PETA to Hallmark: Have a Heart and Stop Exploiting Chimpanzees

There’s nothing cute about the “grin” exhibited by chimpanzees on greeting cards. It’s actually a “fear grimace” and likely the result of abusive training. PETA has pushed Hallmark to stop selling cards featuring exploited and neglected chimpanzees but to no avail. So for Valentine’s Day, we’re showing people how coldhearted the company is with a demonstration outside a Hallmark store near the corporation’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although Hallmark hasn’t paid for a chimpanzee photo shoot in many years, it’s still making money from tormented chimpanzees’ images. Recent studies, including two conducted by researchers at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and Harvard University, demonstrate that the inaccurate portrayal of these endangered animals hinders conservation efforts and increases the demand for exotic animals as “pets.”

One of the chimpanzees whose image Hallmark has routinely profited from is Connor, who languishes at the Missouri Primate Foundation, aka “Chimparty,” which has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for keeping chimpanzees in filthy cages with the permeating stench of feces and urine, among other animal-welfare violations. PETA is pushing Hallmark to stop making money from his image and to help fund his retirement to an accredited sanctuary.

What You Can Do

Tell Hallmark to stop using images of captive chimpanzees and other great apes on greeting cards. And for Valentine’s Day cards that help animals, give your beloved a PETA valentine.