Does everybody hate PETA?

If the comments over the last two days are any indication, PETA has no fans among L.A. Times readers. Three recent posts addressed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal's latest move: urging the USA network to drop their plans to air the Westminster dog show. Recently, the group was able to persuade the BBC to refrain from airing the Crufts Dog Show. Readers ranging from general pet lovers to professional dog breeders set the comments section aflame with their burning hatred for all things PETA:

JJ Flash says: PETA, like many organizations which started with the best of intentions, has been hijacked by the usual bunch of left-wing wackos whose only agenda is NOT animal welfare, but solely to give their sad little lives some appearance of meaning.

Ashley says: PETA's headquarters in Norfolk, Va kills more than 3 times the average of ALL the shelters in the entire state of Virginia. They are the ONLY known animal rights/shelter/welfare group to own a cooler to store the bodies in because they can't dispose of them properly right after they are destroyed. PETA is a complete embarrassment to all those who love animals and are concerned about animal welfare

kim says: PETA is a group of extremists who believe that to own any animal is enslavement. They believe all animals should run free and that there should be no pet animals at all. Responsible purebred dog breeders spend huge amounts of money doing health tests and screening on their dogs. They spay/neuter any animal that either has problems or has tested positive for traits which lead to problems. The vast majority of health issues seen in purebred dogs come from what are known as "commercial breeders", "back yard breeders", and "puppy millers".

lovemydogalways says: Anyone that thinks PETA is a friend to animals, they are sadly mistaken. PETA's mission statement is end pets forever - they consider them something that needs to be erased because they are not wild and fending for themselves... Get rid of PETA, don't support them, don't send them money - the HSUS is no better. What did either group do with all the money they received after Hurricane Katrina? They didn't save a single animal so where did all that money that their commercials collected go? People that send them money are paying them to take away your right to own pets -- duh...

Only a handful supported PETA's latest campaign:

"Peta has very high ethics and whatever they do its always the best for the animals. And its better to euthanize dogs instead of keeping them in small cages until the end of their lifes being depressed."

And then PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk herself (allegedley) had this to say:

It is extraordinary, isn't it, to have a piece with no comment from the very people it attacks? if anyone would like to know what PETA believes and does, go to peta.org; to learn about the appalling conditions under which dogs particularly are kept in rural USA, where PETA provides free medical care, free sterilizationa dn free euthanasia (these are not adoptable dogs, all those are referred to animal shelters except the few we get and place), go to helpinganimals.com or peta.org. PETA has not been taken over by anyone. I started it and I'm still here, a 60 yr old envelope-pusher who would like animals to be seen as the feeling, emotional and interesting beings they are, not as hamburger, handbags and cheap toys. Sometimes we have to be sexy or silly to get people's attention these days, but the message is a serious one: no living being deserves to be treated with anything but compassion even if that means changing some of our old cruel habits. At PETA, we believe there is something everyone can do, which is why our website offers free veg recipes, alternatives to dissection, information on our successfully funding of non-animal tests that are more sophisticated and quicker than the old animal ones, lists of cosmetics and household products not tested on animals; fashionable fur, leather and wool alternatives; even health charities that are animal-and people-friendly and those that aren't. And yes, we feel it is unethical to buy and breed dogs while the rescue homes are full and many are put down or spend their lives in kennels. Only the greedy and uncaring would think that a bad idea!

What do you think? Is PETA out to get your pet? Or is PETA a misunderstood animal welfare group with unusual publicity techniques?

Correction: Astute readers have pointed out that the BBC's decision to drop Crufts was not based on "persuasion" from PETA, but instead was prompted by the BBC's airing of a documentary called "Pedigree Dogs Exposed."

-- Jessica Roy

Photo: Members of PETA dress as cave people as they protest in front of a fashion store in Sydney, Australia. PETA claims Giorgio Armani uses cruel methods to obtain rabbit fur for the lines fashions. Credit: Rick Rycroft /Associated Press

Comments

[CoCo]

I don't hate PETA. I have mixed feelings. I love the undercover work they did with Hormel. I was extremely angry at them when they exploited the death of the man murdered on a bus, by wanting to put out ads comparing his murder to eating meat. That was a cruel act against his family, they could not bear the pain. I loved it when PETA wrote to Hamas, asking them to be kind to animals. I hate that they degrade women into sex objects to sell vegetarianism. Yet, I'm grateful for any one that wants to help animals, including PETA. Confused?:)

[R. Grimes]

I live with a dog rescued by PETA after hurricane Katrina, one of dozens of abandoned dogs they rescued from New Orleans. PETA runs a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Just 2 examples of their compassion in action. This organization does more to help animals than any other, anywhere, on a community level, up to internationally. How do I know? Check out peta.org to learn for yourself.

[Myshkin]

PETA is asking the world to change. To stop skinning animals alive for fur, to stop beating them to death in slaughterhouses, to stop killing them by the millions in shelters. Naturally, this makes people defensive, frightened and angry. Most people would rather shoot the messengar hean hear the message, because they are afraid of change. I used to hate PETA for that reason. I was a chef, cooking and eating lots of flesh. But then I saw the videos. I saw how animals are still alive in slaughterhouses as their legs are cut off, and worse. I went veg. I lost 20 pounds. I don't contribute to violence anymore and I'm not so afraid of change anymore--I can handle new ideas. PETA is brilliant and brave. People used to hate the leaders of all social movments, the same leaders we build statues for now. PETA will be the same. There will be statues of Ingrid Newkirk. Bummer for the gutless wonders now, who are cowards and need to beat defenseless animals to feel big and tough. Does everyone hate PETA? They have over 2 million supporters. Guess not.

[Jamie]

What? This is crazy. Most of everyone I know like what Peta does to help animals, but not all of what they believe in. Anyone who says something bad about an organization who's sole purpose is to help..well, you have to question where they're coming from, or what their motives are. I mean, who would argue against the fact that shelter dogs need love? Or that breeding dogs when millions are homeless is a bad idea? How about people who make their money selling or exploiting said animals?

