Pets ran scared as Diwali noise soared

Recently, two Labradors, Princess and Laura, went missing from a Mayur Colony residence. A few hours later, Kothrud resident Nikhil Thukral found the two dogs inside a supermarket on Karve Road.

Sensing that the dogs were lost, Thukral took them home and then searched for their owners. "I informed Blue Cross and they traced the dogs' owners. The dogs were reunited with them," said Thukral.

Over the past week, as Diwali celebrations reached a crescendo with firecrackers being burst across the city, several pets were reported missing after they attempted to flee from the noise and commotion.

Sahil Godbole's dog, Leo, has been missing from his Kothrud residence for the past four days while another Labrador was found roaming on JM Road and is now being fostered by two young men working at a store in the locality.

Blue Cross representative Manjiree Patwarrdhan said there have been several such cases of missing pets throughout the week Diwali was celebrated because of the noise generated by firecrackers. "There is a need for a 24X7 helpline to report lost and found dogs so that the process does not take too long," she said.

"Dogs get scared of loud noises. People are not sensitive to the problems faced by animals and how firecrackers cause dogs distress. But in most cases, it is the owners' negligence that leads to missing pets," she said. Providing dogs with a collar and an identification tag is crucial, she added. "The ID tags must have the owner's phone number so that when the dog is found, people will know whom to call," she says. Owners must also ensure that their pets are on a leash or kept indoors during noisy festivals or occasions such as processions."

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