Bitter New Year's record: more than 1,000 pets escaped
Created: 07/01/2023, 06:00
By: Anna Heyers
2023 began with a sad record for the animal protection organization Tasso eV: A total of more than 1,000 dogs and cats escaped from their owners around the turn of the year.
Most people know that animals suffer a lot from the bangs around the turn of the year.
But very few people know what that means in numbers.
According to the animal welfare organization Tasso eV, which runs Europe's largest free pet registry, between December 31st and January 1st alone, 667 dogs escaped and 500 cats went missing.
Some have since found each other again, like this bitch from America after seven years, but some owners are still waiting for their favorite to return.
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Bitter New Year's record: more than 1,000 pets escaped
What a contrast to the last two New Year's Eves, when the sale of fireworks was banned and 2020 was also marked by contact restrictions.
On New Year's Eve 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, numerous dogs and cats also fled, but in 2022/2023 everything was allowed when it came to banging - with frightening consequences:
New Year's Eve/New Year | Total number of lost dogs/cats |
|---|---|
2020/2021 | 540 |
2021/2022 | 729 |
2022/2023 | 1.167 |
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New Year's bang: Dogs in particular often run away
This becomes particularly clear when you look at the escaped dogs.
On an average day last year, 88 dogs went missing.
On New Year's Eve and New Year there were an average of 333 missing dogs - per day!
They often tear themselves away when walking in sheer panic.
Sometimes a few tips to calm things down or even a bit of eggnog at home help owners - but not always "That's an incredible increase, which we felt again this year in our number of calls," says Heike Wempen, head of the Tasso eV emergency call center -Dany.
In a press release from the organizer, she describes New Year's Eve as a state of emergency.
Every year again: If you walk your dog around New Year's Eve, you have to be very careful.
If there is already a gunfire, the four-legged friends quickly panic and want to flee.
Even cats just want to get away from fireworks and the like.
© PM Silvester/TASSO eV
She also stated that many desperate calls from pet owners came in, especially between midnight and 1 a.m.
According to the management, New Year's was also extraordinarily hectic: "For January 1, we recorded well over 850 calls, which is very unusual for a Sunday and public holiday.
Luckily, most of them were reports of finds, i.e. calls in which we are informed that a dog or cat has been found.” In this context, she also mentions the overwhelming helpfulness of people who take care of dogs and cats that night that have come to them.
Minimally more cats escaped than usual
With an average of 205 lost cats per day (New Year's Eve/New Year), the increase here is lower compared to the rest of the year (246 cats/day).
On the one hand, this is due to the fact that cat owners often only call days later when they are released and then no longer count them in the statistics.
On the other hand, the velvet paws often simply hide somewhere in panic and then return home hungry and disturbed.
The foresight of responsible owners who simply don't let their cats out in the evenings also helps.
Heike Weber, Head of Animal Welfare at Tasso, makes it clear in the press release: "But all this doesn't mean that cats don't also experience anxious hours around the turn of the year, don't eat out of sheer panic, hide trembling in the apartment,
For animals, the New Year's firecrackers simply mean enormous stress.
Anyone who has ever accompanied a pet through New Year's Eve knows that animals are scared to death.
Heike Weber, head of the animal welfare department at Tasso eV
Action for a ban on private firecrackers
Other animals, such as horses or wild animals, suffer equally and are afraid of death on New Year's Eve.
Fears and suffering that could easily be avoided by not having private fireworks, says Heike Weber.
And pets can't always be reassured.
For this reason, the animal welfare organization Tasso speaks.
eV in an action alliance for a final ban on private New Year's firecrackers and fireworks.
The alliance is coordinated by the German Environmental Aid (DUH) and organizations such as PETA, the German Animal Welfare Office, Four Paws, the Jane Goodall Institute Germany, the German Animal Welfare Association and the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service also give their support.