You can hate peta for some of the things they suggest (like vegetarianism), but you can't argue that they don't help animals. They give thousands of dollars away annually to charities, dog houses and vet bills to people/animals in need. How do I know this? They put out an annual report so people can see where they spend their money. I went to peta.org a few weeks ago to see how full of crap PETA is, but ended up loving them. They're not afraid to say what needs to be said, in order to help those in need. All i needed to see was the alerts section though. Anyone who stands up for animals that people stab or set on fire (!!) behind closes doors deserves my respect, even if I don't always agree with them....

[Michael Seebeck]

PETA is insane. Why? Just look at their actions.

Ask Spearfish, SD, where they sent a letter to the Spearfish School district asking them to change their school name to "Sea Kitten". They were laughed at at ludicrous.

Ask Whitefish MT, where they did the same thing and got the same result.

Ask the owners of the KFCs that get regularly protested by PETA idiots who conveniently ignore the burger joint next door or across the street.

Ask the 87%-plus of the animals that get killed in their Virigina facility, if you can do an animal seance.

Ask Lassie, whom they tried to force a neuter on before the state Senate found sense (and replacement fax machines) and killed that stupid idea.

Ask former Congressman Scott McInnis, who exposed their funding ties to the domestic terrorist group Animal Liberation Front.

I could go on..and on, and on, and on...

Hey Ingrid, why don't you focus on the Ethical Treatment of HUMAN Animals instead? You know, fighting to stop child abuse, rape, murder, and so on? What form of bestiality obsession do you have that makes you do crazy over animal genitalia?

Yes, PETA is isane. HSUS us no better.

[Laura Frisk, a proud PETA supporter]

Everyone wants PETA to step in and help them out with their animal-related problems. But when PETA does something those same people don't agree with, or the press gets the facts wrong, they all point their fingers. PETA has done more for animals than any other animal rights group in the world, and I wish people would look at all the good they have done for the animals instead of focusing on distorted and incomplete facts.

PETA has only the animal's best interest at heart. I have been a PETA member for many, many years. Over those years I have found myself living more compassionately, less selfishly, and in general I have evolved into a kinder person. I have been able to, by my example, convince many friends and family members that animals are not ours to exploit. I have seen changes in many venues that used to abuse animals, because of PETA's tenacity, activism, and drive to do only what is best for the animals.

I have Ingrid Newkirk and her organization to thank for that. Because of PETA, many animals will sleep better tonight. And those that aren't, are waiting for PETA to come and help them. I wholeheartedly support PETA, for they are helping those who have no voice to help themselves, the animals.

By the way, I not only read the LA Times, I subscribe to it.

[Belinda]

PETA is an appalling fraud of an organization. Like all animal rights groups, they are grimly determined to eradicate every single cat and dog from the face of the planet to "free them from cruel enslavement". To that end, their Virginia headquarters qualified for designation as a slaughterhouse because they killed 97% of the animals that were placed within their "care" last year. Not satisfied with simply killing pets, PETA is determined to make it virtually illegal to own pets by promoting draconian anti- pet ownership/ breeding laws at local, state, and federal levels which include but are not limited to breed specific legislation and mandatory spay and neuter laws. Lastly, they take every opportunity they can to promote vegan living to children while being cognizant of the fact that a vegan diet inhibits human development while damaging the organ systems of children. So remember to NEVER support ANY law promoted by PETA or their affiliated organization Humane Society of the United States. To do so is to further their animal rights agenda of no pets- period! NEVER DONATE TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS!!

[michael alvarez-toye]

what i find particularly twlling about the anti-PETA comments, is that they tend to come from people within animal usage industries, or from people who have a vested interest in the usage of non-humans perpetuated, be they 'pet' *owners*, consumers of flesh and animal products and by-products, etc.
PETA is not a welfarist organisation, but rather an advocacy one, dedicated to education and the protection of the lives of the non-human animal species.
as such they oppose the indiscriminate slaughter of individuals for the human diet-of which we are not designed to consume on any regualarity, for adornment, the frivolous torment of individuals through incarceration-zoos and circuses, forced activities, rodeos, races, etc, the captive and overbreeding of, ie purebreds, fur 'farms, etc....
we do not have the right to *possess* another individual, irrespective of species, to torture, exploit, abuse, enslave or murder them either, and this is the gist of what PETA involves itself in furthering, through education, lobbying and direct involvement.
think about that next time you set out to beat 'your' dog, or buy a puppymilled individual, or when the medication you take causes serious side-effects....

[Jayn Line]

Hate PETA???
Not hardly!
If it weren't for this dymanic, inspirational group, I'd still (unknowingly as to all the suffering that I was subsidizing) be wearing fur, torturing animals in psych labs and yes, eating them.
It is most assurdly difficult for all of us to give up wearing and eating what we've been doing for so many years without thinking. but PETA has opened the nation's -- actually the entire world's -- eyes as to how our lifestyle choices can either save animals or subsidize their suffering.
Go PETANS !

[Robert Marley]

Lots of people justifiably hate PETA. Those who want to slaughter animals because their fur is so beautiful. Those who want to sink their teeth into the bodies of animals. Those who want to pour chemicals down thir throats and into their eyes to produce yet another color of lipstck.

But, no one in their right mind who claims to have an iota of compassion can suggest that they hate the group who has opened up everyone's eyes to just how that little bunny became a collar on their coat.

[SLO]

I defy anyone to go to PETA's website and watch Meet Your Meat or any of the many, many videos of animal cruelty and think that our treatment of animals is just fine. And don't confuse the core message and mission of PETA with its tactics to spread the message. PETA always pushes the limits because, sadly, otherwise nobody pays the least attention. You know, you can always identify the leader of any pack by the bites on his or her rear. PETA is indispensable, and they have my highest respect for doing a very, very difficult job with energy and creativity.

