PETA Sends Mayor Trantalis Earplugs After Commissioners Vote to Keep July 4 Fireworks
For Immediate Release:
January 12, 2026
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
Special delivery: Following Fort Lauderdale’s decision to move ahead with a fireworks show rather than switch to a quieter, safer, 100% animal-friendly drone show at this year’s July Fourth celebration, PETA today sent Mayor Dean Trantalis and each city commissioner a pair of earplugs to remind them that while humans have options to escape the deafening war-like blasts, other animals don’t. The package also includes a noisemaker that plays sounds that celebrants might hear in between the booms of fireworks: fearful dogs crying, tires screeching as drivers try to avoid deer who have panicked and run onto roadways, and the thuds of disoriented birds colliding with buildings.
“Fireworks terrorize wildlife and companion animals, torment people with PTSD or sensory issues, and dump toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges the mayor and the Fort Lauderdale commissioners to let the fireworks fizzle out and switch to drones that will delight everyone while leaving animals in peace.”
In an enclosed letter, PETA points out that more companion animals go missing on Independence Day than on any other day of the year. Shelters across the country take in 30% to 60% more animals between July 3 and 6, many of whom arrive with bloody paws or broken bones. Other animals don’t even make it to shelters—they’re hit by cars or strangled when their collars become caught on fences.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
