Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is stepping in to defend Punxsutawney Phil after PETA called to replace the beloved animal—and Groundhog Day icon—with a vegan cake. Last week, the group wrote to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and asked that Phil be retired from his high-stakes gig—if he sees his shadow upon leaving his burrow,

In a letter to the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, PETA suggests replacing live groundhogs with a gender reveal-style vegan cake. PETA said they'd provide the cake every year in exchange for letting Punxsutawney Phil retire.

Punxsutawney Phil may soon be out of a job—if PETA has its way. The animal rights organization sent a letter on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, urging the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire its famed groundhog to a sanctuary and replace him

PETA has suggested that Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who predicts whether winter will go on for six more weeks or spring will arrive early, should be replaced with a vegan 'weather reveal' cake on Groundhog Day.

Gov. Josh Shapiro was quick to shut down PETA’s offer to replace Groundhog Day with a vegan cake. “Come and take it,” the Pennsylvania governor quipped Friday morning after the animal rights group suggested rebranding the annual Punxsutawney festival.

PETA is urging Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to remove Punxsutawney Phil from his Groundhog Day duties. The animal activist organization doesn’t plan on leaving the club empty-handed, offering a weather-reveal vegan cake in his place.