Dog is scared to death by fireworks and suffers a heart attack while trying to hide

A dog suffered a heart attack and died after being left terrified by fireworks launched by people living near the shelter he was in.

Winston, an 8-year-old Moscow watchdog, desperately tried to run away from the loud bangs and hide under a decking at the Dogs 4 Rescue center in Marton Moss, England.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Winston was found dead by staff who went looking for him after realizing he was missing.

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A LIFETIME OF ABUSE

The poor dog was being cared for at the shelter after being transported all the way from Bulgaria, where he was severely abused by his owner.

It isn't clear what happened to Winston, but he was terrified of loud noises, including fireworks. To make matters worse, he was diagnosed with a heart condition earlier this year.

WINSTON WAS A VERY GOOD BOY

He was prescribed very specific medication, which was given to him by the lovely shelter staff, who loved Winston very much, and for whom it was a shock to find him dead.

According to the staff, he was the sweetest dog ever and very loyal, but he was big; he weighed 80 kg and wasn't able to slide under the decking due to his size.

AN APPEAL TO THE COMMUNITY

Just like the other dogs at the shelter, Winston lived in a kennel-free environment, so he was free to roam around. The dogs were outside when the fireworks started and ran inside; all but Winston.

It is believed that he suffered a heart attack and fell asleep under the decking, never to wake up again. Now, Emma Billington, the owner, is trying to alert people to how scared dogs are of loud noises, and how it ended up costing Winston his life.

A COMMON FEAR

There are literally thousands of stories about dogs running away from fireworks and, unfortunately, most of them don't end well. Luckily, that wasn't the case for Dora, a German Shepherd from Fresno, Texas.

She was missing for seven months after hopping the garden's fence and was rescued seven months later by Collin County Adoptable Pets. There, the staff checked if she had a microchip, which ultimately led her to be reunited with her family.