In a letter to Tom Dunkel, president of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk used puns to emphasize the organization's request. She wrote that allowing Phil to retire and be replaced by the cake "would allow you to still make tourism dough while showing Phil a slice of decency."

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.