Whilst the bonfire night can be a hell of a lot of fun with the excitement of firework displays, unfortunately this one wasn't so jolly. Certainly not for Dogs 4 Rescue Centre, near Barton Moss in Greater Manchester after they tragically lost their furry friend, Winston, due to a heart attack.
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Before Winston was rescued, he had undergone cruel treatment from his previous owners and was consequently incredibly sensitive to loud noise. Whilst he was diagnosed with a heart condition earlier this year, Winston was put on medication and lived happily at the shelter amongst other rescue dogs just like him. When the members of the shelter commented, they described Winston as "the most loyal dog they had ever known".
In the week leading up to bonfire night, the loud firework explosions already began filling the streets. When the fireworks appeared to stop, staff at the shelter let the dogs out for a short toilet break. When it was apparent that the explosive barrage of fireworks resumed, the staff wasted no time in rushing the distressed dogs back inside - but one was missing.
It turned out that upon hearing the fireworks, Winston tried to hide beneath some decking but, weighing at 80kg, he couldn't fit. It was later apparent that poor Winston suffered a heart attack during the entire endeavor and he was found already dead in the spot he tried to hide.
Following the incident, the staff at the rescue shelter were left absolutely heartbroken: "This has just killed him. All his life he has suffered at the hands of people," explains owner, Emma Billington. The shelter consequently created a Facebook post that read, "fireworks are selfish and their effects last much longer for the animals than the momentary 'wow' factor that people experience. Whoever set those off last night... well their effects have devastated us and shortened his life with a bang. The effects of those fireworks will stay with us forever."
Dogs 4 Rescue are desperately appealing for a ban on fireworks around the animal shelter, highlighting how they can cause fatal distress to rescue animals. The shelter house animals in a kennel-free environment as to further benefit them after rescue.
