Tofu Twist for Father’s Day: PETA Hounds Hallmark to Swap Meat for Soy

For Immediate Release:
June 18, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Ahead of Father’s Day (June 21), PETA sent a letter today to Hallmark President and CEO Mike Perry, asking that the greeting-card giant give Father’s Day cards a compassionate, cholesterol-free makeover by replacing images of barbecued burgers, steak, and other meaty meals with tasty tofu instead. PETA points out that heart disease is the number one killer of men—and that ditching meat for delicious plant-powered proteins can help dads live longer and healthier.

A mock-up of PETA’s Father’s Day cards.

“Father’s Day cards can celebrate kindness and compassion, rather than feature artery-clogging meals that cost animals—and sometimes dads—their lives,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s urging Hallmark to swap the meat for tofu and inspire a Father’s Day that keeps everyone’s hearts happy and healthy.”

Cows develop friendships, chickens form complex social structures, and pigs recognize their own names—but in today’s meat, egg, and dairy industries, the animals are raised in filthy, crowded conditions, trucked to slaughterhouses in all weather extremes, and violently killed. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year and reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

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

PETA’s letter to Perry follows.

June 18, 2026

Mike Perry

President and CEO

Hallmark Cards Inc.

Dear Mr. Perry:

Greetings! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters worldwide, including over 95,000 in Missouri—with a plantastic request: Would you please consider swapping out the meat in your Father’s Day greeting cards for blocks of tofu? After all, tofu is soy much healthier and kinder than a slab of meat, and we want Dad to have a long life without clogged arteries. We’ve even mocked up a few card ideas that are sure to make dads smile:

As you may know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in men globally, and one of the best ways to support heart health is by choosing soyperior, plant-based foods, which contain no cholesterol. Tofu is also a beanificial, complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids, and it contains far less saturated fat than meat does.

Replacing meat with tofu would also send the powerful message that cows, chickens, pigs, and all other animals feel pain and fear and deserve to have lives free from suffering. As if that’s not enough, animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. By swapping meat for tofu on your greeting cards, you’d be encouraging families to celebrate Dad in a way that’s better for his health, the planet, and animals. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder