How terribly tragic. It's really no one's fault. If the fireworks caused his death, Heather is no more responsible for having fireworks at a party (unless it's illegal where they live) than the dog's mom is for not taking the dog to a hotel or park five minutes after they started. How was anyone to know? I understand her desire to blame someone for this horrible event. I guess it would have been nice for Heather to warn all of her neighbors about a twenty-minute firework boom.

I love Weimaraners and Glow is a perfect name.

I just read the article. For some reason I'm not surprised someone who spends £100,000 on a four-year-old's birthday lacks social awareness.

The cute little dog of a friend of mine actually died new year's eve for a couple of years ago because of the fireworks. They knew he was afraid of fireworks so when they left to go out and watch the fireworks they did something stupid... they put his collar around his neck and attached his leach to one of the feet of the sofa so he wouldn't go crazy running around in the house. The thing is he got crazy and desperate and jumped on the couch to hide back. Unfortunately the leach was too short and he managed to hang himself and died. That was really horrible cause the poor dog must have had an awful time while she was away...
So yes fireworks can kill a dog... I voted guilty.

HAHAHA. nice call MandyJoBo i COMPLETELY agree.
whether she is guilty or not, i highly doubt
she gives a crap about anyone else except herself.
she is a selfish b*tch.

I read the article and I have to say --- if you live in a neighborhood full of animals, it's basic courtesy to check with your neighbors before setting off a gigantic fireworks display. It's rude and inconsiderate.

i agree with steen. I dont' know if she is guilty but she should pay a fine

This is horrible, I agree with steen.

I don't think it's her fault...
sh*t happens.

Heather should have told her neighbors. that's just common courtesy. She does seem to be a selfish b*tch. I feel sorry for Paul McCartney having to put up with her. I hope that the neighbor sues the crap out of her.

I don't think anybody can prove conclusively if it was her fault or not, the dog could have had some previous health problem, or it could be a combination of factors including the fireworks. But to have a 20 minute firework celebration and not notify your neighbours - incredibly rude. On a personal note I cannot stand this woman.

Like she was supposed to know that? Please.

my dogs are afraid of fireworks too.. but i don't know.. if fireworks could be the direct cause of pets' deaths

I do think it is her fault especially when the rest of the neighborhood has the courtesy to let everyone know we are going to have fireworks. There is a reason the ASPCA, The Humane, Society, and even the local news always tell you to make sure your animals are in a safe place during the 4th of July. It is stressful for a lot of animals and can cause death. What Ella described happens all the time, dogs jumping through the front window, or jumping the fence in the backyard because they are so afraid. Even if the dog had a pre-existing condition her lack of consideration caused the death.

How can anybody say it was Heather Mills fault? This is such a smear-campaign by the media, they hate her so much, they're looking for ridiculous people to make ridiculous claims against her.

I'm not "pro-Heather Mills" but I think this is an utterly ridiculous situation, and she's obviously not guilty.

Bloat, if not treated promptly, is fatal.

Bloat is not caused by fireworks.

How does a dog get bloated because he is scared of fireworks? I'm not saying it's not possible, just that I would like to know how. Sounds a bit fishy to me.

i voted before reading the article
at first i voted not guilty
now im leaning on deadlocked
out of courtesy she should have notified the neighbors
that way the neighbors could prepare their animals (or children or elderly people)
but
i also believe that if that was my dog, i would have ran outside, grabbed him, brought him in, and comforted him

Although it is very sad that this woman's dog died, I do not think that there is enough conclusive information to say that Heather Mill's caused the death.

Thanks JMT, that's just what I was about to say. The dog had bloat, and that IS tragic but had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fireworks. Bloat is not caused by being scared. If it did, then we would see this phenomenon occour every year when fireworks displays happen. It's not her fault at all. I do feel badly for the family for the loss of a pet, but to place blame on someone for this is just wrong. I've seen many animals have to be PTS due to bloat and we have had dogs in the shelter develop bloat overnight and pass before any workers even were in for the day.

Fear would not have caused the dog's tummy to bloat. The dog died from something else and the owner should have noticed the dog's "fatally bloated" stomach before it was so bad it killed the animal.

