Position Statements

The Negative Impacts of Fireworks on Animals

August 1, 2025

The use of fireworks is entrenched in cultural and societal celebrations. The sale and use of fireworks has implications related to international trade, cultural traditions, and freedom of choice and enterprise. The CVMA, in calling for efforts to reduce harm to animals caused by fireworks, recognizes these challenges but is highlighting the risks posed by fireworks.

Position

The CVMA holds that fireworks pose a number of risks to all animals exposed to them. The CVMA opposes the sale of consumer fireworks to the general public for personal use and calls for firework displays to be limited to sanctioned and regulated public events only, accompanied by advanced warnings to animal owners, caretakers and wildlife officials. CVMA encourages the transition away from the use of all fireworks to safer alternatives.

Summary

  • Fireworks consist of varied novel, unpredictable and startling stimuli, particularly bright overhead visual displays, unfamiliar odours and loud noises affecting most animals including pets, farm animals and wildlife. Exposure to fireworks can result in extreme fear responses and lead to the development of phobia in many animals.
  • Fireworks come in varying categories ranging from private consumer fireworks to regional displays to large pyrotechnic performances.
  • Firework displays and pyrotechnics, when permitted within a jurisdiction, should be regulated, risks assessed, planned and advertised well in advance. This should include warnings regarding the possible impacts on animals.
  • Consumer fireworks pose particular risks as they are available to those without the necessary safety and risk assessment training, and all levels of government should move toward banning their sale and use.
  • Fireworks represent a One Health risk.
  • Safer alternatives to fireworks exist and should be considered.

Background

  1. In Canada, fireworks fall under one of three classes:
    • Consumer fireworks - those that are freely available for purchase by the general public for personal use without a permit.
    • Display fireworks for professional use for festivals such as those for Canada Day, New Years Eve etc. These are typically planned and require permits.
    • Pyrotechnical special effects for stage performances, film and television. These require specialized controls.
  2. All fireworks represent a One Health risk. They contain ingredients such as nitric acid, sulphur dioxide, perchlorates, and microplastics which are toxic if consumed or inhaled and may contaminate water or soil and further endanger wildlife (1-3). The physical waste from fireworks accumulates in the environment, bodies of water and can be ingested by wildlife (4). Fireworks pose a risk to people in their production, ignition and the noise may be distressing to some vulnerable individuals (5). They can cause fear and risk of harm to animals. Consumer fireworks (those sold for personal use), in particular, have been implicated in starting wildfires (6) due to the lack of safety training and general awareness.
  3. While all classes of fireworks (consumer, display and pyrotechnics) pose risks, the continued widespread unregulated availability of consumer fireworks for personal use often results in the greatest risk due to the lack of environmental safety training and the lack of advance notification to people in the impacted area regarding their use. This leaves animal owners and wildlife officials without the time to proactively mitigate the risks to animals.
  4. Fireworks represent a unique animal welfare issue, as they combine many stimuli that would each on their own cause a fear response in animals. These include loud noises, bright lights overhead, unfamiliar odours and rapid-fire, unpredictable movement. The aftermath can result in risks to physical health, reproductive behaviour and to the health of the surrounding environment and natural habitats. Fireworks are the most common noise phobia of companion dogs with several studies reporting up to 49% prevalence (7,8).
  5. Many pets, livestock and wildlife are injured or die when they attempt to flee from fireworks. Animal caretakers and the public may be put at risk if they encounter a panicked animal which could result in personal injury or death (9). Conversely, animals that are confined within a restricted outdoor area such as some livestock and some species maintained in zoological facilities, are likely to experience distress when exposed to fireworks. Therefore, to minimize fear and anxiety, housing enrichments including hiding areas and pre-emptive behavioural management are recommended (10).
  6. Available options for decreasing the risk to owned animals include pre-event notification to animal owners along with relocation of the animal(s), visual and auditory isolation of the animal and the use of pre-emptive anxiolytics. Some companion animals and horses will respond to environmental management or behaviour modification in advance of events to alleviate fear (7,11-12).
  7. The welfare of wild animals that may be negatively impacted by the use of fireworks should be considered during the fireworks use planning process. Some wild species may abandon nests or young to escape the perceived threat thereby interfering with reproduction (9, 13-15). Knowledge of migratory paths, nesting and feeding areas is important when planning such an event to ensure that decision makers refrain from permitting fireworks in these areas (9).
  8. As more becomes known regarding the risks of fireworks, their use is being reconsidered in many jurisdictions, including those with related deep-seated traditions and industries. Restrictions and even bans have been successfully enacted globally including China – where much of the manufacturing occurs; and in India, where many Diwali (Festival of Lights) celebrations have replaced traditional fireworks with safer alternatives (16). Many Canadian municipalities have banned either consumer fireworks or all categories of fireworks (17-20) while some have added some significant restrictions (20). However, some municipalities may require a revision of existing regulations to do so (21).
  9. CVMA holds that safer alternatives should always be considered but recognizes that there are polarized views on the use of fireworks at this time. Therefore, until the risks become more recognized and safer alternatives become more widely accepted, CVMA urges jurisdictions to consider a ban on the use of consumer fireworks and to require that all firework displays be regulated to ensure they are planned, approved by the jurisdiction via permitting and announced well in advance to allow owners and wildlife officials the time required to take steps to mitigate the risks.
  10. The CVMA urges those planning regulated events to consider some of the safer alternatives. Alternatives to traditional fireworks include quieter/low height pyrotechnics, lasers, drone shows, bubbles and confetti made with biodegradable materials (22).
  11. The CVMA calls on those who wish to celebrate by using fireworks for any purpose to recognize the potential risks to people, to the environment and to all species of animals and to consider the use of less harmful and more sustainable alternatives in celebration.

