PETA to Wildfire-Weary Moviegoers in Los Angeles: “Will Your Dirty Habit Bring This Summer’s Infernos?”

For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

As moviegoers sit down this month for tentpole flicks like I Know What You Did Last Summer, a new horror short from PETA* will challenge them to consider a shocking fact: what they ate last summer could well have contributed to a burning planet—including the deadly wildfires that have torn through states from Hawaii to New Jersey and scorched over 20,000 acres in Los Angeles County.

The video, which is debuting at the AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles and the Regal Paseo in Pasadena, shows an elegant dinner party—but as the guests gorge on meat and cheese, the fire outside intensifies. Eventually, the dining room is engulfed in flames, but the diners keep on eating—just as many people who have lost everything in wildfires keep on eating meat, eggs, and dairy, oblivious to research showing that animal-based agriculture is responsible for fanning the flames of climate change.

“As toxic fire remains are being bulldozed, insurance companies are dropping clients, and residents are still mourning the loss of their families and homes, animal agriculture is fueling the climate catastrophe—and new fires are raging every week,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, a Pasadena resident who was forced to evacuate during the fires. “PETA’s message is that anyone who’s still chowing down on meat and dairy might as well strike the match in their own dining room.”

The spot is also running before summer blockbusters at movie theaters in New Jersey, Hawaii, Oregon, and Idaho, which are all attempting to rebuild from devastating wildfires that burned down homes and hundreds of thousands of acres, killed dozens of humans, animal companions, and untold numbers of wildlife, whose homes also burned down. YouTube viewers will also see PETA’s video during meat- and dairy-promoting shows Hot Ones, Chicken Shop Date, and The Great British Bake Off, as well as on the Food Network and Gordon Ramsay’s YouTube channels.

Studies show that global warming has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires, and meat, egg, and dairy production are among their worst drivers. Methane emitted by cows is 80 times more powerful at warming the Earth than carbon dioxide, and the massive amount of water used in animal agriculture contributes to the dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—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.

*All ‘meat’ and ‘cheese’ featured in PETA’s video is actually vegan.