I can tell you all, without exaggerating, that every time fireworks are fired in my neighborhood I think my dog is gonna die. She suffers and I suffer with her. Every single time I think she is gonna just die. She start to tremble very badly and I shut all windows and doors and carry her in my arms, and yet, it mortified me a lot because she keeps trembling. Me and all my family. We even call the cops several times, it is supposed to be not that legal, but they do nothing. Why we have to suffer because they like to burn their money. Bum...bum...bum...

Nadia - while I do appreciate that MANY dogs (and cats, ferrets, any critter) have a great fear of fireworks, the issue here is that the dog died of bloat and not the fireworks themselves. Again, bloat is not caused by fear or loud noise or anything related to the fireworks. You may consider in the future a natural sedative for your dog (as your vet or a naturopath) during those traumatizing times.

My dog Sugar loved fireworks. we had to keep hold of her or she would try to run off with a lit one.

I think the stress could help to the bloat.

And I think they can fire their fireworks in some areas only. Well at least that is what I hear.

My vet didn't recommend anything for my dog. He said "call the cops, be with her" I am going again to the vet this month.

I don't think she's all guilty. But I think they should burn their money not in a neighborhood, if that is the case. I am talking about days and days when I can't be in my home because of the bums. And Christmas is coming... so the bums...

That's what I think. Obviosly is not that "pay me a fortume you dog killer" more a "please, fire that in some other open area".

PetSugar - you should talk about the dog's hearing... how sensitive it is. And their sight... how they see.

Stress causes bloat in humans, so whose to say it doesn't cause it in animals? Fear causes decreased motility of bowels, which could easily cause bloat. What about people with irritable bowel syndrome?

Think of simple phrases we use like "gut reaction" or "scared the crap out of..." and tell me that your bowels are not directly affected by fear and panic.

Unless anyone here is an expert on the physiological responses of the body during a high period of stress, I feel that none of us are really qualified to say that bloat is not caused by fear.

Now, whether or not Heather Mills is responsible for the dogs death due to her negligence in warning her neighbors is another story. People always want to blame someone for something, but I understand this lady's heartbreak. Having an animal that is terrified of loud noises, I too get frustrated at the people who start fireworks early or continue them after the 4th of july without warning, and if my dog died within a short period of being terrified, I would imagine I would direct my sadness into anger at those people who caused the fear without regard to the people around them.

Weimaraners have the 3rd highest risk of bloat in dogs, with Danes and St Bernard's at 1 & 2. It is commonly thought amongst the veterinary community that large amounts of air in conjunction with body size (more susceptible are large dogs with narrow, barrel chests) and an inability to expel excess air are the major contributing factors to bloat.

"Bloat is a life threatening condition that most commonly affects large-breed, deep-chested dogs over two years of age. Owners of susceptible breeds should be knowledgeable about the signs of the disease, since early and prompt treatment can greatly improve the outcome. By following the preventive measures recommended, pet owners can further reduce the likelihood of their pet developing this devastating problem."

To clarify, bloat in dogs is not caused by the inability or backup of bowel movements but rather gas and air expanding and contorting the stomach which in turn cuts off the blood supply. This then causes the stomach to die.

This is seriously a One Sided Story!
Do we know that she did not alert the city that there were to be fireworkts? I am sure she would have to have gotten a permit.
She is an animal and human rights activist. Obviously NOT intentional.
Just a reason to slander and sue.

Tons and tons of dogs are afraid of fireworks and do not die of bloat.

Kiddylnd is completely correct. The fireworks did not cause bloat. If the stress was that great then why was this the only dog that died of bloat in that neighborhood on that day. Wouldnt other neighbors' dogs suffer also? The dog could have gotten bloat from the way it ate and what it ate(a common cause).

They are going to have a hard time proving this

This situation of the dog is so sad. It is a very good looking dog.I am not a fan of fireworks or firecrackers. The last 3 days leading up to,and on Halloween my 5 year old dog(she is 55lbs and a medium size dog) jumped up on me while I was in bed. She got as high up on me as she could and I could feel her heart just pounding so hard and fast--from the firecrackers going off.On halloween night I had to hold her for 3 hrs.People don't always think about the animals --that have more sensitive hearing than us.I have never heard of a dog getting bloat from anything other than from eating.I hope this dog was not outside while the fireworks were going off?

looks like someone else wants a piece of that mckartney settlement!

weimers are actually known for having a VERY common problem of bloat due to problems such as eating too fast. Anyone could set off fireworks. And more than likely, her dog has a bloat problem to begin with that she has just now seen an issue from it. One of my petsitting client's weimer didn't show any problem until he was 8. Sounds to me like she is JUST looking for an excuse to get some publicity and money out of someone. Shame on people such as that.