[Kim Sturla]

I think PeTA has been THE most influential animal advocacy organization in the country. Under the leadership of Ingrid Newkirk, they have defined animal rights. They are the trail blazers. They are the group who is always first to challenge the status quo. They have my 100% support and respect.

[Jean from Georgia]

Apple pie, America and PeTA!!!!!! That's all that needs to be said. It's great people like those at PeTA who give of their personal time, energy and LIFE totally to make a difference in the lives of others-----others who will never know how much peeps from PeTA have done to help. I am proud to have once shaken hands with Ingrid Newkirk --- a great American.

[Beth]

I believe PETA always has the animals best interests at heart. They simply want to see a world free of animal exploitation. They touch a nerve, however, becuase they challenge some of the things we have done our entire lives, like eat meat, wear leather, and even buying dogs at the pet store. I’m glad there is someone out there making sure the animals have a voice. Every time I hear about an animal in trouble, PETA is there.

[Alfredo Kuba]

I love PeTA and all it stands for, protecting animals from human exploitation. Only speciecist, exploiters of animals take chip shots at PeTA. Only selfish people who care only about themselves and grant themselves rights they deny to other species and nature criticize PeTA. Only egotistic self centered gluttons who care not about the suffering of other feeling beings and who treat other feeling beings as lesser and with contempt hate does who do. If the Los Angeles Times readers hate PeTA, perhaps it is the paper's inability to promote compassion. The paper's sole purpose is to sale advertising and make readers mindless consumers, keeping people knombed and uninformed about the world and animals so that readers make irrational decisions and irrational egotistical choices.

[Carmen Cusack]

We love PETA because they are real people who speak their truths. They are not some group of hypnotized sirens with a mass agenda, but instead, they are a beautiful group of ambitious, over-worked volunteers who mean no harm to anyone who respect the miracle of life. If you hate PETA, you are either self-centered, extremely fat, or Republican. Any way you shake it, PETA represents the wildest self inside all of all of humanity; and we need to be proud that they do bring the extreme message. OTHERWISE we would all be infatuated with our mediocrity.

[Anne Jones]

Wow...what a flaming against PeTA! No organization is perfect, but PeTA does more than most animal advocacy groups to help raise awareness of the suffering of animals. The word "extremist" is thrown around more and more these days to try to paint everyone involved in animal advocacy with the same tainted brush - any time it is used, a red flag should come up.

[Elaine]

Peta is a remarkable organization that does more for the animals than any other in the world! They work relentlessly to end animal suffering everywhere on the planet. They have helped me with numerous animal cruelty issues and always came through with flying colors. If someone doesn’t respect and admire them, it’s only because they are totally misinformed. Peta should be held in the highest esteem for making the world a far better place for animals.

Elaine

[Red]

Once they admitted giving money to an FBI-certified terrorist organization, ELF, they should have had their tax-exemptions pulled.

PETA is a hate group, plain and simple. Unfortunately, the media has chosen to laud this hate group with praise and protection, instead of challenging their harassment of people, their admission of giving money to ELF, their support of arsonists/firebombers/criminals, like Rodney Coronado, etc.

www.fass.org/fasstrack/news_item.asp?news_id=154

Have a look at PETA's dirty little secrets:

www.petakillsanimals.com

[Amber]

I support peta.
I used to live in norfolk, where peta is headquartered. Not only is it bordering north carolina, which has no shelter system (peta spends thousands of dollars there annually now), but norfolk is covered with Navy bases. this means a highly transient population- people moving in, moving out all the time. the animal abandonement rate is phenomenal. for people who blame the non-profit groups for the problem instead of those perpetuating it, shame on them.

As long as animals are property, they will be treated like property- sold to the highest bidder with little regard to the new 'owners' intentions and character.

[Michael Markarian]

HSUS was recognized nationwide for its enormous deployment in response to the crisis created by Katrina. Since Sept. 1, 2005, The HSUS has committed or spent more than $34 million on general disaster relief and recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast states, the enhancement of its disaster response capacities, and the transformation of public policy concerning animals in disaster. The most recent accounting is available to the public on our web site:

http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/disasters_press_room/beyond_katrina_three_years_later_0802808.html

The HSUS and state authorities in Louisiana and Mississippi work very closely on disaster planning and response and we continue to fund a range of projects to help shelters, vet schools, and other institutions in the Gulf Coast. The HSUS is the lead disaster response agency for animals in the nation.

[Kelley]

You either hate Peta or you love them. Here's why: they put those tough animal issues right there in your face. If you happen to be guilty of causing animals to suffer and die needlessly (i.e. if you eat them, wear them, watch them "perform" after being beaten into subservience, or use products that have been viciously tested on them), then you are going to be anti-Peta. Clearly people do not like to be confronted with their wrong-doing, their selfishness, or their indifference. If you do not partake of animal products or "services" and you do not blindly support the "animals are here for our use" status quo mindset, Peta will be your best buddy. No animal rights org is more effective at getting the message out there than this one. Do they make people think about animal issues? You bet. And guess what...that's the point. Make every action a thoughtful one and good things follow....for all who share this planet. The greater good...that's what Peta is all about.

[Lianne]

I find that many of the people who hate PETA are ignorant to what the organization really stands for. They want someone on whom to place blame, and it comes out as anger for a group they won't even take the time to research before lashing out at. PETA does not throw blood on fur wearers, they do not euthanize every animal they see, and they do not deserve the bad press they've received.

Don't believe everything you hear. PETA does more for animals than most people could imagine, and it's a hypocritical waste of time and resources to argue them while you could be making a difference.

[David]

PETA is nothing less than WONDERFUL! Anyone who attacks PETA simply hasn't look deep enough into what they do. The organization spays and neuters hundreds of animals a WEEK in their area alone. No, euthanasia isn't a fun subject to talk about, but not talking about this overpopulation crisis won't make it go away. Home's just don't appear when we need them!

