Disclaimer: No humans were harmed during the production of this article. Any resemblance to any human, living or dead, is purely intentional. This article is an attempt by the writer and the Dog Minister of India, Tuffy — yeah, he quit movies to join politics later — to appeal to our readers for a noiseless Diwali.
What a wonderful time it is for the mindless, the unconscious and the insensible: the manufacturers who produce crackers in bulk, the shopkeepers who flash various kinds of the produce, the buyers who take back a box of tricks — only to create the worst nightmare for our furry friends.
A rise in the number of missing pets is reported by animal shelters every year. Scared, restless and stressed because of constant and loud noises, they try to look for areas where the noise is
Diwali is a festival of lights, and lights only. For the sake of your best friends, stick to the definition people, says Tuffy.less intense. And the trauma is even worse for street dogs who do not have a safe nook to hide. Loud firecrackers traumatise dogs in a variety of ways ranging from complete loss of appetite to anxiety to shivering or being destructive.
It scares us, interrupts an angry Tuffy.
Their mental faculties might be low but dogs have a much superior sense of sight, smell and noise when compared to us humans. It is said that they hear noise ten times louder than us. I have had the misfortune of having my earphones on when the audio was in full volume, and it felt like my ears would crack open. It is not pleasant. And to imagine that noise ten-fold, I am pretty sure my ears would start to bleed.
Diwali is a celebration. Celebration to me is synonymous to the spirit of well-being, joy and most importantly kindness. Why should kindness be limited to just our family, friends or even just our species? I see no reason whatsoever.
Diwali is a festival of lights, and lights only. For the sake of your best friends, stick to the definition people, says Tuffy.
A lot has been said and a lot is still being said on this issue. There are articles all over the internet, there are hundreds of videos and campaigns, some 956743928 Facebook statuses that appeal for a greener Diwali each year. But all in vain. I know there are a lot of people out there who not only preach but follow the practice of a safer Diwali. I do not mean to sound like a pessimist, but the truth of the matter is that a lot of work still needs to be done to make our surroundings safer, cleaner and noise-free in order to make that human-canine bond stronger and more harmonious. And the optimist in me believes that it is only a matter of time before that will happen.
So it's time that we pull out the wire of proclamations about the spirit that Diwali is, and actually start to practice it. As a dog owner, animal lover and pollution sufferer - I request all of you to embrace, celebrate and live a greener Diwali this year. And if you are reading this and feel it is an issue you should reflect and thereby act upon, I thank you for it. Because I believe that's the kind of good karma that makes for a prosperous Diwali. While I finish here, Tuffy has a message for all of us that reads:
"Dear Humans of India, since Diwali is the festival of lights therefore it must be celebrated with lots and lots of lights and very little noise. But you people just don't understand. Therefore, I'll make it easier for you. When I say lights I mean natural resources of light and by noise I mean natural resources of noise like the few you have on your news channels. Leave the noise to them. Say no to crackers."
Tuffy, Dog Minister of India
What a wonderful time it is for the mindless, the unconscious and the insensible: the manufacturers who produce crackers in bulk, the shopkeepers who flash various kinds of the produce, the buyers who take back a box of tricks — only to create the worst nightmare for our furry friends.
A rise in the number of missing pets is reported by animal shelters every year. Scared, restless and stressed because of constant and loud noises, they try to look for areas where the noise is
Diwali is a festival of lights, and lights only. For the sake of your best friends, stick to the definition people, says Tuffy.less intense. And the trauma is even worse for street dogs who do not have a safe nook to hide. Loud firecrackers traumatise dogs in a variety of ways ranging from complete loss of appetite to anxiety to shivering or being destructive.It scares us, interrupts an angry Tuffy.
Their mental faculties might be low but dogs have a much superior sense of sight, smell and noise when compared to us humans. It is said that they hear noise ten times louder than us. I have had the misfortune of having my earphones on when the audio was in full volume, and it felt like my ears would crack open. It is not pleasant. And to imagine that noise ten-fold, I am pretty sure my ears would start to bleed.
Diwali is a celebration. Celebration to me is synonymous to the spirit of well-being, joy and most importantly kindness. Why should kindness be limited to just our family, friends or even just our species? I see no reason whatsoever.
Diwali is a festival of lights, and lights only. For the sake of your best friends, stick to the definition people, says Tuffy.
A lot has been said and a lot is still being said on this issue. There are articles all over the internet, there are hundreds of videos and campaigns, some 956743928 Facebook statuses that appeal for a greener Diwali each year. But all in vain. I know there are a lot of people out there who not only preach but follow the practice of a safer Diwali. I do not mean to sound like a pessimist, but the truth of the matter is that a lot of work still needs to be done to make our surroundings safer, cleaner and noise-free in order to make that human-canine bond stronger and more harmonious. And the optimist in me believes that it is only a matter of time before that will happen.
So it's time that we pull out the wire of proclamations about the spirit that Diwali is, and actually start to practice it. As a dog owner, animal lover and pollution sufferer - I request all of you to embrace, celebrate and live a greener Diwali this year. And if you are reading this and feel it is an issue you should reflect and thereby act upon, I thank you for it. Because I believe that's the kind of good karma that makes for a prosperous Diwali. While I finish here, Tuffy has a message for all of us that reads:
"Dear Humans of India, since Diwali is the festival of lights therefore it must be celebrated with lots and lots of lights and very little noise. But you people just don't understand. Therefore, I'll make it easier for you. When I say lights I mean natural resources of light and by noise I mean natural resources of noise like the few you have on your news channels. Leave the noise to them. Say no to crackers."
Tuffy, Dog Minister of India
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