Ziggy the dog has always had an aversion to fireworks.
Like many animals, the 11-year-old mixed breed pooch is scared of the loud bangs.
While his owners were vacationing in the United States, Ziggy was spending the Christmas holiday with his neighbour. He has been cared for at this home on many occasions during his lifetime and is more than content to be there.
On New Year’s Eve, he was let outside for one last pee before any noisy fireworks were set off to ring in the new year. He was not tied on as he usually does house business and comes right back without wandering away.
This time, he decided to stroll back over to his own nearby house on Gibbon’s Avenue. Just as he was about to be retrieved by his temporary caretakers, someone began igniting fireworks.
The noise startled Ziggy and he ran away.
As of deadline Tuesday, he still had not returned home. He has been seen since in the Country Road area, but also further away in the Broadway, Millbrook Mall and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper areas, as well as by the R.A. Pollett Building on Riverside Drive.
There was one report of him being even further from home, namely near Jungle Jim’s in the Maple Valley Road area, although the latest sighting reported had him near Atlantic Ready Mix in the Brake’s Cove area of Humbermouth some time Tuesday.
Valetta Colbourne’s mom Yvette was responsible for caring for Ziggy and was too distraught to do an interview. Colbourne has been handling all of the social media activity spreading the word to the community at large.
“He’s an older dog but he is walked at least once a day and is used to walking, so it wouldn’t be a surprise that he has gone that far,” she said of Ziggy’s cross-town adventure.
Ziggy is owned by Bill and Armorel Kinsella, who went to visit their daughter Terri in Chicago for the holidays. They were also too upset to do an interview Tuesday and were looking into booking an earlier flight home to help search for Ziggy if he was not found soon.
Terri Kinsella did speak with The Western Star and said absolutely no blame is being directed towards the woman whose care Ziggy was left in.
“My parents are heartbroken, but they also feel bad that this is being put on Yvette because that would not be not fair,” she said. “Ziggy is like an old man. He goes out and does his business and doesn’t go very far.”
She wishes people using fireworks to celebrate ay occasion were more considerate of others, including pets, and choose a time when fireworks might be expected so no one is caught off guard.
“I totally understand people celebrating New Year’s or Canada Day with fireworks, but there really should be a dedicated time for when they’re going to happen,” she said.
Anyone with any information about Ziggy’s whereabouts is urged to call 634-1490.
Have you seen Ziggy?
- Ziggy, who has been missing since around 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve, is an 11-year-old male mixed breed, standing around 18 inches high and weighs between 15 and 20 pounds. He is mostly white, with some light brown patches.
The current regulations for discharging fireworks fall under both provincial and municipal legislation. According to Part IV of the province’s Fire Protection Services Regulations, as well as the City of Corner Brook’s Noise Regulations, a permit is required to discharge any aerial fireworks.
The municipal noise bylaw also prohibits anyone from making noise that disrupts the peace, though there are some exceptions for special events such as concerts and parades.
Here is what the laws say:
- The province: http://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/annualregs/2012/nr120045.htm
- The City of Corner Brook: http://www.cornerbrook.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Noise-Regulations.pdf