Anyone who criticizes tactics need only look at the "victories" section of PETA.org. The company (no matter how you feel about them), makes things happen! Some changes are quicker than others but they do happen. Could you imagine if those "radical abolitionists" of slave times never spoke out against slavery? It was a social norm then and it is appalling now. Such will be the way we think of non-human animals in the future.

Anyone who say's otherwise is simply feeling the guilt (or overweight belt strain) of having just one to many big macs.

[Endangered Owner]

PETA is the lunatic fringe of the Animal Rights groups, whose sole purpose of existence is to "liberate" all animals from human use or 'enslavement'.
PETA could care less about responsible breeders, in fact, according to their own website, "there is no such thing as a responsible breeder".
I, and the millions of pet owners and breeders in this country who love purebred dogs, are awake to the Animal Rights agenda being pushed by PETA and their 'cousin', the HSUS: which is NO more breeding, NO more hunting, NO more eating meat...
Yeah, it may have taken us two decades to wake up, but now that we are, WE are going to take our animals, our laws and our country back.

[Kelly K.]

PETA does employ some tactics that obviously offend some people (I don't always agree with everything they do) but for those of us who have done our research, at the end of the day, PETA has made the most difference for the most animals. That’s why I donate to PETA.

[K. Norton]

PETA is not an animal welfare group, PETA is an animal rights group. If what you do for animals makes you feel good about yourself, you probably support animal welfare. If you’re willing to take up a cause that isn’t always popular and often makes your heart ache but makes the most positive changes regarding the treatment of animals then maybe animal rights is for you. If you aren't doing anything, I pity you.

[Kelly Swenson]

I believe people know that if they learn more about the plight of animals in factory farms, in the entertainment industry, killed for their skin, and used in laboratories, they would have to change their ways and dog forbid, they might actually need to make a few personal sacrifices.

Those who protest the loudest against PETA seem to be those who are not willing to educate themselves and/or make changes to their precious lifestyles. Those who know what animals go through and aren't affected by it or don't make personal choices to alleviate their suffering are the worst of humanity.

[Bob]

It's easier to hate PETA than to make any meaningful changes or contributions towards solving the many problems that they address. People seem unwilling to take responsibility for the damage, pain and suffering they cause both to animals, themselves and other people. Bravo to PETA for pointing out what people don't want to hear, but should. It's too bad that PETA has to resort to caveman or other stunts, but when you're saying something that people don't want to hear you often have to resort to creative ways to get the message across. For many people, it is more convenient to shoot the messenger than get the message.

[PETA supporter]

I'd like to get into a room with a no-kill supporter and have them explain to me in detail, what would you have open admission shelters do with the 6-9 million animals who are euthanized in the US every year? What about next year and the year after that and so on? Where would you have those millions of animals go? Who would take care of them, feed them, pay for their food, pay for their medical care, scoop their feces? Where would the money come from to build their housing and pay the wages of their caretakers? And where exactly would you have said housing built? Should we move everyone out of say, Texas and take it over with dog houses and cat runs for the millions and millions of unwanted animals? And the fencing, oh my the fencing we'd need. Would the US Government pay for it all? Would you be willing to pay for it, have your taxes raised several times over-every year? What about the birds and bunnies and snakes and guinea pigs and on and on.

Nobody in their right mind supports killing healthy, adoptable domestic animals but until there are enough great homes (I intentionally didn't write "good homes") and breeding stops, humane euthanasia (sodium pentobarbital injected intravenously) is the most practical option. PETA has it right on.

[Anna]

Stop to think for one second about what PETA has done very well ... drawing attention to the plight of laboratory animals (and yes, some fates ARE worse than euthanasia), the fur industry (where animals are often skinned alive), the meat industry (although we spring to action in saving cats and dogs, we often overlook the most cruel and gruesome practice of slaughter), the human intrusion into wildlife habitats, the annual seal clubbing, the plight of circus animals (without PETA's courage to go undercover, you would not even know how the elephants are treated), among the many other horrors PETA has exposed.

And for all of you who claim that PETA's euthanasia rates are too high, then give them an alternative. It is all to easy to criticize a group when you are not the one faced with the daily reality of limited resources and endless cruelty. Would you rather they throw the unadoptable animals on the street without medical treatment or to die a slow death in an area without adequate resources? Would you rather they turn the animals over to laboratory research (pound seizure)? PETA is constantly looking for ways to better help more animals (note: they do support some TNR programs but want to ensure they are properly implemented). PETA aims to end animal suffering. PETA's voice is loud, sometimes obnoxious, and often in your face. If it were not, you would ignore these issues just like you do almost every single day.

The very fact that you know the name PETA - positive or negative, agree or disagree - is an enormous accomplishment. Like it or not, PETA has forced you to think about animal issues ... and sometimes, you may even think they are right!

[Debz]

Here is the truth about Animal Rights groups in the U.S. We want people to know the truth that these groups that refer to themselves as animal lovers, in fact, do not care about animals. We are not making up anything. Look at the quotes from high ranking officials within these organizations then make your own decisions.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

PeTA
501 Front St.
Norfolk, VA 23510
Tel: 757-622-7382
Fax: 757-622-0457
Website: www.PeTA.org
E-Mail: info@PeTA.org

"The cat, like the dog, must disappear... We should cut the domestic cat free from our dominance by neutering, neutering, and more neutering, until our pathetic version of the cat ceases to exist."
-- John Bryant, Fettered Kingdoms: An Examination of A Changing Ethic (Washington, DC: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), 1982, p. 15 and Quoted in Animal People, May 1993

I always thought that PeTA liked cats. It seems that they would like to rid the world of them. This is the illusion that these people try to present. Most people think of PeTA as caring for animals. They do not. They wish to rid the world of dogs and cats. They wish to eliminate right of people from having pets. Their true calling is to maintain power over people. It is nothing more than a Socialist trait. These people do not believe in "Freedom". Just read on and see what their goals are.

