The chief executive of a company dedicated to animals has issued a grovelling apology after his fireworks display during which a horse sustained a fatal injury – and which “sounded like a plane exploding over the house”.
Pets Corner CEO Dean Richmond, who “grew up surrounded by animals” with a mother who was a “keen horse rider”, held the display at his home in West Sussex on 8 November. The next morning, he was told by a neighbour that a two-year-old horse had panicked, suffered a broken leg and had to be put down.
Pets Corner issued a statement, including a response from Mr Richmond, who said he had “notified several nearby neighbours about the planned display, but with hindsight, I appreciate that I should have shared that information more widely”.
One rider who had not been told of the display keeps her horses about a mile away.
“I’ve never heard anything like it,” she told H&H.
“I’d just made dinner and all of a sudden, it sounded like an aeroplane had exploded overhead. The house shook. The dogs scattered and I thought ‘Oh my god, the horses’.”
The rider said her horses and dogs are not usually bothered by small firework displays.
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“Like a sonic boom”
“But this was like bombs going off, like a sonic boom,” she said. “There must have been 15 of those huge bangs, then all the other ones going off, like a professional display.
“My young horse was trying to jump out of his stable – thank god I’ve got anti-weave grilles – and my poor pony didn’t eat for 48 hours afterwards. It was absolutely hideous.”
The rider said she has other horses who live out, so she went to check them next.
“I couldn’t see them but I could hear them galloping about,” she said. “I couldn’t go in there, I spent all night just praying they’d be all right. The next morning, they were dripping with sweat, all huddled together and the wooden gate was smashed where they must have run into it, but they were all right. That was me being lucky – the other owner wasn’t.”
It is understood the owners of the horse who died found him with a broken leg.
“As soon as we heard about that poor horse, that was it,” the rider said. “We’re warriors when it comes to our horses, no way are we not going to fight. The only good thing is that he’ll never do it again but he should have put his hands up and said ‘Oh my god. What have I done?’
“He’s the boss of a company that’s for pets, and has products to help dogs with fireworks. What on earth was he thinking? This has to stop, and if something from this comes to stop people buying fireworks, that has to be a good thing.”
Shirley Light, whose Brendon Stud is about four miles away, told H&H she heard the fireworks loud and clear.
“I lost a two-year-old to a broken leg because of fireworks in 2001,” she said. “Nearly 25 years later, nothing has changed.”
In its statement, Pets Corner said it was “deeply saddened”, and that although it was not a company event, customers and staff had been affected.
“At Pets Corner, the wellbeing of animals is at the heart of everything we do,” the statement reads. “We understand that horses are not only companions but beloved members of the family, and we share in the sorrow of this loss.”
The statement added that Dean’s family founded Pets Corner, which has “grown from this family background of living closely with animals and caring deeply for them”.
“An annual firework display was a long-standing family tradition when Dean was growing up, with his parents hosting small bonfire events for friends and family. Dean wished to continue this tradition by holding a similar event at his home this year for friends, family, and neighbours.
“The bonfire was lit at approximately 6pm, followed by the main firework display at around 6:15 pm, which lasted for six and a half minutes. Following the event, Dean received feedback from a number of local residents, many expressed appreciation and enjoyment of the display, while a few raised concerns.”
“Sincere apologies”
In response, Mr Richmond sent a statement to residents, expressing his “sincere apologies”.
“It was never my intention to cause inconvenience or distress to anyone in the village,” he said. “I had notified several nearby neighbours about the planned display, but with hindsight, I appreciate that I should have shared that information more widely. I am genuinely sorry for any upset this may have caused.
“The event was carefully planned to take place earlier in the evening to minimise disruption, and the bonfire area was securely fenced to protect any nearby wildlife. The display itself was conducted by a professional fireworks company and intended as a celebration with friends, family, and local neighbours.
“I was deeply saddened to hear that a horse may have been injured and subsequently put to sleep. This is truly distressing news, and I am in direct contact with the owners. The field where the horses were kept is over 800 metres from the display site, which I had understood to be outside the area likely to be affected.
“As someone who cares deeply about animals – including my own two dogs – I am sincerely sorry for any distress the event may have caused. Please be assured that I will not be holding any further fireworks displays in the future.
“I very much want to live in the village for many years with my family, and I truly wish to contribute positively to its success and the wellbeing of all our fellow residents.”
Pets Corner added that Mr Richmond told his nearest neighbours about the display, “unfortunately, he did not realise that others further away might be impacted”.
“He accepts that he should have communicated more widely and regrets this oversight,” the statement said.
“The following day, a horse owner from a property over 800m away informed Dean that one of their horses had panicked during the evening, resulting in a broken leg, and that the animal had to be put to sleep. Dean is in contact with the owners. Dean, his family, and everyone at Pets Corner are devastated by this tragic news. We all share deep sadness over what has happened.
“There were other displays on this evening in the area, and we would like to remind people that social media is not always a fair or balanced forum. Some of the comments and accusations circulating online are untrue.
“This event was intended purely as an enjoyable gathering for friends, family, and neighbours. Dean never intended to upset anyone or cause harm of any kind; that is simply not who he is, and he is extremely sorry for anyone affected by it.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