Just because someone set off fireworks does not mean that they killed the dog. The dog died yes, but it was not intentional. Crazy things happen all the time, they are accidents. Some people are just too quick to declare "guilty". Bad things do happen without reason.

Heather Mills isn't necessary guilty, although I did put that she was, LOL...but who can know if a dog is caused unduly stress from fireworks, unless they have had a previous encounter. So, unless Glow's mommy had seen signs of stress in the past, and Heather Mills actually forewarned her neighbors about the firework display or had known about Glow's condition, then in reality she isn't guilty...of dog killing...of being terrible, well that's a different story all together, LOL.

PS: This is a truly sad incident, and the picture of Glow is truly heartbreaking

I grew up with a Weimaraner and they are terribly afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms and loud noises like that! My dog used to crawl into the lower cupboards with the pots and pans!

That said, I have no clue if what happened to this woman's pet (the bloat) could be caused by severe fright. Nor do I know if Mills alerted neighbors of the upcoming display and accompanying noise. I do think she should have if it was a residential area though.

KiddyInd: Thanks for all the great info.

I need more information. That being said, it is a slam Heather Mills free for all right now and she is making it very easy on everyone, isn't she?

How useless to have that amount of fireworks for a little girl that won't remember anyway. (Hey, if I'm not going to mind my own business, I'm making it count!)

having lost a dog to bloat i have to say that there is no way to say she is guilty. my dear charlie went from perfectly healthy and happy when he crawled into bed, just to loose him a few hours later. The vet says it is more likely to happen in large breed dogs with deep chests and i think a Weimaraner's chest is deeper than my standard poodle's was.

now in terms of just being polite to her neighbors, she should have given fair warning to her neighbors. some dogs go nuts with the sound of fireworks and i would like to know i need to be home with my furry baby to make sure she does not go nuts. and its not just the dogs in the area too, i would not be happy if i had just got my kid to go to sleep just to have them wake up screaming from the fireworks.

having lost a dog to bloat i have to say that there is no way to say she is guilty. my dear charlie went from perfectly healthy and happy when he crawled into bed, just to loose him a few hours later. The vet says it is more likely to happen in large breed dogs with deep chests and i think a Weimaraner's chest is deeper than my standard poodle's was.

now in terms of just being polite to her neighbors, she should have given fair warning to her neighbors. some dogs go nuts with the sound of fireworks and i would like to know i need to be home with my furry baby to make sure she does not go nuts. and its not just the dogs in the area too, i would not be happy if i had just got my kid to go to sleep just to have them wake up screaming from the fireworks.

You've got to be kidding me!!!! I can't believe people are actually having an issue with what anyone does with their money!!! Look in the mirror people - I bet I could find something that every one of you spent money on that could be considered wasteful. Who cares if YOU don't like fireworks....This is AMERICA people. Who cares if she didn't notify the neighbors - the owner of the dog must have heard/seen them - why didn't she take resposibility and remove her dog from the situation??? Blame, blame, blame.........sheeezzz!
keri

I feel badly for this dog owner. Heather Mills would have been considerate to warn her neighbors, but one can hardly claim she is a villain.

To me the real tragedy is that people insist on owning purebred dogs when it is well known that they are much more susceptible to health problems than your average shelter mutt. Generations of inbreeding has made so many purebreds into very fragile creatures. Many dogs freak out about fireworks, but most of them don't DIE.

I just found out that many owners of dogs susceptible to bloat are now turning to a surgery called Gastropexy. All I saw is that there are two kinds, a lap band type and a laparoscopic. Interesting.

We lost a basset hound to bloat when I was a child. Very sad, but has little to do with why this animal died. Not guilty. Sounds like Heather isn't the only money-grubbing hag in that neighborhood.