Concerns raised over impact of emergency alert test on dogs

Concerns are being raised about the effect the government’s emergency alert test will have on dogs.

The government is due to send a 10-second alarm and message to millions of smartphones at 3pm on Sunday in a coordinated test of its new alert system.

The siren will not exceed the maximum noise permitted on a UK smartphone and will be the same as that used in other countries who have rolled out alert systems.

However, experts are particularly concerned about animals with a heightened sense of sound, making them jittery and prone to feeling nervous or afraid.

Joe Wykes, Chief Executive of pet retailer Jollyes which feature grooming salons, said: “We’re disappointed the test is taking place during Sunday trading hours with no consultation on the timing and date of the alert.

“All thoughtful pet retailers concerned about their small animals who are extremely sensitive to sudden and loud noises will be worried about the impact of the test in a confined space.”

Tory MP Giles Watling, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on animal welfare, said the siren should be shorter in length. He told The Daily Mail: “Ten seconds doesn’t sound like a long time but if you count from one to 10 and imagine an ear-splitting noise then I think that is far too long.

“These things, to some small animals, cause panic. It’s like fireworks night.

“I think it is a good idea to run the test, but not for as long as 10 seconds.”

However, it is possible to turn the emergency alert off. Android users can do so by going to settings, searching for the emergency alert settings in the search bar, and turning off emergency alerts by tapping the toggle button – blue means ‘on’ and grey means ‘off’.

In ddition, iPhone users can switch the emergency alert off by going to settings, clicking on notifications, scrolling to the bottom of the page to find the emergency alerts, and tapping the toggle to switch it off – green means ‘on’ and grey means ‘off’.