"In a perfect world, animals would be free to live their lives to the fullest: raising their young, enjoying their native environments, and following their natural instincts. However, domesticated dogs and cats cannot survive "free" in our concrete jungles, so we must take as good care of them as possible. People with the time, money, love, and patience to make a lifetime commitment to an animal can make an enormous difference by adopting from shelters or rescuing animals from a perilous life on the street. But it is also important to stop manufacturing "pets," thereby perpetuating a class of animals forced to rely on humans to survive."
-- PeTA pamphlet, Companion Animals: Pets or Prisoners?

"Let us allow the dog to disappear from our brick and concrete jungles -- from our firesides, from the leather nooses and chains by which we enslave it."
-- John Bryant, Fettered Kingdoms: An Examination of A Changing Ethic Washington, DC: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 1982, p. 15

I thought that you were against the extinction of animals. Now you want to get rid of a dog that is happy lying down by the fireplace on a cold night. What is wrong with you people?

"As John Bryant has written in his book Fettered Kingdoms, they [pets] are like slaves, even if well-kept slaves."
-- PeTA's Statement on Companion Animals

"I plan to send my liver somewhere in France, to protest foie gras (liver pate)... I plan to have handbags made from my skin... and an umbrella stand made from my seat."
-- PeTA President Ingrid Newkirk speaking to OnMilwaukee.com, February 1, 2005

"In a perfect world, all other than human animals would be free of human interference, and dogs and cats would be part of the ecological scheme."
-- PeTA's Statement on Companion Animals

"I am not a morose person, but I would rather not be here. I don't have any reverence for life, only for the entities themselves. I would rather see a blank space where I am. This will sound like fruitcake stuff again but at least I wouldn't be harming anything."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, founder, president and former national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), as quoted in Chip Brown, "She's a Portrait of Zealotry in Plastic Shoes," Washington Post, November 13, 1983, p. B10

"I would go to work early, before anyone got there, and I would just kill the animals myself. Because I couldn't stand to let them go through other workers abusing the animals. I must have killed thousands of them, sometimes dozens everyday."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, President, PeTA, The New Yorker, April 14, 2003

"We are not in the home finding business, although it is certainly true that we do find homes from time to time for the kind of animals people are looking for. Our service is to provide a peaceful and painless death to animals who no one wants."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, President, PeTA, The Virginian-Pilot, July 20, 2005

"It is a totally rotten business, but sometimes the only kind option for some animals is to put them to sleep forever... It sounds lovely if you're naive. We could become a no-kill shelter immediately. It means we wouldn't do as much work."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, President, PeTA The Virginian-Pilot, August 1, 2000

"To those people who say, 'My father is alive because of animal experimentation,' I say 'Yeah, well, good for you. This dog died so your father could live.' Sorry, but I am just not behind that kind of trade off."
-- Bill Maher, PeTA celebrity spokesman

"Six million people died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughterhouses."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, founder, president and former national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as quoted in Chip Brown, "She's A Portrait of Zealotry in Plastic Shoes," Washington Post, November 13, 1983, p. B10

"There is no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights. A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They're all mammals."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's President, the Washington Times August 29, 1999

"To give a child animal products is a form of child abuse."
-- Neal Barnard, Medical Advisor, PeTA, from Bernard's book, Food For Life

"If my father had a heart attack, it would give me no solace at all to know his treatment was first tried on a dog."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, founder, president and former national director for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (PeTA), Washington Post, Nov. 13, 1983

"Eating meat is primitive, barbaric, and arrogant."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, founder, president and former national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), as quoted in Charles Griswold, Jr., "Q&A," Washington City Paper, December 20, 1985, p. 44

And you are free to decide for yourself and live you life that way. But you want to take away my freedom for me to make that decision for myself. And this is the control that the Animal Rights crowd is trying to impose on the public. And they are trying to do it through intimidation and terrorism.

"Until your daddy learns that it's not 'fun' to kill, keep your doggies and kitties away from him. He's so hooked on killing defenseless animals that they could be next!"
PeTA flyer targeting children, (Asbury Park Press, September 23, 2005)

Here is a good example of PeTA and their family values.

"Even painless research is fascism, supremacism."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Washington Magazine, August 1986

"Damaging the enemy financially is fair game."
-- Alex Pacheco, animal rights radical, PeTA co-founder and one of its original 3 board members, Washington City Paper, December 18, 1987

"I know it's illegal [trespassing], but I don't think it's wrong,"
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Montgomery County, Maryland Journal, Feb. 16, 1988

It isn't wrong for her to trespass on my property, but if I showed her the same consideration and trespassed on her property, you can be sure that I would be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

"As the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship - enjoyment at a distance."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, "Just Like Us? Toward a Notion of Animal Rights", Harper's, August 1988, p. 50

"I find that as I get older I seem to become more of a Luddite... And hearing animal experimenters describe me as a Luddite--which used to think I was not. And now I think Ned Lud had the right idea and we should have stopped all the machinery way back when, and learned to live simple lives."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), speech at Loyola University, October 24, 1988

"Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought about by human manipulation."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Just Like Us? Harper's, August 1988, p. 50

"I don't use the word "pet." I think it's speciesist language. I prefer "companion animal." For one thing, we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds. There would be no pet shops. If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets. You would have a protective relationship with them just as you would with an orphaned child. But as the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship � enjoyment at a distance."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA vice-president, quoted in The Harper's Forum Book, Jack Hitt, ed., 1989, p. 223

"There is no hidden agenda. If anybody wonders about -- what's this with all these reforms -- you can hear us clearly. Our goal is total animal liberation."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, "Animal Rights 2002" convention, June 30, 2002

"I don't approve of the use of animals for any purpose that involves touching them - caging them."
-- Dr. Neal Barnard, president, Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and PeTA's Medical Advisor, The Daily Californian, February 9, 1989 quoting Bernard's address to an audience at International House at Berkeley

"Even if animal tests produced a cure [for AIDS], we'd be against it."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), as quoted in Fred Barnes, "Politics," Vogue, September 1989, p. 542

Here it is. They do not care if people die. As long as a rat can live. To them it is more important that one rat live rather than the millions that could be saved by finding a cure for AIDS.

