PETA’s Delivery Blasts Niagara Falls Tourism Over Fireworks That Terrify Animals
For Immediate Release:
June 3, 2024
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
A special delivery is on its way from PETA to every member of Niagara Falls Tourism’s Board of Directors and its president and CEO, Janice Thomson: a set of earplugs along with the message “You can buy earplugs. Animals can’t.” PETA is urging officials to consider the animals traumatized during fireworks displays—such as the 151 nights of fireworks the tourism group is hosting in the city through October 14—and to switch to a visually stunning alternative like a laser show.
PETA notes that more than 71,000 people have joined its call to push tourism officials to end these fireworks displays and switch to a cutting-edge laser show or cancel the series.
“Blighting a natural wonder with fireworks that fill the air with toxins and traumatize wildlife, companion animals, and humans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder is indefensible,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is calling on Niagara Falls to join the many other cities now offering breathtaking laser shows that don’t literally scare animals to death.”
PETA points out that fireworks displays frequently result in intake spikes at animal shelters, which exceed their capacity and further strain community resources. Dogs and cats have been known to jump fences or break through windows and screen doors to try to escape the noises and might never be reunited with their families. Other animals, including wildlife, are hit by cars when they flee onto roads. Pyrotechnics also release toxins—including mercury, carbon monoxide, aluminum, and sulfur—which can increase the amount of pollutants in the air by up to 42%.
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 the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
