The Estonian capital’s city government, together with Tallinn Zoo and several animal protection associations, is calling the city’s residents to give up New Year’s Eve fireworks and “donate to animal shelters” instead.
Tallinn Zoo, together with the Estonian Society for the Protection of Animals, the Animal Shelters NGO and the association Loomus, are calling for an end to the use of fireworks during the holidays as “it causes great distress to animals” every year, the city government said in a statement.
“This year, Tallinn has decided to drop New Year’s Eve fireworks and instead offer people a beautiful light show. As well as saving money, this is the right decision because every year fireworks cause stress to pets, zoo residents and species living in urban habitats. I would urge everyone to give up private fireworks and instead donate to an animal charity,” one of the city’s deputy mayors, Vladimir Svet, said.
According to the initiative, “dozens of pets run away from their homes every year during the festive season because of fireworks, and confused animals can cause accidents or hurt themselves”.
“Fireworks are accompanied by noise and flashes of light that frighten animals. It is advised to bring all outdoor pets indoors for New Year’s Eve or stay with them and reassure them if necessary. However, such protection measures cannot be applied to animals living in the wild or in Tallinn Zoo.”
Residents can donate to Tallinn Zoo, Animal Shelters NGO, Estonian Society for the Protection of Animals and to the association Loomus, the city government added.
The Tallinn city government is currently run by a coalition of the Estonian Centre Party and the Estonian Social Democratic Party.
