As much as I love a good firework display, it is now getting ridiculous over
here in Old Blighty. November 5th is our traditional fireworks' night (Guy
Fawkes'Night) but over the last few years the number of days each side where
fireworks are being set off seems to be ever extending. Three nights on the
trot now I've heard fireworks exploding and I have no reason to think it's not
going to extend as far past Nov 5th. AAAGGHHH! Animals are frightened of these
things!

And the really nasty news report yesterday
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_832832.html?menu=news

"Hamster 'attached to firework and blown up'

Police and the RSPCA are investigating a report a hamster was blown up after
being attached to a firework with an elastic band by a group of teenagers.

The incident is alleged to have happened in Cambridge on Friday and witnessed
by a shopkeeper.

A spokeswoman for the society urged anyone with any knowledge of the incident
to contact either them or the police.

"We are investigating. On the face of it, this would seem to be an incident
that beggars belief," she said.

"It is obviously something we are very concerned about. It would seem to be an
horrific attack. We would urge anyone who knows anything about this to contact
us or the police. And we would urge any teenager who might have been with the
group who did this to come forward. All calls are treated in confidence."

Cambridgeshire police said they had also been informed of the incident. "We are
looking into the matter," said a spokeswoman. "I suspect it is more likely to
be a case for the RSPCA than for us, but we would certainly welcome any
information about it."

Ms Graves has told the Cambridge Evening News that four teenagers came into her
shop to buy Star Blast rockets on Friday. They then went next door to a pet
shop and bought a hamster.

"One of them asked: 'Have you got an elastic band?' so not really thinking, I
gave him one," Ms Graves told the newspaper.

"The next thing I knew, they went over the road, tied the hamster to the rocket
with the elastic band and blew it up. I was disgusted by it. If they do that
sort of thing to an innocent animal, you wonder what they are capable of. It
made me sick."

Story filed: 12:19 Monday 27th October 2003"

I despair at times, I really do.

helen s


--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o* *l.c**$*$om$$
do not post my correct 1 on *any* public forum - thanks