“I think they should be regulated. I think there should be a set time before people are allowed to blow them up and they should let people know,” Kassidy Augustine said. Augustine’s dog, an American Eskimo named Jupiter, came out of her yard on Canada Day in response to a fireworks display near her home around 8:30 p.m. The backyard was fenced off but Zeus found a hole underneath. Augustine and her boyfriend ran after her dog and people in the neighborhood ran to try to help. Augustine said, at one point, someone managed to take her dog, but Zeus bit the person and they let him go. Eventually, Augustine and her friend found Jupiter dead next to 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’s owner was expecting fireworks that night. She had planned to stay inside with her dog for a community fireworks display at 10 p.m What he didn’t expect was the neighbors setting off fireworks while it was still open. “I don’t think they were malicious and I’m not mad at them,” she said. “I just want people to know and I want people to be aware of their effects when they shoot off fireworks. It can be a beautiful light show, but it affects other people around them, it affects wildlife.” Thousands more 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 claiming that fireworks cause terror, pain or death to animals and also negatively affect people living with PTSD or autism. Hugh Chisolm, a retired veterinarian who is also the spokesman for the #Fireworkshurt group, said the group has received reports of at least nine dogs escaping over Canada Day weekend and at least one dying. While some of the dogs returned home safely, others are still missing. “We’re not opposed to official events like the Canada Day fireworks in Halifax or Sydney,” Chisolm said. “It’s the private stuff that 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 neighbors before setting off fireworks, but said bans won’t work. He also believes that demonstrations bring joy. “Fireworks are a way for you and me, our families and friends to celebrate and be happy and forget our problems and the world for just a few moments,” said Fred Wade. The province of Nova Scotia says it is not currently considering a ban on consumer fireworks. A provincial spokesman said municipalities may have regulations on 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,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”
