PETA proposes robotic groundhog for Pa. festival

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - An animal rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.

But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.

Deeley says PETA isn't interested in Phil from Feb. 2 on, and is looking for publicity.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/01/27/20100127peta-robotic-groundhog.html

My family is originally from the county that Punxsutawney is in. I still have a few relatives that live in that area. Let's just say the folks from that part of the country will not welcome peta to their community!

We should all be so exploited.

That would be a great gig for this guy, he hasn't worked much lately :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFGpgt4EC3I

... would be better than a robo-groundhog.

Also, is William Deeley trying to suggest that children in PA are inspected on a less than annual basis?

Groundhog Day, NOT Caddyshack!

They had a lot of fun making that movie! :D
Plus, the animatronics-puppet for the gopher was a last-minute addition.

"No jumped-the-shark-twenty-years-ago looney-tunes were harmed in the making of this post." :eyes:

Jezus, PETA. I suppose you want Phil set free to live a short,solitary life and die a swift and natural death in the wilds of Pennsylvania? Because he isn't exactly primed for the country life after having been born and raised in captivity, not that it matters to you. He's just a symbol you can use to further your cause, just like he is now.

yard...

Wind him up and he stupids.

PETA has officially lost their damn minds. They also wanted Univ of GA to get a robot UGA
that dog lives better then most people.

:rofl: