Photo Op: ‘Are You Wearing My Mom?’ Amazing AI-Powered Calf Robot to Confront Leather-Clad Topeka Shoppers
For Immediate Release:
August 19, 2025
Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382
Topeka shoppers are in for a sci-fi spectacle on Thursday when a walking, talking, AI-powered robot calf named Charli XC Cow will hoof it to downtown Topeka to ask leather-clad customers outside, “Are you wearing my mother?” The robot, which features a state-of-the-art 3D-printed head, will describe how cows suffer mutilations and violent killings in the leather industry—and also break into a celebratory dance whenever someone proclaims they’re wearing shoes, clothing, or accessories made of vegan leather.
“Every leather item represents a lifetime of suffering and a sad, bad death for cows,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging shoppers to keep cruelty out of their closets by opting for animal- and climate-friendly vegan materials that no one had to die for.”
Where: Intersection of S Kansas Avenue & SW 8th Avenue
When: Thursday, August 21, 12 Noon
Why: Cows have friends, hold grudges against other cows, and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. Yet cows killed for leather may be skinned and dismembered while still conscious—after they’ve endured castration (for males), branding, and tail docking, all without painkillers. In addition to the horrific cruelty that the leather industry inflicts on animals, it’s a major contributor to climate change, land devastation, deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Sustainable vegan leathers are durable and fashionable without the cruelty or environmental destruction of leather.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—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.
