Diwali is loud. Keep pets and street dogs safe.
Firecrackers frighten and hurt pets, street animals and birds.
- Keep pets indoors
- Keep water out for the dogs outside
- Use an ID tag
- Know who to call
What’s happening
Diwali falls on Sunday , with Govardhan Puja on and Bhai Dooj on . For most animals it is the loudest week of the year. Dogs, cats, cattle and birds hear bangs more sharply than we do, and they cannot know the noise will stop. Frightened animals bolt into traffic, hide under cars, stop eating, or get burnt by crackers thrown near them. This page is what to do before, on the night and after.
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
- Govardhan Puja
- Bhai Dooj
What the law says
Hurting an animal with firecrackers is a crime. This is general information, not legal advice.
Cruelty
Causing an animal unnecessary pain or suffering is an offence under section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960: a fine of ₹10 to ₹50 for a first offence; for a repeat within three years, ₹25 to ₹100, up to three months in jail, or both.
Killing, poisoning or maiming an animal: up to five years in jail, a fine, or both (section 325, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023).
Owls and wildlife
Owls are protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The barn owl, the Indian eagle owl and nine more owls are in Schedule I, its highest protection. Catching or selling an owl is an offence.
Firecracker rules
Since 2018, Supreme Court orders allow only less-polluting “green” crackers from licensed traders, and two hours of bursting on Diwali. Noise crackers are banned from 10 pm to 6 am, and none may exceed 125 dB at four metres.
For Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court allows approved green crackers on 7 and only, from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm. Odisha’s State Pollution Control Board restricts bursting to 7 pm to 9 pm.
States and district magistrates fix the hours and bans: check your local order.
Film it, note the time and place, and report it to the police or on 112.
What to do, and when
Before Diwali: pets at home
Make a safe inner room: windows and curtains shut, bedding, water, familiar toys, the TV or music on. Let it hide; don’t pull it out.
Put your number on the collar and the microchip registry; keep recent photos. Walk and feed dogs before the bursting, on a leash only.
Keep cats indoors; cages, partly covered, and small pets away from windows. If it is old, unwell or very anxious, ask your vet beforehand (advice from GADVASU, the Punjab vet university), and save its number and Diwali hours. Never give human medicines.
Community dogs, cats and cows
With your RWA’s permission, open a gate, parking or stairwell corner for local dogs, with water away from the bursting. Ask neighbours to keep crackers away from feeding spots, parked cars, gaushalas, cattle sheds and shelters: cattle panic in traffic.
Next morning, check under cars and in drains: animals hide and get stuck.
For your RWA group: “Please don’t burst crackers near animals or under parked cars this Diwali. Seen a hurt animal? Call a vet or a rescue group (numbers on animalwrites.in).”
Birds and owls
Noise and smoke disturb roosting birds, and stunned or injured birds turn up the next morning. Put a bird in a dark, quiet box with air holes, do not feed it, and call a bird helpline number near you.
Owls are trapped and sold around Diwali for superstitious rituals. Report a caged or offered owl to the state forest department or the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Don’t release sky lanterns near trees, wetlands or sheds.
On Diwali night
Pets inside before dusk, and all doors and gates shut: pets bolt when guests come and go. Stay with an anxious pet and don’t scold it. Keep crackers, sparklers and hot ash away from animals.
No festive sweets: chocolate, grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs (ASPCA Animal Poison Control); ask a vet if an animal has eaten something. If you burst crackers, use certified green crackers only, in the hours your district allows, and away from animals.
After Diwali: burnt, lost or injured animals
Burnt fur, limping, pawing at the eyes or mouth, shaking or hiding mean it needs a vet or a rescue group; no ointments or home remedies. A frightened animal may bite: approach slowly, hands away from its mouth, and move it only if it is in danger there.
If your pet is missing, search nearby hiding places at dawn, tell the guards and your RWA group, post photos on local groups, call nearby vets and shelters, and update the microchip registry. Clear unburnt crackers and wrappers from streets and feeding spots: animals chew them.
Tonight, in order
- Pets inside before duskDoors, gates and windows shut
- Safe room onCurtains drawn, water down, TV or music on
- Collar and tag onYour number, readable
- Water out for the dogs outsideAway from the bursting
- Crackers away from animalsSparklers and ash too, and no sweets
- An animal is hurt?Call the numbers below
Who to call
| Number | For |
|---|---|
| 112 | Any emergency where people are in danger, including fire and traffic accidents involving animals |
| 1962 | Mobile Veterinary Unit for sick and injured animals, in the states that run it; hours vary by state |
| Vets, rescue groups and animal ambulances | Find them by state and district in our Directory (buttons below) |
| Birds | Injured bird helpline numbers by city (Gujarat, Delhi, Mumbai and Thane, Bengaluru) |
| Owls and wildlife | Your state forest department (1926 in states that run a forest helpline) or the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, wccb.gov.in |
| Cruelty | The police or 112; Animal Welfare Board of India 0129-2555700 for complaints and guidance |
1962 is a state service for animals, not a national number, and in several states it answers only in the day. Call a vet or rescue group in the Directory if it does not answer.
Questions
Something else? Ask us and we’ll add the answer here.
How do I calm dogs during Diwali firecrackers?
Keep your dog in an inner room with the curtains drawn and the TV or music on, and stay with it. Let it hide, and don’t scold it or force it outside. Walk and feed it before dark. If it is very anxious, ask your vet before the festival.
Can I give my dog medicine for Diwali firecracker fear?
Only medicine a vet prescribes for your dog. Human painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol can poison dogs (ASPCA Animal Poison Control). Ask your vet first, and tell them about any heart or breathing problems.
How can I help street dogs during Diwali?
Put out water and leave a quiet corner away from the bursting, with your RWA’s permission. Ask neighbours not to burst crackers near the dogs or under parked cars. Check under cars and in drains the next morning, and call a rescue group if a dog is hurt.
What should I do if a bird is hurt by Diwali firecrackers?
Put the bird in a dark, quiet box with air holes, don’t feed it, and call a bird helpline or your state forest department. Keep cats and crows away from it while you wait.
Is bursting firecrackers on animals a crime in India?
Yes. Causing an animal unnecessary pain is an offence under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and maiming or killing one is an offence under section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (up to five years in jail). Report it to the police.
My pet ran away on Diwali night. What should I do?
Search the hiding places near your home at dawn, when the noise has stopped. Tell the guards and your RWA group, post photos on local groups, call the vets and shelters near you, and update your microchip registry. Leave its bedding and water outside your door.
In the news and guides
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ProkeralaBirdsAnimal rights activists rally ahead of Diwali
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TOICommunity DogsConcern for pets dogs humans a week before festival of lights
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FirstpostBirdsCan smog affect stray dogs, cats and birds too?
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HTPets, Breeding and Pet ShopsDiwali with pets: A guide to keep your furry friends safe and comfortable during the festival of lights
More news and guides
Read the law
Sources
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, section 325 (Gazette of India)
- Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 (PRS India)
- Supreme Court, Arjun Gopal v Union of India, (The Week)
- States may fix two-hour slots, (LiveLaw)
- In re Noise Pollution, 2005 (UNEP LEAP)
- Supreme Court hearing, (ETV Bharat)
- Delhi-NCR green crackers order, reported (Bar & Bench)
- Odisha Diwali guidelines, (Odisha Bytes)
- People foods to avoid feeding your pets (ASPCA)
- Human medicines and pets (ASPCA)
- Diwali advice for pets (GADVASU)
Read on .
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