"Medical research is "immoral even if it's essential."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Washington Post, May 30, 1989

"We feel that animals have the same rights as retarded human children because they are equal mentally in terms of dependence on others."
-- Alex Pacheco, Director, PeTA, New York Times, January 14, 1989

"You don't have to own squirrels and starlings to get enjoyment from them... One day, we would like an end to pet shops and the breeding of animals. Dogs would pursue their natural lives in the wild... they would have full lives, not wasting at home for someone to come home in the evening and pet them and then sit there and watch TV,"
-- Ingrid Newkirk, national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Chicago Daily Herald, March 1, 1990. Animal Agriculture and Breeding Purebred Dogs and Pedigreed Cats

"Humans have grown like a cancer. We're the biggest blight on the face of the earth."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder, president and former national director, Readers Digest, June 1990 Biomedical Research

"Probably everything we do is a publicity stunt... we are not here to gather members, to please, to placate, to make friends. We're here to hold the radical line."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's president and founder, USA Today, September 3, 1991 Animal Welfare vs. Animal Rights

"The bottom line is that people don't have the right to manipulate or to breed dogs and cats... If people want toys, they should buy inanimate objects. If they want companionship, they should seek it with their own kind."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, founder, president and former national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Animals, May/June 1993

This is just another example of a Socialist agenda to control the lives of others.

"If beef is your idea of 'real food for real people,' you'd better live real close to a real good hospital."
-- Neal Barnard, President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and PeTA's Medical Advisor, The Buffalo News, December 1, 1995

If it is going to cause us to die early, then what is the problem. Ingrid Newkirk has stated that "Humans have grown like a cancer. We're the biggest blight on the face of the earth."

"It's not about loving animals. It's about fighting injustice. My whole goal is for humans to have as little contact as possible with animals."
-- Gary Yourofsky, founder of Animals Deserve Adequate Protection Today and Tomorrow (ADAPTT), now employed as PeTA's national lecturer

"I will be the last person to condemn ALF (Animal Liberation Front)."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's president and founder, The New York Daily News, December 7, 1997

Well, here it is. PeTA has just sided with a Terrorist organization. And you thought that PeTA was interested in dogs and cats. They want control and they will work with people that will use terrorist tactics to achieve their goals.

"Arson, property destruction, burglary and theft are 'acceptable crimes' when used for the animal cause."
-- Alex Pacheco, Director, PeTA

PeTA might be closer to a Terrorist group than previously thought.

"I wish we all would get up and go into the labs and take the animals out or burn them down."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, National Animal Rights Convention '97, June 27, 1997

PeTA is looking more and more like a Terrorist group itself.

"Would I rather the research lab that tests animals is reduced to a bunch of cinders? Yes."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's president and founder, New York Daily News, December 7, 1997

Just like the World Trade Center.

"Perhaps the mere idea of receiving a nasty missive will allow animal researchers to empathize with their victims for the first time in their lousy careers. I find it small wonder that the laboratories aren't all burning to the ground. If I had more guts, I'd light a match."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA founder and president, The Chronicle of Higher Education November 12, 1999

So now you are threatening the crime of Arson if you had the guts... as opposed to having the morals not to destroy property that does not belong to you.

"Meat consumption is just as dangerous to public health as tobacco use. It's time we looked into holding the meat producers and fast-food outlets legally accountable."
-- Neal Barnard, President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and PeTA's Medical Advisor, PeTA, PCRM press release, "Physicians Advise Feds to Go After 'Big Meat' Next", September 23, 1999

"I despise 'animal welfare.' That's like saying, 'Let's beat the slaves three times a week instead of five times a week'."
-- Gary Yourofsky, founder, Animals Deserve Adequate Protection Today and Tomorrow (ADAPTT), PeTA's national lecturer, quoted in "As Threats of Violence Escalate, Primate Researchers stand Firm", Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington, DC, November 12, 1999

"We're looking for good lawsuits that will establish the interests of animals as a legitimate area of concern in law."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Insight on the News July 17, 2000

"Serving a burger to your family today, knowing what we know, constitutes child abuse. You might as well give them weed killer."
-- Toni Vernelli European Campaign Director, PeTA, PeTA Europe news release, "Meat Expo Declared A 'Danger Zone' By Vegetarians: PeTA Targets Smithfield 2000" November 27, 2000

These people want nothing more than to control your way you live, not just telling you how to live your life. So much for the idea of "Freedom".

"What we must do is start viewing every cow, pig, chicken, monkey, rabbit, mouse, and pigeon as our family members."
-- Gary Yourofsky, Humane Education Director, PeTA, The Toledo Blade, June 24, 2001

"If we really believe that animals have the same right to be free from pain and suffering at our hands, then, of course, we're going to be blowing things up and smashing windows. For the record, I don't do this stuff, but I advocate it. I think it's a great way to bring about animal liberation, considering the level of suffering, the atrocities."
-- Bruce Friedrich, PeTA's director of Vegan Outreach, Animal Rights Conference, 2001

"I don't do this stuff, but I advocate it." It sounds like you know it is wrong. Yet you advocate it. You will not take part in the destruction of the property of others, but you do not mind of others actively participate in such criminal activity. You are no better than the Germans that looked the other way while millions were marched to the death camps. But then PeTA doesn't believe that those people were any better than rats.

