The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a strongly-worded statement to the Pittsburgh Penguins for using live penguins during pregame festivities before their game against the Philadelphia Flyers last weekend.
Before their 4–2 victory over the Flyers at Heinz Field in the NHL's Stadium Series, penguins from the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium were startled when fireworks went off as part of the pregame.
“It’s inherently stressful for wild animals — who naturally shun contact with humans and are extremely sensitive to environmental changes — to be hauled around, used as props, and exposed to noisy crowds, with or without explosives going off,” Tracy Reiman, the executive vice president of PETA, said in the letter.