A woman sets down a bowl of water for a street dog outside a gate lit with diyas on Diwali night.

Nov 8 2026, Completed

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 to do on Diwali night

Who to call

On Diwali night, 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

What to do, and when

Before Diwali: pets at home

Make a quiet inner room: windows shut, curtains drawn, bedding, water and the TV on. Let your pet hide there.

Put your number on the collar and the microchip record. Walk and feed dogs before the bursting, on a leash. If your pet is old, ill or very anxious, see your vet beforehand. Never give human medicines.

Community dogs, cats and cows

With your RWA’s permission, leave a gate or stairwell corner open, with water, for local dogs. Ask neighbours to keep crackers away from feeding spots, parked cars and cattle sheds.

Next morning, check under cars and in drains.

For your RWA group: “Please don’t burst crackers near animals or under parked cars this Diwali. Seen a hurt animal? Numbers on animalwrites.in.”

Caring for community dogs in your area

Birds and owls

Put a stunned or injured bird in a dark box with air holes, don’t feed it, and call a bird helpline.

Owls are caught and sold around Diwali. Report a caged owl to the forest department or the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.

Injured bird helpline numbers by city

PTR on high alert against owl poaching ahead of Diwali

On Diwali night

Pets inside before dusk, doors and gates shut, and stay with them. Keep crackers and hot ash away from animals.

No sweets for pets: chocolate, grapes and raisins poison dogs. If you burst crackers, use green crackers only, in the allowed hours.

After Diwali: burnt, lost or injured animals

Burns, limping, sore eyes, shaking or hiding: call a vet or a rescue group, no home remedies. Approach slowly; a frightened animal may bite.

Lost pet? Search nearby at dawn, tell the guards and your RWA, post photos and call local vets and shelters. Clear leftover crackers from the street.

Helping an injured animal: moving it safely

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.

What 1962 is and where it runs

Who to call for an animal emergency in India

What’s happening

Crackers go off for several nights around Diwali, through Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj. 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 on the night and after.

In the news: Diwali with pets, a Hindustan Times guide

A brown dog rests calmly on a rug while a mother and daughter read beside lit diyas on Diwali evening.

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 8 Nov 2026 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.

How to report animal cruelty

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.