Madison Meeks

Editor in Chief

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PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA PETA, or the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is making a major call for change for Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s president, Tom Dunkel, was sent a letter from PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk. According to ABC27 News, this letter was offering to send a ‘Giant Gold Coin’ to the town to replace Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day. The organization stated that the groundhog’s weather predictions were as reliable as a flip of a coin. The offer also stated that this would allow Phil to live out the rest of his life in a reputable sanctuary.

The president of PETA, Ingrid Newkrik, stated that “groundhogs can’t make heads or tails of the weather forecast and shouldn’t be jostled around by large members of a different species and thrust in front of noisy crowds for a photo op. PETA urges the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to send Phil to a reputable sanctuary that will give him the care he needs and not treat him like a wildlife prop.”

According to ABC27 News and PETA, groundhogs are shy creatures who enjoy burrowing, exploring, and hibernating. They stated Phil is being deprived of his natural habitats by being kept year-round inside the Punxsutawney Library.

The organization also called for a change of name for the holiday, suggesting it now be called “Weather, There’ll Be More Winter Day.” This has not been the first time that the organization has reached out to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in hopes of replacing Phil. Previously, the organization offered to have a human replace Phil. They have stated that the human replacement would live in his small enclosure, make weather predictions that are unscientific, and plant a persimmon tree. The offer for both a human replacement and a gold coin still stands by the organization. Groundhog Day takes place on February 2, and it is already being predicted that Phil will not see his shadow.