PHOENIX — Despite the issue only getting widespread attention around the Fourth of July and New Year's celebrations, some are pushing for a change to fireworks laws in Arizona.
For some veterans, livestock owners, and foster pet families, any holiday involving fireworks is the opposite of a celebration.
Aaron Ricks, with Arizona Equine Rescue Organization, says when fireworks hit the skies, some livestock get scared and run away. Police in Cave Creek will often call for his help to wrangle loose livestock.
“Horses panic, there’s fight-or-flight and they pretty much always panic. There’s a thousand-pound animal that wants to get away,” he said.
During three separate cases over the New Year's holiday, Ricks was called to help get panic-stricken ponies back home.
The Maricopa County Animal Care & Control took in more than 330 dogs just before and after New Year's Day. Only 50 of them have been reunited with their owners as most are without identifying microchips or collars.
Rebecca Plantz is a pet foster and deals with a similar issue due to fireworks.
“I’ve had dogs that have just about stroked out,” she explained.
This year, she started an online petition to try and change laws in Arizona.
Fireworks are currently only allowed for 20-plus days surrounding certain holidays. Fireworks that make loud noises and shoot dozens of feet in the air are illegal. The fine for illegal fireworks can be $1,000 or more in some cities.
Plantz hopes to find a lawmaker to craft a bill aimed at increasing fines for illegal fireworks.
She’d like to give cities more power to create their regulations and reduce the number of days fireworks are permitted.
So far, her petition has over 27,000 signatures and counting.
”Nobody wants to take anybody’s fun away — let’s be neighbors, let’s be good citizens and treat each other respectfully, then laws that allow fireworks can work,” said Plantz.
Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office tell us that there are hundreds of calls for service around New Year’s about fireworks. That doesn’t always mean citations are issued. Part of the law requires law enforcement to witness someone using illegal fireworks to issue a citation.
RELATED: Why Valley police don’t issue more illegal firework citations, despite hundreds of calls
We reached out to various police departments who shared with us just how many illegal fireworks citations were issued going into the new year.
Glendale leads the way with four, while none were issued in Mesa or Phoenix.
“Most people are good people, they want to do the right thing — the fireworks are going to scare the neighbor’s horses, they’ll go somewhere else and take care of it,” said Ricks.
