Virtual Anti-Fireworks Dog Reacts to the Sounds of Helsinki’s New Year’s Celebrations

New Year's Eve is a stressful experience for dogs and their owners, as fireworks can cause pets lifelong trauma. To remind people to celebrate responsibly, the Nordic pet care specialist Musti Group installed a 20-foot virtual dog at the official New Year’s event of Helsinki. The dog reacts to loud noises caused by fireworks in real time.

The new year is once again celebrated around the world, but in many homes New Year's Eve is the scariest day of the year. Many dog owners spend the evening hiding in the bathroom trying to comfort their panicking pets. The sounds of fireworks make the evening a nightmarish experience for most dogs.

The Nordic pet care specialist Musti Group wants to bring this problem out in the open by installing a 20-foot virtual dog, Musti, at the official New Year’s event of Helsinki city. Musti has been created and animated with 3D technology, and it hears and reacts to the sounds of fireworks like real dogs around the world. The Be aware of the dogs campaign is also visible in outdoor advertising around all the biggest cities of Finland. The advertisements ask people to shoot off their fireworks as far away from residential buildings as possible.

The official New Year’s party of Helsinki is the last place any animal would go, but that is exactly where the virtual dog Musti will be spending the evening. The giant screen Musti appears on is connected to a decibel meter, which acts as the ears of the dog. Musti will hear and react to the sounds of fireworks like any real pet would.

Musti Group hopes that pet owners would share their own experiences of the downsides of fireworks. People spending their evening with their pet can share their photos with the hashtag #beawareofthedogs.