BENGALURU: As deafening firecrackers continue to explode across Bengaluru during Deepavali, the city’s street dogs are bearing the brunt of the celebrations, with several animals seen shivering, hiding and running in fear.
Frightened by the loud explosions, dogs are travelling kilometres away from their familiar surroundings and darting across busy roads, putting themselves at risk of being hit by vehicles.
With complaints about distressed animals pouring in, animal rescuers and concerned residents have begun opening their homes and other spaces to provide temporary shelter to dogs unable to cope with the noise.
From moving mother dogs and puppies into foster care to administering calming medication under veterinary guidance, communities are taking collective measures to protect animals during the festivities.
Lakshmi Swaminathan, trustee of Mylos Foundation, said the organisation had received several calls about dogs shivering, struggling and suffering injuries. Complaints had come from areas including Basavanagudi, BTM Layout and Varthur.
Around seven puppies from Rayasandra and Electronics City have been moved into temporary foster care along with their mothers for four to five days, as rescuers fear they could panic, run onto roads or get caught in traffic.
Anuradha Rao, a theatre artist, is hosting four dogs at her art studio, Untitled Arts. Residents are feeding animals early, before the crackers begin and ensuring community dogs wear reflective collars with identification tags.
Vinay Raj Somashekar, a resident involved in community animal welfare, said one of the dogs in his area had gone missing twice in two days. He found the animal around 2.5 km away on the first day and nearly 4 km away the next day.
Actor Shubha Punja said that despite the government restricting firecracker bursting to a two-hour window between 8 pm and 10 pm, many residents were not adhering to the timings. “Nobody is stopping anybody from bursting crackers, but people should follow the guidelines and avoid the big, high-sound crackers,” she said.