To the Editor:
My wife and I have been living in Ocala for the past two-plus years. While not a “grown and bred” local, I have come to feel like a part of the community here, so I want to express a concern that I have regarding fireworks.
I’m sure that most people are aware of the continuous noise that the firework displays produce, causing great stress on pets and wildlife in our area. Add that to the additional days that people seem to be adding onto holiday fireworks. For example, the 4th of July holiday is on Monday night, but fireworks have already started in our area the past two nights. By Tuesday, July 5th, there will have been five to six nights of fireworks exploding, which will cause fear and stress on local pets and wildlife.
Aren’t people concerned that a lot of pets are lost forever during the holiday fireworks? These pets either flee the noise and never come back, or they are seriously injured while trying to get away. We have a friend here that raises thoroughbred horses and has had two die due to the noise that two separate firework displays caused.
While not 100%, there is an answer to the problem. There are noiseless fireworks available from manufacturers which, while not completely noiseless, produce much less sounds when used. Plus, they are not more expensive than regular fireworks.
In fact, there is now an Italian town that has banned all fireworks other than the noiseless ones to help save the local animal and wildlife population. Maybe as the “Horse Capital of the World,” this might be something that Ocala should consider.
William Lee
Ocala resident
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