July 1st, 2026–Potter County, PA–

As communities across Potter County prepare to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, one local horse owner is asking residents to remember that the holiday can be terrifying—and even deadly—for animals.

Danette Wightman, who lost a horse after fireworks frightened her last year, hopes sharing her story will encourage neighbors to think twice before setting off fireworks near farms, homes with pets, or areas where wildlife lives.

“I know most people don’t even think about this,” Wightman wrote in a public Facebook post. “I am really hoping that this can get spread around and people can realize what happens.”

She explained that horses, despite years of training and experience around people, remain prey animals whose natural instinct is to flee from sudden loud noises.

“The horses can be trained to the best possible conditions, can be aged and have been around all kinds of things,” she wrote, “but sudden loud noises and scary things going off above them isn’t a good thing. They are flight animals.”

According to veterinarians and animal welfare organizations, fireworks can cause animals to panic, bolt through fences, suffer traumatic injuries, or experience life-threatening stress. Dogs and cats often run away during fireworks displays, while livestock and wildlife can also be severely affected by the repeated explosions.

The awareness graphic accompanying Wightman’s message reminds readers that while fireworks are a celebration for people, they can be “hours of fear” for animals that have no way of understanding the loud booms or flashing lights. It encourages owners to keep pets indoors, close windows, play calming music, and provide a safe place for animals to retreat.

Wightman also noted that fireworks are frequently used not only on the Fourth of July but for several days before and afterward, extending the period of anxiety for animals.

“There are actually laws in place that make it illegal to be doing it close to homes and livestock and pastures,” she wrote, adding that she hopes education and compassion will accomplish what enforcement sometimes does not.

“I’m taking it upon myself to get the knowledge out there about how animals react to such things and hoping that maybe people will find some compassion and caring for others and their animals and wildlife.”

She also pointed out that the effects are not limited to domestic animals.

“Even the fish in the streams get shaken up over loud booms that shake the ground,” Wightman said.

As Potter County celebrates America’s independence, Wightman is asking residents to celebrate responsibly by considering where and when fireworks are used. A little extra thoughtfulness, she believes, could spare families the heartbreak of losing a beloved animal.

“Please share this all over for the next week,” she wrote. “It’s not just the holiday. They blow things off all week long afterwards, and the loss that people go through if their animals don’t make it through is so unnecessary just to have a couple hours of noisy pretty color.”

Monarch Media encourages pet owners and livestock owners to prepare ahead of the holiday by bringing animals indoors when possible, checking fences and gates, ensuring identification tags are current, and providing a quiet, secure place where animals can feel safe until the celebrations have ended.

Photo/Graphic courtesy of Danette Wightman.