The famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobile had its catalytic converter stolen in Las Vegas. Now PETA is offering to replace the stolen part and cover maintenance cost for one year if the rolling hot dog goes vegan.
Thieves steal the Weinermobile’s catalytic converter
The famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the hot dog on wheels, has become the latest victim of the out-of-control epidemic of catalytic converter theft. It happened during a short stop in Las Vegas.
It was a gutsy move by the thieves to purloined the smog-reduction device off of the 27-foot-long rolling hot dog as it made an overnight stop, and they did so right in front of the Sonesta Suites motel in Sin City, Autoblog reported.
Oscar Mayer says the vehicle was one of six Wienermobiles in the company’s “meat fleet,” which tour the country year-around. On the official Oscar Mayer website, fans can track the whereabouts of the Wienermobiles and find out when one of the vehicles will be near them.
Catalytic converter thefts on the rise
Catalytic converters are smog-reduction devices. They contain precious metals, particularly palladium and platinum, and thieves can quickly turn those metals into cash.
In 2022, more than 2,600 catalytic converter thefts were reported to Las Vegas Metro police, an increase of 72% year-over-year, KFOR reported.
Thefts also on the rise elsewhere. In Prescott, Arizona, police seized around 350 stolen catalytic converters that had a value of over $250,000, Motorius reported.
In Los Angeles, Toyota Priuses owners have been especially hard-hit. Some of the most frequently targeted vehicles for their catalytic converters are the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado, as well as Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Ford Econoline.
PETA will pay replacement cost for Weinermobile catalytic converter and 1-year maintenance if hot dog goes vegan
After the news circulated about the Wienermobile’s catalytic converter theft, PETA reached out to Oscar Mayer’s parent company Kraft Heinz with an offer to replace the stolen part and cover the vehicle’s maintenance cost for one year, WWNY TV reported.
The PETA offer had one condition: That the company convert one wiener-on-wheels to a vegan hot dog.
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk sent a letter to the company noting “that the vegan hot dog market grew 20% last year – and because Kraft Heinz is exploring vegan meats with NotCo, including Oscar Mayer ‘Not Hot Dogs,’ it’s the perfect time for the vehicle to shift gears.”
Newkirk noted it’s expected to reach a market value of 1.99 billion by 2032, Fox 2 reported.
“Since Americans’ appetite for cruelty-free foods is only growing, we hope you’ll relish this opportunity to ketchup with the trend by having at least one veggie dog mobile,” Newkirk added cheekily.
