Ron Perlman Warns That Fireworks Scare the (Bleep) Out of Animals in Heart-Pounding New PETA PSA

For Immediate Release:
July 1, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Hollywood tough guy Ron Perlman isn’t afraid of anything—except for the ear-shattering blasts of fireworks. The Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy star is sharing his vulnerable side and sparking compassion for animals in a new PETA video that shows him scrambling for cover—just like dogs do—at the sound of fireworks, to remind everyone to purge the pyrotechnics and keep animals safe during the Fourth of July.

“Fireworks scare the (bleep) out of me. They also scare the (bleep) out of dogs and cats and wildlife, so please, don’t set off any personal fireworks,” Perlman says in the video. “And during fireworks shows, stay home with your animals. Close the windows and curtains, turn on the TV or a loud fan to drown out the noises that are terrifying to animals.”

In an accompanying behind-the-scenes video, Perlman and his wife, Allison Dunbar, discuss fireworks from a dog’s perspective, with Perlman pointing out: “You feel like the world is ending. You feel like you’re under attack.”

PETA points out that the Fourth of July is one of the most terrifying and dangerous times of the year for companion animals and wildlife alike—and more animals go missing on this date than on any other. Panicked dogs often climb, break, or dig their way out of wherever they are as they frantically try to escape the chaos. Dogs have arrived at shelters with bloody paws or serious injuries such as broken bones, and some are hit by cars or strangled when their collars become caught on fences. Frightened deer have run onto roadways, and birds have abandoned their nests and crashed into homes, windows, and each other.

Perlman joins a long list of celebrities—including Tom Hardy, Edward James Olmos, Brian Cox, Joaquin Phoenix, Anjelica Huston, and Gillian Anderson—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

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.