Fireworks cause significant welfare harm to millions of dogs annually, with noise phobia creating intense fear responses that range from anxiety to panic attacks, and the problem is growing as fireworks become more frequent.
Dogs with firework phobia experience panic rather than fear — a qualitatively more intense welfare emergency involving heart rate increases, trembling, and loss of executive function. Many dogs injure themselves attempting to escape during firework events. The normalization of this suffering reflects inadequate awareness of the scale of the welfare problem. Effective treatments exist but require advance planning.