On Valentine’s Day, a group of PETA pig pals will hand out free vegan BLT sandwiches from Animal Liberation Kitchen beneath a sky-high message that puts a twist on Elton John and Kiki Dee’s classic hit, urging viewers to show pigs some love, keep bacon off their plates, and go vegan.

When:    Wednesday, February 14, 12 noon

Where:    501 Brant St., Burlington

“Every bit of bacon represents the suffering of an individual who felt pain and fear and didn’t want to die,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to open their hearts and keep pigs and other animals off their plates this Valentine’s Day and beyond.”

At slaughterhouses, workers shoot pigs in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throat—often while they’re still conscious. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

PETA’s message appears at four additional locations around Burlington: on both sides of the street near 3187 Harvester Rd., at 2027 Lakeshore Rd., and at 4100 Upper Middle Rd. All five of PETA’s billboards were placed in honor of animal ally Regan Russell, who was hit and killed by a transport truck carrying pigs into Burlington-based slaughterhouse Fearmans Pork during a peaceful demonstration in 2020. Each message is located less than five miles from the slaughterhouse, which kills about 10,000 pigs every day.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—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 the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.