Why you should reconsider shooting off fireworks at home

RICHMOND, Va. --Dr. Jocelyn Torrence has worked in the emergency room of Virginia Veterinary Center in Carytown for four years.

She recalled the increase of emergencies during the Fourth of July weekend each year.

“It can be a scary night for dogs that are afraid of fireworks,” Dr. Torrence recalled.

Fireworks can scare dogs or cats with anxiety and causing them to act erratically.

The veterinarian remembered treating dogs who bit other dogs, jumped out of windows, or ran away with their leash and were hit by cars. Those instances often happen in neighborhoods where families shoot off fireworks in the street or their backyard.

You can prepare your pet when explosions happen unexpectedly, she said.

“In a perfect world, we have pets seeing a behavioral type of specialist and having medications on hand. But ahead of time, it’s definitely important for people to talk to their primary vet,” Dr. Torrence recommended.

Moving your dog to a basement, interior room, or closet away from windows can help. Dr. Torrence encouraged owners to stay close with their dogs during fireworks and keep them on a leash in case they do try to get away.

Marine and Sgt. Dean Bennett survived several combat tours in Afghanistan and returned with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury.

Sgt. Bennett shared with CBS 6’s Brendan King how fireworks used to impact him.

Watch: Veteran impact fireworks can have on people with PTSD

“When I first came back [from combat], definitely the explosions, the crackling, the popping. It used to get my heart rate up my anxiety up a little bit,” he recalled.

He described hearing fireworks easily taking him back to the terrifying war zone.

A Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist said sounds, smells, and shockwaves of fireworks can be triggers for veterans suffering from PTSD.

Bennett encouraged neighbors to think about others like veterans before shooting off fireworks in a neighborhood.

He now helps other veterans and law enforcement who have experienced trauma cope through exercise at his gym, Direct Action Athletics in Mechanicsville.

“Being aware of that some people still have issues. They've been around a lot of explosions, a lot of gunfire. There are a lot of veterans dealing with PTSD and probably not the best idea to be shooting them off in a neighborhood where you got a bunch of neighbors, there's kids, there's animals, there's people fighting those post traumatic battles as well,” he stated.

Many types of fireworks are illegal to personally set off at your home, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Many localities ban all fireworks without a permit including Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield.

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