PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.
An animal rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.
According to the longtime tradition, if Phil the groundhog sees his shadow on the Feb. 2 unofficial holiday, then there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not appear to see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
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 year in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles (105 kilometers) 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.
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these posts
Ok folks, I have got to take a minute to thank you all for some of the funniest posts I have read on this web page. They are a scream. I have actually laughed out loud at a couple of them. Thank you for brightening up an otherwise cold and blustery day for me.
PETA
I'm all for PETA, People Eating Tasty Animals
How much?
How much ground could a groundhog hog if a groundhog could hog ground?
"Compassionate Technology" Raises Pa. Groundhog Unemployment
President Obama, in an unscheduled stop in Pittsburgh today, announced his new plan to include help for recently unemployed groundhogs in the latest version of his upcoming second stimulus package. His plan will include unemployment coverage for all groundhogs who lost thier jobs as a result of their replacement by robots. The move to robots, Dubbed "Compassionate Technology" by supporters, is touted as a logical extension of the country's move toward "Green Technology".
The President's plan to cover unemployment benefits for groundhogs includes the requirement that they form and become a member of a Labor Union. Representatives from the local office of SEIU could not be reached for comment.
PETA and Pat Robertson our
PETA and Pat Robertson our tidewater nut cases.
um um good
Groundhog Wraps
2 medium, groundhogs, skinned, gutted and de-boned
1 large vidalia onion
1 green pepper
Five low-carb tortillas
Ground the ground hog and fold in chopped onions and peppers
Brown groundhog and drain the fat, cook to med-rare
Cheese optional
Dress with A-1
Voila!
We could be real close to putting your recipe to use.
With the out of control, reckless spending of the federal government in the past few years, especially the past year, we might need to go to road kill for food.
timing is horrible
PETA truly is heartless. At a time when the national unemployment rate is over 10%, this publicity-hungry organization would toss this hard-working rodent into the ranks of the unemployed for their own selfish gains.
The horror of it all is more than I can bear.
Wanna confuse PETA?
Ask them why they have pets? Their (what do they say) companion animals, live in air conditioned buildings, are restrained and forced to be by their side day and night, are forced to be at their office all day instead of outside where they would rather be, are kept on vegitarian diets, are not allowed to hunt and kill as they would in the wild, are protected from their preditors, in other words, PETA members animals are living the same life as Punxsutawney Phil! If PETA were true to their belives, they would immediately walk (don't wanna ride in a car cause it's not natural) their pet beast to the nearest woods or Dismal Swamp and release them to live in the wild the way nature intended. People Embarrassing the Tidewater Area is nothing but a bunch of child terrorist and control freaks who want to control the way everyone else lives. I'd put money on Phil being treated far better than a PETA members pet would be. Every wonder how they keep warft rats out of their building?
Why try to confuse PETA?
Didn't they come thay way?
Peta and the Virginian Pilot
If the Pilot continues to treat Peta to front page space for it's continued childish and borish antics, I will drop the already thin newspaper and get my news somewhere else. The Pilot has become just a collection of ads with a little news thrown in to make up for unsold ads. Are there any REAL reporters left??
Glass Groundhog
Why doesn't PETA provide them with a transparent glass groundhog. That way "Phil" would NEVER see his shadow and spring would come early every year. What a deal! Speaking of transparent, so is PETA's motive behind this publicity stunt...
A Bunch of Wackos
Starting with Ingrid Newkirk and working down, PETA is truly a group
of wack jobs!
Just this morning...
I was thinking about getting a robotic cat as I was cleaning the litter box and putting down food just before vacuuming the hair off the sofa back. Gawd, a robotic pet would make my life so much easier except for that one silly problem...batteries. Now, I'd have to purchase these and then dispose of them properly so as not to recklessly endanger the environment so I didn't upset the Al Gore groupies. Wait! I have an idea! They could mount a solar panel on the back of this faux rodent. If it doesn't power up then spring's just around the corner!
We live in a world that needs groundhogs
PETA has a greater irresponsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for goundhogs, and you curse the carnivores. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know. That Punxsutawney's shadow, while tragic, probably saved lives. And a carnivore's existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.
PETA vs. God
Ok, PETA. Let's apply some of your warped logic. You say it's inhumane to keep the animal in confined spaces and subject them to bright lights and large crowds.
1. It's a rodent. It lives in the ground, thus the name groundhog. Last time I checked rodents don't live in split-level luxury condos underground.
2. Thunderstorms. They produce loud noises - much louder than crowds. They produce lightning - much brighter than camera lights and flashes.
My recommendation - talk to God and see if he will change nature to fit your definition of "humane".
PA hunting regs and bag limits-
WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season except during the antlered and antlerless deer seasons and until noon daily during the spring gobbler turkey season. No limit.
These animals are nothing more than large vermin that destroy crops. If I remember correctly there was actually bounty on them when I first started hunting.
pEta needs to get a grip!
HA HA HA!!!
I'm such a city slicker, I didn't know a ground hog and woodchuck was the same animal. I thought that a woodchuck was a beaver type animal. LOL, guess I learned something today, so it's not a total waste.
Change the name?
So I guess if we switch to a mechanical rodent on February 2, that date would thenceforth be known as "Zhu Zhu Pet Day"? No thank.
Virgiian Pilot
I think the only time we hear things from PETA is when the Virginian Pilot covers those nut jobs. If the Virginian Pilot didn't cover them, they would get no publicity, so VP, stop giving them space.