'He didn't need to suffer that way': N.S man mourns donkey's death after new year fireworks

NS man calls for fireworks ban A Nova Scotia man is mourning the loss of his beloved donkey – following fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Guy Rochon says the past week has been the most difficult one of his life.

Rochon says it started on New Year’s Day when he heard fireworks going off near his home in Earltown, N.S.

“I immediately ran to the barn knowing that my animals were now in danger. And by the time I got to the barn, it was too late," says Rochon.

Rochon says for he noticed his donkey Eeyore seemed off.

“I turned around and could see that he was on the ground. I walked up to him thinking, ‘This is really odd because donkeys do not like lying down in the snow.’ They don't like snow at all. And he couldn't move. I realized, ‘Oh, gosh, something's happened,’” says Rochon.

Rochon says an on-call veterinarian looked at Eeyore and tried getting him to stand up, eventually using an electric probe to see if Eeyore would feel the shock.

“But he (didn’t). He was paralyzed,” says Rochon. “I turned to the vet and I said, ‘Andrew, there's no recovering from this, is there?’ And he said, ‘No’. I said, ‘Then you need to euthanize him immediately.’”

Rochon says he’s still trying to make sense of it all.

“It was heartbreaking…he didn’t need to suffer that way,” he says.

Rochon says had to give his horse named Spirit away after he started to become lonely without Eeyore as his companion.

“I'm retired. I don't have any family. I don't have any kids…these animals are my children,” says Rochon. “They brought calm to my life whenever I was having trouble dealing with life. …(and) they’re gone now within the span of a week.”

Hugh Chisholm, a retired veterinarian and a member of Fireworks Hurts, says a combination of noise and visual stimulus scare animals.

“It's not like thunder or lightning that animals have grown accustomed to over millennia. This is something completely foreign to them, so their immediate reaction is they panic and they have to get away,” says Chisholm. “And it's in that panic and trying to get away when those injuries happen.”

Rochon is calling on the province to put in place a ban ensuring people don’t use fireworks at least within five kilometres of a barn.

“I get that it's a celebration, but they need to be controlled in some way so that there are rules and regulations that say, you know, if you have a farm within five kilometres of you, please don't shoot them off,” he says.

Rochon says he’s reached out to the province several times, including MLA John Lohr, but says he hasn’t heard back.

“I fail to believe that the people in power in this province are actually all for the suffering of animals,” says Rochon. “I've asked them, ‘If you don't want to put a ban in place, then why not start monetarily compensating people who are going through this?’ And then very quickly you’d see that this is going to cost you a lot of money.”

On Friday, CTV News Atlantic reached out to Lohr for an interview, but did not hear back.

“We're very sorry to hear about this gentleman's loss,” says communications advisor Heather Fairbairn in an email. “We appreciate the use of fireworks can be stressful for some people and animals. Municipalities have the authority to create rules related to fireworks.

“In fact, many municipalities already have by-laws in place that prohibit the use of consumer fireworks on any day except, Canada Day, New Year’s Eve and Natal Day. You would have to speak with the municipalities regarding any plans they may have related to the use of fireworks.”

Rochon says he won’t stop until something is done.

“I feel really empty right now because I don't have my animals with me,” says Rochon. “My cats were terrorized. And so I think…what's next? Do I have to prepare for July 1 now for more explosions?

"Eeyore's death was senseless and I plan on turning his death into something positive.”

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