The owners of a beloved dog have been left 'devastated' after their pet was scared to death by fireworks on bonfire night. The couple are now starting a petition to ban the sale of fireworks to the UK public after his 'needless' death, reports Leicestershire Live.
Sarah and Mark Frost's dog, Derry, had two fits and suffered internal bleeding due to a display near their home at the weekend. The couple knew something was wrong on November 5 when Mark heard a loud noise coming from upstairs.
He rushed up to find their tri-coloured collie "thrashing" around on the floor. Derry then lost control of his body, urinated and defecated on the floor.
Mark was terrified witnessing what was happening to his beloved pet who was left unable to walk or move. Due to this the owner carried Derry downstairs, where he lay still only able to move his eyes.
Sarah says she knew something bad had happened when she arrived home to see all of the lights on upstairs at her home near Leicester. She said: "I pulled up on the drive and thought why are all the lights on?
" I came in to them both in the living room and my heart just dropped. We rushed him to the vet and I sat in the back of the car with him, but he had another fit on the way.
"When we got there, the vet said he had a heart rate of 190 and a high temperature. He had internal bleeding as a result of the fit and his gums where completely white.
"They said he was too far gone to be able to help and the kindest thing would be to let him go. We were devastated."
The couple were left even more saddened by the sad news of their pooches' demise as it came not long after the former rescue dog had become settled in their home. The duo adopted Derry in 2018 at the age of seven and despite being nervous when he first arrived he soon came into his own.
Sarah said: "He overcame all of his issues and for the last three and a half years he was such a fantastic, loving dog. He always seemed to be grateful he had a steady home.
"He knew he belonged. I just wish we could have given him a home for longer."
Spurred on by the unjust death of their dog, the couple have since started a petition to ban the sale of fireworks to the public. Sarah claims they have started the petition in the hope no other dog owner has to go what they went through.
She said: "Its not just domestic pets. Its wild animals, livestock and horses too. If I can stop even one family going through what we did over the weekend, Derry will not have died in vain."
"I'm 54 and that might be ancient for some people. But when I was a kid fireworks in your garden were noises that went "zing" - these days they sound like bombs. I'm not trying to be a killjoy but for Derry to have lost his life from it - was needless.
"I know we're not the only family who have gone through this. We went to the vet with a dog that night, and we came home with a collar."
The couple have not yet reported the incident to the RSPCA. A spokesperson for the animal welfare charity said: "The RSPCA is calling for the UK Government to introduce tighter controls and regulations around the sale and use of fireworks in a bid to help both animals and people who suffer with fireworks phobias and noise aversion; while urging local authorities to introduce localised restrictions too.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
