WITH bonfire night, Christmas and New Year celebrations now over, animal owners can now relax knowing that the last release of fireworks and Chinese lanterns may just hold off until November when the rounds will begin again.

Though with fireworks seemingly being on sale all-year round, or being saved for a special occasion such as birthdays and weddings, people can never be sure when they are going to light our skies, making it an impossible situation to know when they are going to go off in order to protect our animals.

There have been several incidents locally where fireworks have frightened horses, with one having to be put to sleep through injuries sustained in the horse taking flight through a fence, along with the wire remains of Chinese lanterns found in horses paddocks which could have caused serious injury, if not a fatality, had the owners not spotted them laying on the ground.

While it is important for horse owners to ensure the wellbeing of their animals, everyone has a responsibility to use fireworks safely.

Most people do not realise how much suffering fireworks cause animals, particularly horses.

Those who really want to have fireworks in their back garden should think carefully about how it will affect pets and animals before they do so. It doesn’t matter whether you live in a town, where cats and dogs can be affected or in a village where you are surrounded by fields, which means there will most likely be livestock.

While sky/Chinese lanterns may be pretty, they pose a serious danger of injury or even death to animals and now the RSPCA is pushing for a ban.

David Bowles, director of communications for the RSPCA, said: “Sadly, many people are unaware of the potentially deadly consequences the release of sky lanterns can have for wildlife and other animals.”

The sale of sky lanterns has already been banned in countries such as Austria, Germany, and Malta and some would like to see local authorities up and down the UK ban their use so this needless suffering can end.

Sky lanterns, along with fireworks and balloons, may seem like innocent ways to celebrate the new year, but if used carelessly they can terrify, injure and kill all animals – wildlife, livestock and pets.

If people saw the kind of injuries or fatalities that fireworks and lanterns cause surely they would think twice about using them just for a few moments of pleasure.

Cattle and horses have died after bits of sky lanterns have fallen into their feed or got tangled up in the wire and scraps of balloons landing in a field could be eaten by any animal from a horse to a pet dog with fatal consequences.

Anyone who would like to take action and urge their local authority to join the growing list of councils that have banned their release, visit bhs.org.uk