PETA Wants White House to Change Easter Egg Roll

With the White House Easter Egg Roll just a few weeks away, PETA has asked Jill Biden to consider making a big change to the annual event. In a letter released Monday, the animal rights organization urged the first lady to end the use of chicken eggs and switch to "reusable plastic or wooden eggs—or even lovely painted rocks or egg-shaped balls—all of which would last for years to come." PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said the change would make the event "eggstra" special, and inclusive of children "who don’t consume eggs for ethical, environmental, or health reasons."

"While families are shelling out nearly 70% more for eggs amid the deadliest avian flu outbreak on record, now is a hopping good time to hatch an Easter tradition that is kind and doesn’t prop up the cruel egg industry," Newkirk wrote. The Hill, continuing the puns, notes that PETA has "clucked about" the event in previous years including 2016, when it offered to donate plastic and ceramic replacements for chicken eggs. Farmers donate eggs to the event for purposes including rolling and decorating. The American Egg Board says more than 70,000 eggs were donated in 2019. The event, which returned last year for the first time since the pandemic, usually draws around 30,000 guests to the White House grounds. (More White House Easter Egg Roll stories.)