The Macy's Fireworks Show is one of the most watched events in America. Broadcast to millions, set against the New York City skyline, it is a cultural institution — a symbol of celebration and national pride.

But behind the spectacle, the Macy's Fireworks Show causes real, measurable harm to animals, wildlife, and veterans every single year. And it doesn't have to.

We are calling on Macy's to transform the Macy's Fireworks Show into a humane celebration by transitioning to silent fireworks or a drone light show.

What the Macy's Fireworks Show Does to Companion Animals

Every July 4th, animal shelters brace for impact. The nights surrounding the Macy's Fireworks Show and celebrations like it are among the highest pet-intake periods of the year. Dogs and cats flee in terror, injure themselves trying to escape, and go missing by the thousands. Many are never found. For animal guardians across the New York metro area and viewers inspired to celebrate with their own fireworks nationwide, the Macy's Fireworks Show sets the tone and that tone is deafening.

What the Macy's Fireworks Show Does to Wildlife

The explosive sounds and lights of the Macy's Fireworks Show disorient birds and wildlife across the region. Nesting animals abandon their young. Birds flush from roosts in the dark, disoriented and at risk. The ecological disruption ripples outward far beyond the night of the show itself.

What the Macy's Fireworks Show Does to Veterans

For the veterans we honor on Independence Day, the Macy's Fireworks Show can be anything but celebratory. The sudden, unpredictable blasts that define traditional pyrotechnics can trigger flashbacks, anxiety, and acute PTSD episodes. The very people the holiday is meant to honor are often among those harmed most by the way we celebrate it.

A Better Macy's Fireworks Show Is Possible

Silent fireworks, already widely used in Europe, deliver the same stunning visuals at a fraction of the noise. Drone light shows offer programmable, breathtaking displays with no explosive sound, no fire risk, and no chemical fallout. These technologies exist. They are proven. They are spectacular.

As the most prominent fireworks show in the United States, the Macy's Fireworks Show has unmatched influence. A commitment to humane celebration from Macy's would set a national standard: inspiring municipalities, event organizers, and sponsors across the country to follow suit.

We, the undersigned, urge Macy's to:

• Transition the Macy's Fireworks Show to silent fireworks or a drone light show
• Use the reach of the Macy's Fireworks Show to model humane celebration for the nation
• Prove that the most iconic fireworks show in America can also be its most compassionate

The Macy's Fireworks Show reaches millions. So does the harm it causes. Macy's has the power to change both.

Sign this petition and urge Macy's to make the Macy's Fireworks Show a celebration everyone can enjoy — including those who can't sign their names.