Despite all the warnings to prepare your pets for New Year’s Eve fireworks, a Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew was forced to come to the aid of a scared dog at Lake Macquarie.

About 7.49am on Saturday 1 January, the firies rescued a canine, who’d been trapped 11 hours under a house after seeking shelter from the nearby pyrotechnics displays.

Like many dogs, nine-year-old Buster was frightened by the fireworks noise about 9pm on Friday 31 December.

He tried to seek refuge under his family’s Lake Road home but became wedged, his owners unable to free him.

They then called in a FRNSW crew from the nearby Belmont Fire Station to assist just before 8am today.

And, thankfully, Buster was safely extricated from his predicament.

While there, the crew took the opportunity to fit smoke detectors in the bedrooms of the home as a fire safety measure.

FRNSW, along with the RSPCA, reminds the public fireworks and thunderstorms can terrify dogs and other animals, causing them to seek shelter in dangerous places.

“Dogs have very sensitive ears,” NSW chief veterinarian Liz Arnott said.

“They hear 10 times better than humans, so fireworks can be terrifyingly loud and stressful for them.”

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