A heartbroken family are calling for fireworks to be banned after their beloved pet pooch died as a result of being spooked. One-year-old shih tzu Button was out for a walk on Foxhunters Playing Field in Newcastle upon Tyne two weeks ago, when a group of teenagers reportedly threw fireworks in his direction.
The terrified puppy ran away and his body was tragically found days later by the local community on the beach. Button's owner, 86-year-old Gillian, has been left devastated by the loss of her canine companion. Gillian's granddaughter Kay, 31, told Chronicle Live : "He was her best friend, he was her moral support.
"He made sure she had a cheery little face to keep her going. He was everything to her."
Gillian has been left "a mess" by the tragic news and Kay has "never seen her rocked so hard".
"Whilst he was my granny's little best friend, he was a family member to all of us," she explained.
"All of us are just absolutely devastated - because of the loss to ourselves, but because of the effect on my gran as well."
The pooch joined the family when he was just weeks old and brought joy to everyone he met.
"He was the most mischievous little thing. He had such a big personality for being such a little dog," Kay added.
"Even when he was a menace, he was absolute perfection. We couldn't have been more blessed with him.
"He was a friendly, loving, caring little pup - and he was very responsive to my gran."
Button would always dote on Gillian when she wasn't feeling well, and Kay describes him as her "little nursemaid".
After Button ran away on November 30, the family made all efforts to bring him home safely and started a huge search along the coast.
"I think I covered 30 miles between Sunday evening and collecting his body from the beach on Tuesday," Kay admitted. "Physically, I've not recovered from it yet."
More than 600 local people joined in the quest with the aid of drones, leaving Kay completely blown away.
"It was incredible," she recalled. "I was out in hedgerows with torches and I had cars pulling up, with people that I'd never seen before asking where they could be looking.
"I've never known so many people rally around a cause.
"We've been overwhelmed by the kindness of people - hundreds have given their time, energy and resources just to help us because they could relate to what it would feel like.
"So despite everything, the outpouring of human kindness has been so reassuring - we're so grateful to everybody."
The search for Button ended in tragedy when a distraught Kay was called to collect his body from the beach on November 1.
"The two ladies who called when they found him on the seafront - I was hysterical picking him up, and I don't even know if I managed words or just wailed at them, bless them," Kay said.
"But they went to the effort of getting a towel for dignity, and then stood guard until we arrived, which can't have been easy."
Since Button's death, locals have continued to support the family with neighbours checking in on Gillian and even sending flowers.
Kay has now set up a new petition to ban fireworks in Button's name, so that no other family is torn apart by the loss of a pet.
"It's changed everyone's lives - just one reckless, thoughtless action," Kay said.
"They had a couple of minutes of entertainment, and now a whole family's got God knows how long to rebuild from a tragedy that should never have happened."
The family hope to encourage people to think twice about setting off fireworks.
"I don't think for a second that the people who set off the fireworks intended that outcome - I don't even think they thought it through," Kay said.
"But we want to highlight how important it is to be careful, look at who's around you, and think about what could happen.
"I realise that we're probably not going to stop them - and we don't want to stop anyone celebrating, especially when life is so miserable.
"But if we can get one more person to behave responsibly, then that's a huge outcome."
Do you think fireworks should be banned? Let us know in the comments.
