“Bring your guinea pigs, rabbits inside if you need to.”
Closing all doors and windows, drawing curtains and turning on the TV and radio could muffle the bangs and cover up the flashes.
Owners staying inside with their pets would also reassure them and prevent them from becoming stressed.
There were products available to help with pet anxiety, such as the Thundershirt for dogs and Feliway spray for cats.
Wilson recommended owners check their pets’ microchips were up to date to make locating them easier if they do run away.
Farmers should check on their stock if fireworks were being set off nearby.
“People forget about the farm animals; just keep an eye on them, keep them closer to your house,” Wilson said.
Ideally, people should set off fireworks away from animals, she said. However, if this wasn’t an option, it was a good idea to pay a courtesy call to neighbours beforehand.
“Just be aware [of] your neighbours that do have animals - maybe let them know that you are going to let off fireworks near them so that they have the chance to get their pets indoors and make plans to keep them nice and safe,” she said.
Fenz is also urging people to think carefully before using fireworks this Guy Fawkes Night.
Community education manager Adrian Nacey encouraged people to attend public fireworks displays instead of lighting their own.
“If you choose to use fireworks, use them carefully.”
People should check local bylaws for the rules around using fireworks in their area, let neighbours know if they are planning to let off fireworks, avoid stockpiling them over summer and dispose of them by soaking them in water before throwing them out.
It was also advised to make sure the set-up for lighting fireworks was safe, which meant lighting them in a wide open space away from anything flammable, having a large bucket of water or a hose at hand, and ensuring fireworks were pointed at the sky and would not end up in anything which could catch fire, such as buildings or vegetation.
Whanganui Fire Station station officer Shane Dudley said last year’s Guy Fawkes Night was fairly quiet when it came to call-outs, and he hoped the same would be true this year.
He implored people to follow Fenz’s safety guidelines.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said the weather for Sunday afternoon and evening in Whanganui was looking to be safe for fireworks.
There was no notable wind forecast, with light westerlies in the afternoon expected to fade away by the evening.
“That’s a good first step. We don’t want people to be unsafe when it comes to fireworks,” Ferris said.
There was a slight risk of showers through the afternoon and evening, but this might not amount to anything.
A daytime high of 19C was expected, followed by an overnight low of 10C.
“I would expect it to be around the 15C mark in the evening, maybe even a touch warmer,” Ferris said.
A public fireworks display will take place at the annual Fireworks Spectacular at Oceanview Speedway on Saturday, November 4.
Sparks will fly on and off the track, with racing from youth and adult mini-stocks, production saloons, mini-sprints, stock cars and super-stocks before the night is capped off by the fireworks display.
Gate prices are $25 for adults, $15 for Gold Card holders and $10 for kids aged 8-15, with children under 8 able to enter for free and a family pass for two adults and up to four children costing $60.
Gates open at 4.30pm, with racing starting at 6pm.
Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.
