N.S. woman calls for private fireworks regulation after her dog dies 'scared and alone'
Canada Day weekend fireworks have sparked more calls to either regulate or ban backyard fireworks displays in Nova Scotia.
“I think they should be regulated. I think there should be a set time before people are allowed to blow them off and they should have to let people know,” said Kassidy Augustine.
Augustine’s dog, Jupiter, bolted from her backyard on Canada Day in response to a fireworks display going off near her home around 8:30 p.m.
The backyard was fenced in but Jupiter found a hole underneath it.
Augustine and her boyfriend ran after her dog and people in the neighbourhood scrambled to try to help. Augustine said, at one point, someone managed to pick her dog up but Jupiter bit the person and they let go.
Eventually, Augustine and her boyfriend found Jupiter dead beside nearby train tracks. She believes her dog was hit by a train.
“I felt so guilty. She died scared and alone and it was really hard to find her there,” Augustine said.
The dog owner expected fireworks that night. She had planned to stay inside with her dog for a community fireworks event at 10 p.m.
What she didn’t expect was for neighbours to light fireworks when it was still light out.
“I don't think they were malicious and I'm not angry with them,” she said. “I just want people to know and I want people to realize their effects when they set off fireworks. It may be a pretty lightshow but it affects other people around them, it affects the wildlife.”
Thousands of others are calling for a ban on the sale and use of consumer fireworks in Nova Scotia. More than 15,000 people have signed a petition arguing fireworks cause terror, pain or death to animals, and also negatively impact people living with PTSD or autism.
Hugh Chisolm, a retired veterinarian who is also the spokesperson for the group #Fireworkshurt, said the group has received reports that at least nine dogs ran away Canada Day weekend and at least one died. While some of the dogs have returned home safely, others are still missing.
“We're not opposed to the official events like the Canada Day fireworks in Halifax or Sydney,” said Chisolm. “It's the private stuff that just seems to be getting worse and worse. And as I say, it’s out of control.”
The owner of Fireworks FX believes people should warn neighbours before lighting fireworks but said bans won't work. He also thinks displays bring joy.
“Fireworks is one way that you and I, our families and friends celebrate and are made happy and we can forget about our troubles and the world for just a few brief moments,” said Fred Wade.
The province of Nova Scotia maintains it’s not currently considering banning consumer fireworks.
A provincial spokesperson said municipalities may have by-laws in place for when consumer fireworks can be used.
Augustine wanted to thank the people who tried to help her dog.
“I just want to thank the people who tried to help her and tried to save her,” she said. “That means a lot to me.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.