UPDATE: I have emailed our Council Members and hope to have a response next week!

Every year, as the holiday season approaches, I begin to dread the relentless fireworks that besiege our city's nights. Despite bylaws clearly stating that fireworks are permitted only on New Year’s Eve from dusk until 12:30 am on Jan 1,  and Canada Day from dusk until 11:00 pm, the rules are blithely ignored. The result is torn out of the often-painful personal stories shared by pet owners city-wide: dogs escaping, agonized by terror, and in some extreme cases, dying of fright. The reckless celebrations of a few should not translate into a reign of terror for our pets.

This petition seeks two changes from the City Council: adhere to and enforce existing bylaws for setting off fireworks, and limit firework usage to designated days and times in which the disruptions can be managed and expectations set. If residence can’t adhere to the laws, then ban them all together!  It's time to decrease the stress on our pets and reduce the risks associated with uncontrolled use of fireworks.

Together, we can ensure that celebrations are not synonymous with distress. Please, let's have our festivities but also ensure our companions' safety. Sign this petition to demand the regulation of firework usage to designated times and days and have the City provide public education and enforcement.