Woodstock Willie Wants Out! PETA Urges Groundhog Days Committee to Stop Exploiting Live Animals

For Immediate Release:
January 21, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

After uncovering a federal report revealing that Woodstock Willie’s handler was cited for failing to provide adequate veterinary care for a groundhog, PETA sent a letter today to Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee Chairman Rick Bellairs, urging him to chuck the tired “tradition” of forcing a frightened animal to predict the weather. Instead, PETA suggests replacing Woodstock Willie with a 3D holographic projection, his existing costumed human counterpart, a stuffed toy, or even an AI-powered robot groundhog that could deliver an actual forecast.

PETA points out that, as the filming location for the movie Groundhog Day, Woodstock is already bursting with events celebrating February 2—and subjecting naturally shy groundhogs to loud crowds, bright lights, and human handling shouldn’t be one of them.

“No one wants to be stuck reliving the same stressful scenario over and over again, yet year after year, Woodstock Willie is jostled around in front of rambunctious crowds when he should be hibernating,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging Woodstock to put an end to Willie’s distressing déjà vu and establish itself as a Groundhog Day destination that shows respect for these remarkable animals.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Bellairs follows.

January 21, 2026

Rick Bellairs

Chair

Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee

Dear Mr. Bellairs:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including many thousands in Illinois—ahead of your annual Groundhog Day ceremony and its potentially harmful impact on Woodstock Willie. Times have changed, and we ask that you hear us out as to why it’s appropriate to retire Willie and use an interesting alternative to a live groundhog.

We trust that you would never knowingly exhibit animals in a manner that causes distress, but as you may not realize, Willie is a member of a prey species, meaning naturally shy, sensitive animals who actively avoid humans if they can. Transporting him to an unfamiliar location, forcing him out of a “tree stump,” and subjecting him to noisy crowds and flashing cameras cause him needless stress and fear, triggering a fight-or-flight response, as was aptly demonstrated by his wriggling and squirming on stage last year. (Even the prognostication scroll points out that Willie is a reluctant participant.) In the old days, before we knew anything much about wildlife, we thought that was amusing. Today, we should show our understanding.

Another compelling reason to chuck this tired tradition is that in April 2025, the USDA cited Woodstock Willie’s handler, Mark Szafran, for failing to provide adequate veterinary care for a young groundhog that could “prolong discomfort and cause unnecessary stress to the animal” as well as a Eurasian eagle-owl whose poor condition the exhibitor had not even noticed prior to inspection.

As the filming location for the movie Groundhog Day, Woodstock already has many excellent events to celebrate February 2. We hope you’ll ensure that Groundhog Day isn’t exactly the same upsetting ordeal for Willie year after year and will replace him with a costumed human (like the mascot who already attends), a 3-D holographic projection, a stuffed toy, or even an animatronic groundhog with artificial intelligence that could actually predict the weather. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder