Tommy Tofu & Pals to Appear at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest With Free Veggie Dogs for Everyone

For Immediate Release:
July 3, 2025

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Hot diggity! On Friday, PETA’s Tommy Tofu and his PETA pals will be right there at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, distributing hundreds of tasty vegan hot dogs as they challenge hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly. 

“Vegan hot dogs are delicious and kind, and who really wants to support slaughterhouses – the word is enough – by buying what comes out of them,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages everyone to let freedom ring for all by leaving animals in peace this Fourth of July and beyond.”

Where: Outside Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave., Brooklyn (at the intersection of Surf and Stillwell Avenues)

When: Friday, July 4, 12 noon

Why: Cows can recognize the faces of their friends in photographs and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. In the meat industry, cows are often confined to cramped, filthy feedlots without protection from the elements. Calves are torn away from their mothers within hours of birth and are castrated, dehorned, and branded without any pain relief. At slaughterhouses, workers shoot cows in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and slit their throat—often while they’re still conscious and able to feel pain.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.