Fireworks. They're a debated bit of entertainment but there's one group that certainly don't enjoy them around this time of year - pets.
The loud noises can be upsetting for many animals, from dogs and cats in suburban homes to horses and livestock in more rural areas.
New Zealand Veterinary Association chief veterinary officer Helen Beattie told Breakfast Friday morning the conversation around pets and fireworks comes up every year.
"We continue to advocate for the ban of private sales [of fireworks] because there's no resolution to this until we can stop them being sporadically throughout the year," Beattie said.
"People stockpile and use fireworks for all sorts of events - not just in November."
Beattie said the negatives when it comes to private use of fireworks far outweighs the positive, with some animals she treats needing medicated treatment weeks before in anticipation of them.
"We see a lot of pain, fear, stress, hiding behaviours and anxiety from animals that are phobic," she said.
"The psychological impact side of it is something that people don't necessarily think about when we talk about harm from fireworks but it's certainly a significant contributer."
With fireworks still available though, Beattie offered some tips to worried pet owners ahead of another season of loud bangs in backyards.
"You can provide a hiding place for them because a lot of animals will just want to get away from it and closing the curtains can help dampen the noise," she said.
"It's also important for pet guardians to not escalate the anxiety by over-rewarding the anxious behaviour in a way - we need to support them, but we don't want to increase the anxiety by focusing on it too much.
"It's a little bit like raising children."
Beattie added if anyone was really worried about their animals they should speak to their local vet about other options available such as medication.
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