PETA proposes robotic groundhog for Pa. festival

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals want organizers of Pennsylvania’s Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.

The animal rights group say 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.

But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is “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 is looking out for publicity, not Phil’s well-being.