By Christine LegereCape Cod Times

Thursday

Jul 16, 2020 at 9:18 AM Jul 16, 2020 at 9:18 AM

Random illegal displays cause animals to run off, sometimes with tragic results.

Charlie Beebe had traveled to the Cape from his home in Connecticut for the July Fourth weekend accompanied by Diesel, his 7-year-old golden retriever and constant sidekick. One of the highlights was going to be visiting a longtime friend in South Yarmouth on Independence Day.

But as Beebe headed to his friend’s backyard, with his hand through Diesel’s collar, the sudden crack of a firework set off by a neighbor spooked the dog, who jerked out of Beebe’s grip and took off at a run.

Diesel headed down Jones Road, with Beebe in pursuit, to Smugglers Beach, where the dog became even more panicked as fireworks popped all around him, lit by revelers.

“It was like a free-for-all down there,” Beebe said.

Diesel ran down a jetty and leaped into the ocean. That was the last Beebe saw of his beloved dog, despite an overnight search by a Natural Resources Department boat.

Beebe continued to hope Diesel, whom he described as a “strong swimmer,” had found land, but searches over the next several days failed to bring results.

The harbormaster found Diesel’s body July 10, floating a quarter-mile off the coast of West Dennis.

Although Beebe was heartbroken at the news, he said, “It was kind of good we had some closure; we know where he is.”

Kate Sears, a local volunteer with Missing Dogs Massachusetts, has spent a great deal of time during the past two weeks searching for dogs that ran off after being spooked by fireworks.

Three dogs and two horses on the Cape panicked and ultimately died on the July Fourth weekend, and a few other dogs, including one little canine named Bear, remain at large.

“The hardest are those I never find,” Sears said. “The second hardest is when they don’t survive, but we are able to give the owners at least some closure.”

Owners say they normally take precautions to keep their pets safe during planned fireworks displays put on annually in many towns. This year, those had all been canceled as a result of coronavirus restrictions.

It has been nearly impossible to prepare for the random fireworks being set off illegally by neighbors during the past few weeks, from early evening until late at night, the owners say.

Out-of-state fireworks sales skyrocketed this year, according to Yarmouth’s police chief, who assigned an officer to the beaches on July Fourth.

“We learned sales were up 100 to 200%,” Chief Frank Frederickson said. Many of those fireworks were lit in neighborhoods on the Cape.

“We had 84 calls on fireworks between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m.,” Frederickson said.

Police chased down reports all over town, but the culprits either couldn’t be located or were no longer lighting fuses when officers arrived. Officers did manage to get a sizable cache of fireworks during one investigation, but whoever was about to set them off had fled.

Dennis police were responding to similar incidents. “We are certainly experiencing a substantial increase in fireworks calls this year,” Dennis police Lt. Cleve Daniels said via email. “We consider fireworks violations to be a serious issue due to the potential for serious injury to persons and/or property.”

Daniels said the noise of fireworks “has a negative impact on our community, causing many to be frightened, disturbing peace and disrupting sleep, and causing stress to pets and others who are vulnerable to loud noises.”

Brock, a German shepherd mix just shy of 4 years old and a service dog to a veteran, suffered a fate similar to Diesel’s after a blast of fireworks startled him into bolting in Dennis. Steven Laine, Brock’s owner, was visiting a friend who lives in the area of Depot Street West on July Fourth. “Brock was by his side,” said Laine’s ex-wife, Hillary.

Brock ran off at about 8:30 that night. Laine called the Dennis police, and friends and family were out looking for the dog all night.

The next day, someone from Missing Dogs Massachusetts called Laine, saying there had been a car accident at 9:30 the previous night on Route 28. A family member found Brock’s body there.

“It’s been devastating for our whole family,” Hillary Laine said. “My 6-year-old put up about 100 pictures of him on the door. Steven isn’t in a good spot right now; that dog did so much for him and for our family.”

A third dog on the Cape died of a heart attack after panicking from the loud bangs of fireworks.

Meanwhile Bear, a 23-pound Shih Tzu-miniature poodle mix, has not yet been located, according to owner Adam Wilkinson, who believes fireworks have kept the little dog on the run. “My mother-in-law was walking him on a leash in Salt Air Village on July 3,” Wilkinson said. When the dog was startled by someone coming out of a house, he pulled back on his leash and slipped his collar.

The dog remains at large, despite more than 700 posters Wilkinson has put up in the Dennis Port area. “He has no familiarity with the area and he’s probably scared by all the fireworks,” he said.

Sears said her group has done grid searches, steadily widening the search area. “There’s been absolutely nothing,” she said. “We can’t put out a camera and traps when there hasn’t been a confirmed sighting.”

Wilkinson remains hopeful. “We’re working on the assumption that someone has taken him in and is looking after him,” he said. Anyone with information can reach him at 860-614-6053.

According to Missing Dogs Massachusetts, 79 dogs were reported lost statewide between June 28 and July 11. Of that total, 61 are back home, 15 are still missing and three died.

Sears said members of the public are well-intentioned in their diligent search for lost pets, but frequently their activity can prompt a lost and confused dog to run farther away.

Her advice is to contact the local police on non-emergency lines, contact animal control and call Missing Dogs Massachusetts, which will activate trained local volunteers.

“We tell people to set something with your scent out; the dog often circles back,” Sears said. If the dog bolts from a car, stay where you are, she said. The dog is likely to return.

The number to call to report a lost dog to Missing Dogs Massachusetts is 844-423-3686.

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Increased fireworks prove deadly for pets

Thursday