PETA’s ‘Tommy Tofu’ to Give Away Mounds of Vegan Egg Sandwiches in Reno

For Immediate Release:
June 5, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

With no end to the bird flu outbreak or skyrocketing egg prices in sight, PETA’s “Tommy Tofu” mascot is heading to Reno to pass out free vegan “egg” sandwiches that represent 100 days of confinement for the factory farmed chickens used to lay them—each sandwich made with healthy, delicious Just Egg, along with Just Egg coupons so that people can whip up their own vegan egg dishes at home.

Bird flu is running rampant through the poultry and dairy industries—since the beginning of this year alone, over 37 million chickens have been killed due to the rapidly spreading virus, and about 173 million birds have been killed nationwide since the outbreak began. Dozens of human cases have been reported, one man has died, and over 1,000 herds of cows have been infected.

“As long as chickens and other exploited animals are cruelly crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy, tightly packed warehouses, the rampant spread of disease is inevitable,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to be a hero for animals and in the battle against bird flu and other pandemics by choosing to go vegan.”

Where: At the intersection of W First St. and N Arlington Ave., Reno

When: Saturday, June 7, 12 noon

Why: Chickens form complex social structures, dream when they sleep, and worry about the future, just as humans do. But hens used for egg production are crammed together inside wire-floored cages where they don’t even have enough room to spread their wings. At slaughterhouses, workers cut their throats—often while they’re still conscious—and scald many to death in de-feathering tanks.

PETA points out that breeding and raising animals for food creates hotspots for potentially deadly zoonotic diseases, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in humans are transmitted due to contact with animals, including those used in animal agriculture. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone thinking of making the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes 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.