Interested Party Testimony on House Bill 253 Regarding Consumer Fireworks Legalization
Summary
This is interested party testimony dated February 5, 2020 on House Bill 253, given to the House Commerce and Labor Committee by Corey Roscoe, the Ohio Director for the Humane Society of the United States. The testimony addresses the provision that would legalize consumer discharge of 1.4g fireworks. It says there is a spike in missing pets around Independence Day and New Year's Eve that is directly attributable to fireworks. It says fear induced by fireworks can cause animals to become aggressive, harm themselves or go into hiding, and that HB253 allows 1.4g fireworks to be purchased and discharged any time of year.
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“Interested Party Testimony on House Bill 253 Regarding Consumer Fireworks Legalization.”
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1255 23rd Street, NW Suite 450 Washington, DC 20037 P 202-452-1100 F 202-778-6132 humanesociety.org av THE HUMANE SOCIETY REN OF THE UNITED STATES HB 253 Interested Party February 5, 2020 House Commerce and Labor Committee Chair Manning, Vice Chair Dean, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, my name is Corey Roscoe the Ohio Director for the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s most effective animal protection organization. | appreciate the opportunity to testify as Interested Party to the provision in House Bill 253 that would legalize consumer discharge of 1.4g fireworks. Around every Independence Day and New Year’s Eve there is a spike in missing pets directly attributable to fireworks. Pet owners are responsible for ensuring their animals are both confined within their property and microchipped or wearing tags. However, when an animal feels threatened, they can become extremely motivated to escape and will often take any extraordinary opportunities to do so such as digging under and climbing over fences or breaking through gates, screens, and doors. When successful, they become at risk of never being found, or hit by a vehicle. If they are picked up by local animal control, they become an additional burden to already overcrowded animal shelters and understaffed government employees. Even when pets don’t escape the home, fear induced by fireworks can cause animals to become aggressive, harm themselves, eliminate inappropriately, vomit, or go into hiding. Pet owners do have options to comfort their pets during fireworks shows such as thunder jackets and medication and can plan for predictable events like a 4" of July celebration, however, since HB253 allows for 1.4g fireworks to be purchased and discharged any time of year, it will leave many pet owners uneasy about when the next loud boom will happen. Responsive governments should consider the impact on pets, their owners, animal control officers and shelters caused by fireworks. They should also consider the risk to wildlife caused by the same. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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