Dogs to be given aromatherapy and ASMR to ease their anxiety around New Year’s Eve fireworks

Aromatherapy and ASMR craze will be used to help ease dogs’ anxiety around fireworks this New Year’s Eve. 

Each year, the RSPCA is inundated with calls about pets suffering anxiety and stress following mass firework displays across the country. 

Since 2014 they have received 2,285 in England and Wales related to concerns about animal welfare and fireworks  – with 411 calls made last year when roughly 70,000 fireworks were set off during the London display on New Year’s Eve 2018, which lasted just over 10 minutes.

But this year, as pet-owners gear up to endure the displays as the country rings in the New Year, alternative methods are being used to manage animal’s stress levels. 

Battersea Dogs home said they use aromatherapy sprays, to relax their cats and dogs over the noisy period. 

A Battersea spokesperson said: “Currently at Battersea, we use a number of methods to help keep our animals calm during fireworks seasons. 

“These include providing places to hide, playing calming classical music and blocking out windows to reduce the lights of the fireworks.

“These techniques can also work well in the home environment to help reduce the stress of fireworks for pet owners dogs and cats.

They added: “A combination of these and the use of chews can keep dogs occupied.

“Aromatherapy sprays can work well for both dogs and cats – just spray a little bit on materials in the home or as a plug-in spray.”