References

  1. Gahagan P, Wismer T. Toxicology of Explosives and Fireworks in Small Animals. Vet. Clin. NA. Sm. Anim. Pract. 2018. 48:6;1039-1051. ISSN 0195-5616,ISBN 9780323642705, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2018.06.007
  2. Hickey C, Gordon C, Galdanes K, Blaustein M, Horton L, Chillrud S, Ross J, Yinon L, Chen LC, Gordon T. Toxicity of particles emitted by fireworks. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2020 Jul 2;17(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s12989-020-00360-4 . PMID: 32611421; PMCID: PMC7330945.
  3. Seidel DJ, Birnbaum AN. Effects of Independence Day fireworks on atmospheric concentrations of fine particulate matter in the United States, Atmospheric Environment. 2015;115:192-198, ISSN 1352-2310, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.05.065
  4. Devereux R, Westhead EK, Jayaratne R, Newport D. Microplastic abundance in the Thames River during the New Year period. Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Apr;177:113534. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113534. Epub 2022 Mar 15. PMID: 35303637.
  5. Geppert C. Fireworks, Veterans, and PTSD: The Ironies of the Fourth of July Fed Pract. 2023 Jul; 40(7): 208–209.
  6. Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. Fireworks. https://cafc.ca/page/PMfireworks. Accessed 25/11/2024.
  7. Reimer S. Not a one-way road—Severity, progression and prevention of firework fears in dogs. Plos One. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218150
  8. Blackwell EJ, Bradshaw JWS, Casey RA. Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear related behaviour, Appl. Anim. Beh. Sci. 2013;145(1-2):15-25.
  9. Bateman PW, Gilson LN, Bradshaw P. Not just a flash in the pan: short and long term impacts of fireworks on the environment. Pacific Conservation Biology. 2023;29:396-401. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC22040
  10. Carpenter NA. Utah's Hogle Zoo: Preparation for One of America's Largest Pyrotechnic Displays, the Closing Ceremony for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Proc American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Conference. 2003 https://www.vin.com/doc/?id=10110099 Accessed 25/11/2024.
  11. Gronqvist G, Rogers C, Gee E. The Management of Horses during Fireworks in New Zealand. Animals. 2016;6(3):20. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani6030020
  12. Mann AS, Hall E, McGowan C, Quain A. A survey investigating owner perceptions and management of firework-associated fear in dogs in the Greater Sydney area. Aust Vet J. 2024 Oct;102(10):491-502. doi: 10.1111/avj.13357. Epub 2024 Jul 16. PMID: 39011861.
  13. Shamoun-Baranes J, Dokter AM, van Gasteren HE. van Loon E, Leijnse H, Bouten W. Birds flee en mass from New Year’s Eve fireworks, Behavioral Ecology. 2011;22(6):1173–1177. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arr102
  14. Bernat-Ponce E, Gil-Delgado JA, López-Iborra GM. Recreational noise pollution of traditional festivals reduces the juvenile productivity of an avian urban bioindicator. Environmental Pollution. 2021;286. 117247.ISSN 0269-7491, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117247
  15. Witherington B & Martin E. Understanding, Assessing, and Resolving Light-Pollution Problems on Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches. Fl. Mar. Res. Inst. Tech. Rep. TR-2. 2003.
  16. Boben B. India’s capital renews firecracker ban to combat pollution. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-capital-renews-firecracker-ban-combat-pollution-2023-09-11/ Accessed 25/11/2024.
  17. Town of Canmore. Bylaw 2023-23. https://www.canmore.ca/public/download/files/246606 Accessed 09/09/2024.
  18. City of Brampton. Fireworks. 2024. https://www.brampton.ca/EN/residents/By-Law-Enforcement/Pages/Fireworks.aspx#:~:text=Prohibited%20Fireworks,or%20explosives%20within%20the%20City Accessed 25/11/2024.
  19. West Vancouver. Fireworks Permits. 2023. https://westvancouver.ca/services/emergency-services/fire-rescue/fire-rescue/fireworks#:~:text=Effective%20October%2016%2C%202023%2C%20the,our%20changing%20climate%20and%20environment Accessed 25/11/2024.
  20. Town of Innisfil. Fireworks. 2024. https://innisfil.ca/en/living-here/fireworks.aspx Accessed 25/11/2024.
  21. Halifax Regional Council Report, January 6, 2009 - Bylaw to ban the sale of fireworks. https://legacycontent.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/090106ca1013.pdf Accessed 25/11/2024.
  22. Daukantas P. A Short History of Laser Light Shows. Optics & Photonics News 2010;21(4):42 (DOI : 10.1364/OPN.21.4.000042).