Each year, Americans take to beaches, backyards and grills to celebrate Independence Day. But for animals like cows, pigs and chickens raised for consumption; wildlife; and even our pets, there isn’t much to celebrate on the Fourth of July when it comes to their freedom, especially these days.
Billions of animals will be slaughtered for barbeques (this Administration has announced sweeping plans to speed up slaughter lines), countless pets and wildlife will unwillingly be subjected to the terror of fireworks, all while the current Administration plunder’s public lands, robbing wild horses, wolves, bison and others of their freedom.
While others justify the activities in the name of tradition, you don’t have to. Here are a few ideas to truly let freedom ring for all beings on the Fourth of July and beyond.
Skip the fireworks and take precautions to protect pets
The risks posed by fireworks affects pets and wildlife. Since fireworks occur at night, most nearby birds will be resting by the time the bombardment begins. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam found that when a firework display occurs near nesting birds, they’ll take to the night skies out of sheer panic, which can lead to an extreme number of deaths, because the panic-stricken birds will smash into trees, houses and other solid objects that they cannot see.
In 2010, a small Arkansas town etched itself into infamy when 5,000+ red-winged blackbirds rained down from the skies after such a firework display.
There are cases too of stressed birds flying out to sea in search of respite, and flying out so far that they’re physically incapable of making it back to land, as uncovered in a JSTOR article titled Responses of Staging Greater Snow Geese to Human Disturbance.
The negative impacts aren’t limited to just birds. Other offspring-rearing mammals, like squirrels, who raise their young in the early summer, are also high-risk species when it comes to disturbances caused by fireworks.
Advocate for non-invasive celebrations. Drone shows and silent fireworks are quickly being adopted in communities across the country. Become an advocate for safer alternatives in your own.
Every Fourth of July, Nextdoor social network is flooded with posts about lost pets. Dogs, for example, respond to the chaos of fireworks in an unpredictable way, and they’ll begin to hide, shake, pace or even run away. It’s estimated that roughly half of dogs are afraid of fireworks, according to Applied Animal Behavior Science. As it turns out, there’s a 30-60% increase in lost pets each year between July 4-6, and July 5th is the busiest day for animal shelters nationwide, according to Shelter Animals Count.
To mitigate this risk, keep your pet indoors during fireworks. If the unexpected happens, make sure all your pets wear an appropriate fitting collar with proper identification attached, such as a rabies tag or tag with their name, address and phone number on it. Microchipping your pet is also highly recommended.
Help shelters! Since July 5th is so overwhelming for local shelters, they’ll need all the help they can get. You can assist by donating supplies, adopting or fostering, helping blast missing pet alerts in your area and even volunteering.
Host a vegan BBQ
It’s ironic how Americans’ celebration of independence includes consuming the imprisoned and imperiled. Each Independence Day, Americans eat:
-150 million hotdogs
-190 million lbs of beef
-750 million lbs of chicken
These animals, raised in extreme confinement before meeting their terrifying end, never experienced freedom.
Here are some cruelty-free recipes to impress your barbequing buds this week from Friends of Animals:
–Kale-Spinach, Artichoke & Cashew Dip
Additionally, there are plenty of vegan “meats” that are totally viable grilling options. Beyond sausages, Impossible Burgers and Field Roast stadium dogs are all hits sure to even win over carnivores. Here’s are roundup of vegan burgers: https://friendsofanimals.org/grilling-on-the-go-a-roundup-of-plant-based-burgers/
Hands off wild horses, public lands
Lastly, take action this week and let your members of Congress know you oppose horrific federal legislation now being voted on (that the Administration wants passed by July 4), which includes cutting nearly 30 percent of the budget for the Wild Horse Program and removing language that has long protected mustangs from being shipped off to foreign slaughterhouses.
Not to mention the Administration wants to let companies buy U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land if they agree to use it to build housing or community development, while also helping wealthy oil, gas, and mining executives get richer by opening some of America’s most pristine lands to these industries and slashing commonsense environmental and ecological safeguards that keep people and wildlife safe. Call your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives and ask them to:
GUARANTEE that the FY2026 Appropriations Bills, which are being worked on right now, include a ban against the slaughter and killing of wild horses and burros, as previous bills have had in the past.
REJECT the privatization and sale of America’s precious public lands, home to 3,000 species of wildlife, including our wild horses and burros. The vast majority of Americans oppose the selling or closing of public lands, according to a 2025 poll.
You can reach your members of Congress through the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 or their offices. Click here to find and contact your U.S. Senators & Click here to find and contact your House Representative
Jack Keller is communications director at Friends of Animals and Nicole Rivard is media/government relations manager.