Give everyone a break from fireworks

To the editor:

I would like to comment on the recent Fourth of July fireworks issue. As a veterinarian, I am acutely aware of the adverse effects the noise has on many animals in the Mat-Su Borough. Some get so terrified that they break away and run off in search of a quiet place. Others will huddle in a closed space, shaking and not knowing what to do. Large animals have nowhere to go to get away from the noise.

I know there are supposed to be fines associated with use of fireworks outside of Houston, but it seems to me everyone ignores this and blasts away at will. It would be a full-time job for many law enforcement officials to actually ticket all the lawbreakers. It is a joke to talk about it being illegal.

The Anchorage television news recently proudly announced that Alaska has the more veterans per capita than any state in the union. It is ironic that so many of our residents show their appreciation of these gallant veterans, many of whom return with post traumatic stress disorder, by making our homes sound like a war zone. I know the effect on our pets, and I shudder to think of the effect on these veterans of war.

This year, July 4 was on a Wednesday, and many shot off their fireworks on Wednesday night. But the festivities continued all the next day and into the next night as well. I personally was kept awake until 2 a.m., and then had to get up at 6 a.m. to go to work the next day. It wasn’t just little blasts, either. The noise literally sounded like bombs going off. Please, give us a break.

Joanne Rehn, DVM

Wasilla