The Big Bang!

It’s officially New Years in Sri Lanka. All throughout the night people have set off firecrackers, large and huge ones, and my dog Toby has been stressed throughout it all.

It’s 11:10AM right now and just when I think that the big bang might be over, some neighbor lets off a rash of them with a loud M80-like bang at the end. Toby is lying between my feet half under my desk, trying to hide himself from the noise.

I know people who don’t have dogs don’t give a whiff about how someone else’s dogs get frightened to death over their having their New Years fun, but you’d think that with all the articles related to dog stress and fireworks (some dogs end up running away from home or tearing apart their house. Mine just hides and shivers with fright.), they might feel a bit of compassion. But that’s not happening this year, at least not in my neighborhood.

Firecrackers are a problem in the US also. I actually never celebrated New Years or the 4th of July because of all the cracker noise. I stayed home to help the animals get through the ordeal.

I say, light sparklers – they don’t make noise and they're still fun for the kids. If all that fails and you just have to be macho and light the crackers, ask one of your friends how their dog reacted to all the crackers going off. Might turn on a light bulb in your head and make you a bit empathetic for next time.

I'm not going to stress Toby out any more

right now by taking a photo of him under the desk,

so I'm just using an old photo of him.

Look at those kind eyes, how can people

frighten a being like him, just to have a few seconds

of 'cracker fun'?

Here's my favourite picture of Toby as a pup.

He was frightened to death of firecrackers even then.

Check out my Sri Lankan wedding photography, travel photography, portrait photography, female photographers, commercial photography at my website at: http://www.shadetreeSL.com

© ShadeTree Productions