"I see a spark of hope in every broken window, every torched police car."
-- Joshua Harper, recipient of PeTA funds, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 18, 2001

"Physically shut down financial centers... Using any means necessary, shut down the national networks of NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, etc. Not just occupations but actually engage in strategies and tactics which knock the networks off the air... Spread the battle to the... very heads of government and U.S. corporations... When you see the loss of 9 billion animal lives each year, it's inappropriate to hold a sign or pass out a petition. It's appropriate to go out and burn down the factory farm."
-- Joshua Harper, recipient of PeTA funds, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 18, 2001

And here are the calls for the Terrorists activities. Don't tell me that these people are not Terrorists.

"I think it would be great if all of the fast-food outlets, slaughterhouses, these laboratories and the banks who fund them exploded tomorrow. I think it's perfectly appropriate for people to take bricks and toss them through windows. Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it."
-- Bruce Friedrich, PeTA Campaign Director, Vegan Campaign Coordinator, Animal Rights 2001 Conference, July 2, 2001

"I openly hope that it [hoof-and-mouth disease] comes here. It will bring economic harm only for those who profit from giving people heart attacks and giving animals a concentration camp-like existence. It would be good for animals, good for human health and good for the environment."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA founder and president, ABC News interview April 2, 2001

Hoping that disease is inflicted on animals. It is not exactly what you think of when you think of PeTA. Maybe PeTA isn't exactly the benevolent organization that everyone thinks it is after all.

It kind of makes you wonder if the Hoof-and-Mouth disease was not brought into this country by PeTA. They seem to be motivated to see that it does extreme economic damage. It is certainly on par with many of their tactics.

"Our nonviolent tactics are not as effective. We ask nicely for years and get nothing. Someone makes a threat, and it works."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, US News and World Report, April 8, 2002

There is nothing non-violent about PeTA. It has been documented here by the words that you use. Nothing has been taken out of context. Ingrid Newkirk, the founder and President of PeTA, has openly advocated violence and the spread of disease.

"I'm not only uninterested in having children. I am opposed to having children. Having a purebred human baby is like having a purebred dog; it is nothing but vanity, human vanity."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, New Yorker magazine, April 23, 2003

For the leader of an organization that is based on animal welfare, you don't seem to know much about the normal and natural pre-disposition that is genetically hardwired into all beings to reproduce.

"A burning building doesn't help melt people's hearts, but times change and tactics, I'm sure, have to change with them... If you choose to carry out ALF-style actions, I ask you to please not say more than you need to, to think carefully who you trust, to learn all you can about how to behave if arrested, and so to try to live to fight another day."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Interview in ALF quarterly Bite Back, February, 2003

Talk about the wink and nod approval. It does not seem that Ms. Newkirk is trying to stand against terrorism and violence. In fact, it seems that she is actively encouraging it.

"If an 'animal abuser' were killed in a research lab firebombing, I would unequivocally support that, too."
-- Gary Yourofsky, founder of Animals Deserve Adequate Protection Today and Tomorrow (ADAPTT), now employed as PeTA's national lecturer

Here is another example of the true goals of what these people want. The control of every aspect of your life. So much for the idea of "Freedom". And they will do whatever they have to do to make it happen.

"We are complete press sluts."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's president and founder, The New Yorker, April 14, 2003

"Probably everything we do is a publicity stunt ... we are not here to gather members, to please, to placate, to make friends. We're here to hold the radical line."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, USA Today, September 3, 1991

"There is so much blood on this chicken-killer's hands, a little more on his business suit won't hurt."
-- Bruce Friedrich, PeTA Director of Vegan Outreach, PeTA news release, June 23, 2003

"Our campaigns are always geared towards children and they always will be."
-- PeTA Vice-President Dan Matthews, on the Fox News Network December 19, 2003

"Getting arrested is fun."
-- Dan Mathews, PeTA's director of international campaigns quoted in Orange County Weekly (CA), July 25 - 31, 2003

"Do you know that fat little guy from Seinfeld? He has become the main pitchman for KFC, Jason Alexander. And beginning in May he is going to star in the West Coast production of 'The Producers.' It's made for us. We can be slamming him as the play opens. If we do this properly, he will wish he never saw a chicken."
-- Dan Matthews, Director of Media Relations, PeTA: The New Yorker, April 14, 2003 On Free Press

I guess that Dan Matthews now is advocating the intimidation tactics that terrorist use as a matter of course.

"It is dangerous to engage in even the most innocuous-seeming discourse with the FBI, Homeland Security, or a local detective."
-- Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, Letter to activists posted on Yahoo, March 17, 2003

If you are that paranoid, then you are either in need of psychological help or you are doing something illegal.

"KFC has no excuse for refusing to adopt these basic, minimal animal-welfare standards... After two years of fruitless negotiations with the company, we're trying a more personal approach."
-- Bruce Friedrich, PeTA Director quoted in August 19, 2003 PeTA press release announcing PeTA's intent to dispatch activists to Louisville, KFC's headquarters, to interact with the community, churches, institutions, neighbors of KFC's president, and CEO, etc., in order to get KFC to submit to PeTA's demands

"...we're trying a more personal approach." Translated that means "...physical attacks and intimidation will be necessary to get what we want. We might even be forced to kill someone and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop us."

[Chris Gale]

PETA is a deeply embarrassing organization that many animal welfare campaigners like myself will have nothing to do with. The way it portrays women as sexual objects and its alliance with the porn industry is a total disgrace. Give your money and time to the local wildlife rescue center or animal sanctuary and not these purveyors of pornography.

[Jemima Harrison]

VERY bad reporting! PETA had absolutely NOTHING to do with the BBC's decision to withdraw from Crufts as even a cursory bit of research would have revealed. That decision was taken by the BBC following the appointment of a panel of experts to assess the issues. PETA is largely unknown in the UK and has no influence there on animal welfare issues. Please correct your article.
Jemima Harrison
Producer/Director
Pedigree Dogs Exposed

[C.J.]

Wasn't it evident from earlier comments that PETA is viewed as a dangerous and extremist organization by the vast majority of respondents?

