Guy Fawkes 2023: How Taupō SPCA is keeping pets calm on fireworks night

Taupō SPCA centre manager Crystal Ross-Waitai had plans in place to keep all shelter residents, including Holly the puppy, safe.

People across the Taupō district are being encouraged to think about their furry family members this Guy Fawkes Night.

Taupō's SPCA Centre is home to more animals than most, with dozens of cats, dogs, and even a couple of guinea pigs and rabbits currently finding shelter at the Centennial Drive building.

With the Drop Zone Big Bang fireworks evening happening next door at Owen Delany Park on Friday, November 3, a lot of planning is needed to keep the animals calm and happy.

Luckily, centre manager Crystal Ross-Waitai said, the staff, volunteers and fosterers who care for the animals have stepped up to help - albeit in a different way than usual.

Everyone will come together for a barbecue party at the centre, meaning there will be plenty of familiar faces and reassuring voices in each of the animal rooms to help keep the adoptees calm while the fireworks go off.

Ross-Waitai said with the return of the annual event, the team had planned lots of other steps to help the animals.

“We play high-frequency music, so it’s real soft - it actually calms them down.

“We also use calming sprays from the vet, which use pheromones to help calm them.

“Some of the rooms don’t have curtains, but we’ll be blocking off those windows with sheets and towels.

“We’re trying to send out as many high-anxiety animals to fosters so they’re in a home while they hold the fireworks.”

Many of these measures would be in place throughout the weekend, with the Big Bang event having a Saturday back-up date, and Guy Fawkes Night itself being on Sunday.

Lots of the strategies the centre uses also work well for pets at home, she said, but there was plenty more you could do to keep them happy and minimise risk.

The SPCA recommends staying home with your pet and keeping them indoors, with the TV or radio on at a normal volume.

Owners should also make sure animals have somewhere to hide, and take dogs for a walk before dusk to avoid them being out when fireworks might start going off.

Horses and farm animals should be kept in their normal paddocks unless there are fireworks planned nearby, but owners should check that they are free of hazards like protruding nails in case animals bolt.

Small animals should be thought about too, with SPCA recommending rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens are safely tucked away, or even kept inside for the night.

Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō and Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.

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