a dental nurse from Thanet in Kent, said the incident was 'one of the most traumatic moments of our lives'.

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She now takes extra precautions to keep their two other greyhounds, Diago and Khelessie, calm as fireworks go off, including by sedating Diago. She also wants to urge others to be more considerate of pets around Bonfire Night.

She said: "Years ago we would have been at the fireworks but I can’t go now. It’s such a big price for (animals) to pay for a little firework party.

"It’s just not worth it any more. We can’t even take our dogs out into the garden to go to the toilet until everyone has gone to bed."

Describing the moment Raven broke her legs, Sharon said she and Roger were having breakfast in a café in Warwick at around 10am on Bonfire Night in 2018 when they heard fireworks go off. The loud bangs spooked Raven, whose lead was tied to the back of a chair.

Sharon said: "She took off with the chair. She only went about 20 yards but when we caught up with her, she’d broken both her front legs.

"I remember the day before we went to visit Warwick Castle and it was a lovely day, people were stopping to say how beautiful our dog was. Then the next morning that happened. It just doesn’t feel real."

They carried Raven, who weighed around 65 pounds, back to their car, and after trying a number of vets, drove to a practice in Coventry. Raven received £5,000 worth of treatment, including an operation on both legs, which was partially covered by their insurance.

After returning home, Raven’s bandages needed changing every few days, but three weeks later her stiches started coming undone. When Sharon and Roger took Raven to see their local vet, they were told there was not enough flesh to restitch the wound.

Sharon said: "They said because her other leg was broken, that we would have to let her go." Asked what advice she would give people who are planning to set off fireworks this week, she said: "I had a big think about this and I think it would be really nice for people to consider letting their neighbours know."

Purchasing 'lower noise fireworks' and setting them off only on weekends before and after bonfire night would also help pet owners prepare. "Because we live in quite a built-up area, you get fireworks night after night for weeks sometimes," she said.

Encouraging people to attend official firework events rather than setting them off at home would also ensure pet owners are not caught off guard. "If you are still tempted to have fireworks at home, maybe look at the interactive map that the RSPCA has created to see how many animals and people might be impacted by them," Sharon said.

Since the heart-breaking incident, Sharon and Roger have started taking extra precautions with their dog Diago, who is also terrified of fireworks. She said: "For the past couple years we’ve had to sedate him with a vet-prescribed sedative called Sileo.

"But it’s difficult to choose what night to sedate him and you can’t do it every night. If the weather is bad, people drag it on for weeks and you can’t tell when it’s going to happen."

This year, the couple are planning to use over-the-counter calming tablets instead, and have purchased a range of other relaxing products. Sharon added: "We’ve got room sprays, plugins, calming wipes that you can rub around their face and a comfort coat.

"We also listen to the firework music that our radio station plays to help calm pets. It all makes a little bit of difference because it’s just horrific watching him."

Sharon said she would like the government to establish a shorter time limit on when people can set off fireworks and reduce the noise level. According to the RSPCA, around 14 million people are expected to hold private firework displays at home or with family and friends in the UK over the coming week.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: "This firework season we’re calling on the nation to remember their neighbours - including pets, wildlife and farmed animals - who find fireworks distressing because of the impact it has on their animals.

"We don’t want people to feel bad about fireworks, but there are simple changes anyone can make to reduce the impact displays have on their neighbours and animals, and ensure they’re enjoying the fun responsibly. By arming people with information and guidance we hope to build greater compassion and actions that benefit people and animals.

"As part of our Kind Sparks campaign, we hope to encourage actions which benefit both people and animals. To find out more and access the RSPCA’s interactive map visit: www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks."

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