Guy Fawkes warning - think of your pets

WHILE Nelson Mandela Bay's youth may be itching to have a blast in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day tonight, the Bay's municipality and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League have urged members of the public to put safety, respect for others and the protection of animals first.

"The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality makes a strong appeal to all members of the public to comply with regulations around the use of fireworks, especially regarding area and place," municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said.

"Importantly, members of the public are not allowed to set off fireworks at their homes or in residential streets.

"The municipality requests the public to be mindful of the potentially traumatic effect the fireworks have on animals, hence the need to set off fireworks only in designated areas."

Animal Anti-Cruelty League spokeswoman Linda-Louise Swain said the burning of tyres was of particular concern.

Swain also bemoaned the fact that the municipality had no designated areas for fireworks in the northern areas where animals bore the brunt of trauma from fireworks.

Designated areas for fireworks

• All public parks and developed public open spaces, other than Settlers Park and St George's Park and all proclaimed nature reserves. This excludes parks near hospitals, animal hospitals, old age homes and hazardous areas like fuel stations.

• Joost Park beach, but not on the dunes there or on dunes at any other beaches;

• Wells Estate beach;

• Bluewater Bay beach;

• The beach area between the Swartkops River Mouth and the Coega River;

• Southern beaches from Kings Beach through to Pollok Beach up to the beacon at Admiralty Way.

• Residents who intend to discharge fireworks in the designated areas must first obtain prior permission from their ward councillor.

• The discharge of fireworks is permitted only between 6pm and 9pm. - Shaun Gillham