[Fred]

This article errs when it gives credit to Peta for BBC dropping broadcasting fo Crufts. Yet another example of how the media distorts. This conversation has really gotten off track from the purpose of the the documentary and the basis for BBC's concern about Crufts. These have to do with "breed design and management". From what I can tell, even if we give Peta credit for having interest in animal welfare, they have little or no concern for managing breeds toward better health. If indeed there are no responsible breeders, then having defined breeds falls by the wayside. The documentary and BBC are interested in responsible maintenance and improvement of the breeds - a far cry from Peta's purpose.

[PBurns]

GET IT RIGHT AT LEAST ONCE, WILL YOU??!!!!!!

PETA HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BBC DECISION TO GET RID OF CRUFTS. NOTHING. NADA, ZIP. EMPTY SET.

PETA's press release was put out after the fact, and after a lot of hard working people (including breeders, hunters, and REAL dog lovers had devoted YEARS to this effort).

Please use email to check facts before you write, and please correct this statement now. It is demonstrably WRONG.

PBurns
www.terrierman.com.
Virginia

[Dottie]

does EVERYBODY hate PETA? No, only the i ntelligent people who know what they stand for, and those who love animals

[NO-KILL Supporter]

Dear PETA Supporter

How about you instead go and visit, the Charlottesville SPCA which is an open-admission, no-kill shelter. In 2006 and 2007 they saved 92% of the animals they took in, while being open admission. In comparison PETA, killed 97%, so frankly I don't think either you or PETA is in any position to talk about shelter practices.

Yours and PETA's strong opposiion to any kind of life saving shelter reform says alot about who you are and the organization you so staunchly defend.

Here is their website http://www.caspca.org/ go ask them how they managed to save so many lives, I guarantee you it was not by listening to PETA!

[Betty White]

I remember when PETA was lobbying to get the surviving vick pits killed because they claimed they could never be rehabilitated.

Why is anyone still listening to PETA?

[GivemeaBreak]

I'm not supporting an organization that actively tells its members not to support organizations like the American Heart Association, the March of Dimes, St. Judes, the America Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, all the while soliciting donations for themselves when in the end only 1% of their budget actually goes to helping any animal at all !

[Liars]

Who skins animals alive for furs, it doesn't even make sense, the fur might get damaged. The truth is that PETA lies about EVERYTHING.

[John Carmody]

I also feel i should put in my feedback. I just adore PETA and i am an Irish PETA and have to support almost everything they do - we must not forget that there is no one in this world that can do everything right and that included PETA - but you've got to hand it to the organization for been colourful and bright and well able to grab press attention for the animals.

I love you PETA and always will THANK YOU.

[Theresa Aulig]

We are living in a sad times when many people are educated but regard animals as garbage.
As a daughter of a veterinarian I saw just a handful of dog breeders - all the rest who call themselves "breeders" are just lazy people incapable of doing anything useful in their miserable life;
and there are many of these out in the country where I live (OR).
I have unfailing admiration for Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's co-founder and the President
and dare to call her the greatest woman of our times.
She should be an inspiration for all you bums who dare to criticize PETA.
Relief the suffering of dogs, cats, horses in any way you can, spay and neuter,
build a dog house for a neighbor who can’t.
Teach your kids compassion – as a mother of a 4 year of adapted son
I assure you – it is impossible to be good for the kids if you have no heart for the animals.
And for God’s sake - STOP BREEDING !
The misery you create will reflect in your personal life.
I wish all PETA members and all the people who care about the animals very best!
God bless you all.

[ardeth]

I admire PETA for its in-your-face activism, which I've participated in, in the past, but I wish it would lift itself ethically from animal welfare, which, after all, is about keeping animals as slaves, just treating them better, to animal rights, which respects the right of nonhuman animals to live free of human interference and exploitation.

[J. Frost]

As you can read from the quotes above, PeTA's goal is to end the "exploitation" of all animals. That includes OWNING a PET. Let me quote them below:

"In a perfect world, animals would be free to live their lives to the fullest: raising their young, enjoying their native environments, and following their natural instincts. However, domesticated dogs and cats cannot survive "free" in our concrete jungles, so we must take as good care of them as possible. People with the time, money, love, and patience to make a lifetime commitment to an animal can make an enormous difference by adopting from shelters or rescuing animals from a perilous life on the street. But it is also important to stop manufacturing "pets," thereby perpetuating a class of animals forced to rely on humans to survive."
-- PeTA pamphlet, Companion Animals: Pets or Prisoners?

Anyone who has ever experienced the love and joy of owning a pet knows how it has benefitted them personally. PeTA wants to get rid of that. There are aspects of PeTA I agree with-- people eating meat, cruelty to animals in labs, unnecessary lab testing. Would I support an organization that wants to rid the world of pets? NO WAY.

[Claudine Erlandson]

PETA is the best thing that ever happened for all the animals of the world.
Long live PETA!
Vive PETA-THE-GREAT!

[SKennington]

PETA is changing the world for the better. Of course people are going to resist an organization that suggests they make some changes to their daily habits in order to prevent animal suffering--for example, some people may think it unbearably inconvenient to look on the back of their shampoo bottle to see if it carries the "not tested on animals" lable. So they choose to shoot the messanger.

PETA, please keep doing what you are doing. If the dog in the laboratory or the mink in the fur farm could have their say represented on this blog, the comments in support of your organization would outweigh the negative comments a million to one.

[William McMullin]

HSUS (www.hsus.org) is a great organization who helps animals in many ways. HSUS has a disaster response team that rescues animals during natural disasters and puppy mill raids. They help animals by pushing for humane legislation. They have a sheltering program that advises shelters when needed. They run ballot initiatives to improve the care of farm animals and to stop the senseless shooting of mourning doves. They have a land trust that protects wildlife habitat. They run a horse sanctuary and wildlife sanctuary. HSUS has a humane education program. They even have a veterinary association now.

[Lucas S]

I am a proud supporter of PETA!