SPCA: New Year dawns with terror for animals

As South Africa entered the new year, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA faced a stark reminder of the devastation fireworks can cause to animals,

A terrified dog squeezed through a narrow opening to hide behind a bathtub. Image: SPCA website

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA entered 2025 with mixed emotions.

While Cape Town’s quietest Guy Fawkes ever left the organisation full of hope that humane celebrations were becoming the norm, New Year’s Eve delivered a sharp reminder of the devastating impact fireworks have on animals.

At the stroke of midnight, the sky in many areas lit up with fireworks, and the night quickly became one of terror for countless animals.

“Our team’s hearts broke as we fielded call after call regarding frightened, injured, and displaced animals,” said Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham.

Nonstop calls and brave responses

For the SPCA Team, the night was everything but cause for celebration.

Calls flooded in throughout the night and into the early hours of 2025, with cases including:

A dog who ran into a home in Tafelsig and wedged himself under a family’s bathtub in sheer panic
A Pelican Park dog who tried to jump through a closed glass window to escape the noise
A puppy from Bonteheuwel with a fatal head wound.
A piglet injured in a motor vehicle accident in Blue Downs
Confused and scared stray animals were collected from Mitchells Plain, Kuilsriver and Scarborough and calls continue to come in today

Fireworks are not a celebration for animals, they are a nightmare.

They bring terror to those who cannot understand or escape the chaos.

While some ran in fear, others cowered in places they thought were safe, and too many indirectly suffered harm at the hands of those who should know better.

“Celebrations that bring harm to the most vulnerable cannot be justified, and we must collectively do better – for the sake of animals and for the betterment of our society” says Abraham

No fleeting moment of excitement is worth the immense suffering caused to animals.

They deserve our protection, not to be the collateral damage of reckless human celebrations.

It’s time to choose compassion over cruelty and find ways to celebrate that don’t leave a trail of devastation in their wake.

A plea for vigilance and compassion

As reports of stray, displaced, and injured animals continue to come in, the SPCA urges the public to remain vigilant in the aftermath of New Year’s Eve.

“The effects of fireworks and reckless celebrations don’t end when the noise stops,” Abraham emphasised.

“Terrified animals can travel far from home, and may have hidden in tight spaces, unable to free themselves.”

A year that started with a bang

“Our year has indeed started with a bang, but not the kind we had hoped for,” Abraham concluded.

“As we move into 2025, we will redouble our efforts to educate the public on the dangers of fireworks and advocate for the welfare of animals who continue to suffer because of lawless and unkind human behaviour”