Stilt-Walking ‘Parakeets’ to Confront Local Petco Over Birds Killed and Maimed in Its Supply Chain

For Immediate Release:
August 11, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

On Thursday, two nearly nude PETA supporters body-painted as vibrant parakeets will perch atop tree-like stilts outside the Union Square Petco store to alert passersby and would-be customers to the horrific cruelty exposed in PETA’s undercover investigation into Creekside Birds—a parakeet breeding factory in Petco’s supply chain. Animal advocates will also display giant images from the investigation showing injured and dead birds and demand that Petco stop the suffering by ending its live bird sales, something the company has so far refused to do.

PETA’s three-month investigation revealed workers crushing parakeets’ necks, beheading birds, and leaving sick and injured birds to suffer for weeks without veterinary care. Some 10,000 parakeets were crammed into tiny, filthy cages—and nearly 1,400 birds were found dead in just 27 days.

“Petco is making money from a cruel and deadly pipeline in which neglected birds suffer in filth and die slowly in pain,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Petco to stop being complicit in this systemic abuse by ending all live animal sales, and reminds everyone to never buy any animal from a pet store or breeder.”

When: Thursday, August 13, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Outside Petco, 44 Union Square E, New York (at the intersection of Union Square East and E. 17th Street)

Why: Parakeets—often called budgies—are small parrots native to Australia. They live in large flocks, are highly active, fly for miles daily, and enjoy climbing and bathing. They mate for life, show affection by preening one another, and in nature, only breed during the rainy season when food is plentiful to ensure survival.

Multiple PETA investigations and whistleblower reports involving facilities that supply birds, reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, and other animals to Petco and other big-box pet store chains have documented widespread cruelty, suffering, and neglect.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a bird is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.