For Immediate Release:
April 13, 2023
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
Tucson, Ariz. – Frog-shaped vegan chocolates are on the way from PETA to Plunkett’s Hallmark, which removed “EcoAquariums” that included live frogs from its shelves after PETA pointed out that the animals sold in these small, inhumane enclosures are routinely deprived of adequate care and often die prematurely.
“Frogs are complex, sensitive animals who belong in their diverse natural ecosystems, not in a tiny plastic box next to the trinkets on someone’s mantle,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA applauds Plunkett’s Hallmark’s quick action to protect frogs and urges other retailers to pledge never to sell live animals.”
Every year, tens of thousands of frogs are bred for the pet trade—which often misleadingly markets them as “low-maintenance” despite their need for specialized care—and many suffer and die as a result. African dwarf frogs, who are commonly sold in inadequate enclosures like EcoAquariums, live an average of five years in captivity vs. 15 years in nature. These social aquatic animals live in central Africa, hiding and laying their eggs in between rocks and under plants. A single live plant is not sufficient to clean and filter EcoAquarium water, which can quickly become saturated with deadly toxic nitrates, and the tiny, transparent boxes leave the frogs feeling constantly exposed to predators, with no room to engage in natural behaviors like exploring, foraging, and searching for mates.
Plunkett’s follows the lead of Hallmark corporate, Albertsons, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and JCPenney, which also stopped selling miniature aquariums after complaints from concerned shoppers and pressure from PETA.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
