Page 5298 - Week 14 - Thursday, 19 November 2009
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subjected to the loud, random and percussive explosions which are produced by fireworks in close proximity, a dog’s natural flight or fight response will kick in and they will usually try to flee from the sound.
As we are all aware, the last firework season in the ACT had the strongest controls in respect of buying and discharging fireworks. Only two four-hour windows were allowed for members of the public to discharge consumer fireworks. If ever there was an opportunity to prove that the public could be trusted to abide by regulations, it was this past season. The previous Minister for Industrial Relations had been quite open about his intentions to bring forward legislation that would ban consumer fireworks. The public were aware that this last Queen’s Birthday long weekend may have been the last time consumer fireworks were available for sale in the ACT. As such, many people stringently abided by the strict regulatory regime that was in place. However, not all were able to discharge their fireworks within the legal period.
The breaching of the time restrictions on discharging consumer fireworks was directly responsible for the death of at least one dog. Some in this Assembly may have heard of the tragic story of the Cormie family and the loss of their much loved greyhound, Snozzie. For those of you who are unaware of this devastating loss, I would like to take this opportunity to relay their tale. At lunchtime on Sunday, 7 June 2009, the Cormies decided to take a trip in to Civic to have lunch and see a movie. They knew they wanted to be back at their house before 5 o’clock to ensure that their three dogs were safe, sound and protected from any distress before the nightly explosions commenced.
When they left the cinema and turned on their mobile phone, they were bombarded with messages from their neighbours. Their beloved dog Snozzie was severely injured with a badly broken leg. When the Cormies arrived home they were confronted with an unimaginable horror—hardly the sight that Mrs Dunne was expecting, with the glee in her eye. There was their big beautiful dog, with his front right leg severed and hanging by two strips of skin. The muscles and sinews had been sheared to the bone, leaving a large section of the bone exposed and his muscles bunched up to the top of his leg. Snozzie also had suffered enormous blood loss. The dog was not able to be touched without him howling in pain. When Snozzie saw his distressed owners, he tried to stand and walk to them.
The family knew that their only option was to have their beloved pet immediately euthanased. Eventually, they were able to get hold of a friend with a station wagon, who took the family and the dog so that the dog could be euthanased. The neighbours that assisted Snozzie in his great distress told the family that there were two very loud booming explosions that went off very close to their yard. It was shortly after these explosions that the neighbour heard the extreme distress and howling from Snozzie. In trying to flee the vicinity of the explosions, Snozzie had attempted to jump the fence. It was a galvanised, childproof fence. Unfortunately, there was a two-centimetre gap between the gate and the fence and it was this gap that ripped Snozzie’s leg from his body. The family, who are caring pet owners, had taken all precautions to ensure that their animals would be protected.
It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 77. Ordered that the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.
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