(IN) Pets scamper for cover amid noise

[Guest guest]

HYDERABAD: Come Deepavali and a carnival like atmosphere envelops

the city as it celebrates `the festival of lights' with

scintillating fireworks dazzling the sky amidst the deafening boom

of bombs and whishing of rockets. As the celebrations go on

unabated, the winged and the four-legged beings that inhabit the

city scamper for cover dreading the freaky, unnatural flashes of

light and the ear-splitting noises.

Veterinary doctors in the city report about attending to calls from

owners of " traumatised pets " not just on the festival day but also

for a few days that follow. " Animals are very sensitive to sound and

light, " says Chief Veterinary Officer of GHMC Dr. P. Venkateshwar

Reddy. " An ordinary fire-cracker for them is similar to what a bomb

is for us, " he explains.

Birds are the most vulnerable as they are very sensitive to sound

and therefore it is 100 per cent harmful for them, Mahesh Aggarwal

general secretary of Sahayog, an animal and human welfare

organisation says. According to him there are several instances

every year of birds being hit by oncoming vehicles or dropping dead.

Whenever there is a cracker explosion, animals and birds, caught off

guard, scurry to safer places.

" An element of fear is created and they will try to rush away. But

owing to deafening sounds and bright lights their sense don't work

properly leaving them confused and in a daze, " Mr. Aggarwal explains

the panicky moments.

Pet dogs, on the other hand, convey their unhappiness rather

dramatically.

While they tuck (or is it escape?!) themselves under cots whining

sulkily to register their protest, all of a sudden they come out and

bark incessantly not just at the Deepavali revellers but also at

their owners.

On the other hand stray animals, usually, have no one to tend

to. " Every year we receive several calls from various corners of the

city reporting about abuse to stray animals, " Mr. Aggarwal says.

Last year Sahayog attended to a distress call where a dog's tail was

badly burnt in East Marredpally after its tail caught fire when

revellers abused it with a fire cracker. Even a donkey was abused,

adds Mr. Aggarwal.

As you light the 200 walas let the thought - Deepavali is also

about `daya' apart from `decibel' and `diya' - hover in the back of

your minds. Happy Deepavali.