Peta under fire over claim that it kills most animals left at its US headquarters

[T_i_B]

Source: Sunday Telegraph

Peta - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - is itself on the receiving end of angry words over its own treatment of animals after it emerged that the organisation put down 96 per cent of the animals handed into its American headquarters. Of 2,216 animals taken to its premises in Norfolk, Virginia, last year, 2,124 were put to sleep - almost six per day. Homes were found for just seven.

The high-profile charity, famous for its "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaigns, has euthanised more than 20,000 pets in the last decade, according to figures it has supplied to Virginia state officials.

Peta insists that homes could not be found for the dogs and cats, usually because they were in such poor health or because they were "unsocialised" and aggressive, usually because of bad treatment by their owners.

But the organisation, which does not run its own animal adoption programme and does not accept animals into its care elsewhere, admitted to The Sunday Telegraph that some treatable and adoptable animals were also among those killed by lethal injection.


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5106600/Peta-under-fire-over-claim-that-it-kills-most-animals-left-at-its-US-headquarters.html

[newfie11]

1. Yeah animals don't need the kind of help offered by peta and their good friends hsus

People need to support their local humane society where the money goes to help the local animals. If local humane societies had the money that peta or huus have they could do wonders.


As Wayne Pacelle said:
“We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ...One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.”
— Animal People News, May 1993

Kiss your purebred dogs good by followed by all dogs, cats, cattle etc. Spay everything.
Hell people might be next.

http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/136

http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21

[Butch350]

2. Well...actually, the people thing is a good idea. (for some)

[MineralMan]

16. Well, if this story is true, PETA seems to think

that death is preferable to enslavement of animals by humans. Odd, that. My kitties would take exception to the idea, since they have worked long and hard to train us to fulfill their every desire.

[Sultana]

3. PETA members should adopt those animals

Dumbasses

[Bette Noir]

4. I don't have any use for Peta. Buncha self-righteous bullies.

[harmonicon]

5. ...

God, I knew I hated those PETA fuckers. Now I know what that stench was.... not just general asshole-ishness, but also hypocrisy.

[ohio2007]

7. peta

People
Eating
Tasty
Animals

[the other one]

6. PETAs fault for this problem?

Spay and neuter all pets and make animal ownership a privelage not a right. This is societies problem and PETA does
It's best facing a holocaust with limited resources.

[Mojorabbit]

8. I have myself

found homes for more animals than I can count and I have limited resources too. There is absolutely no excuse for only finding homes for 7 of these animals. None.

[pattmarty]

12. Totally agree. All the posters so far on this subject are missing the point.

[CreekDog]

70. question is: does PETA euthanize because they are againust pet ownership?

i'd like to know.

[pattmarty]

14. Agree. All the posters to this thread are missing the larger point.................

........I have taken in over 15 feral cats and have had the ones I could catch neutered. My wife and I are retired and don't have a hell of a lot of money, but are doing are best to help helpless animals.

[davidinalameda]

74. we need more people like you!

thank you!!!!!

I have three cats right now, and I adopted one from a group that rescues feral cats

really good kitty-still very skittish but she's still very affectionate

[glinda]

18. An email I received from them once gave me the direct impression that whatever they

do is justified. In my opinion, they are very wrong in some of their stances as well as actions. Not all but some are totally off the mark. I dropped them from my emails. I have placed dozens of animals into homes, rescued many, fostered some. I am lower middle class and we struggle financially but I still did it. I was surprised that I would turn away from Peta on some issues but I cannot support them.

[Zhade]

38. "PETA does It's best facilitating a holocaust "

Typo fixed.

[gristy]

9. Peta is not an animal shelter. What is meant by "premises"? Where did these animals come from?

So many questions. Not very many answers in this article.

[Orrex]

11. Well, they do like to portray themselves as people for the ethical treatment of animals, after all

By euthanizing such a huge number of animals, PETA is explicitly declaring that euthanization-for-convenience is perfectly acceptable.

[gristy]

13. The article is so short on details and context, I hesitate to draw any conclusions.

[DissedByBush]

17. This is old news, and true

PETA kills perfectly adoptable animals. It is policy. There was a criminal case a while back where a couple PETA workers took some kittens off the hands of a vet promising to find homes. They killed them in the van and tossed them in a dumpster.

[JeanGrey]

26. It was more than "a couple of kittens".

[DissedByBush]

29. Couple of workers. Some kittens. n/t

[JeanGrey]

79. No. More than that, I'm afraid, see link.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1540785/Peta-workers-dumped-80-dead-animals-in-skip.html

[MonteLukast]

31. And they probably don't always kill them humanely, either.

:grr:

[DissedByBush]

69. People for the Extermination of Tame Animals? n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

10. Please someone help me take Karl Rove over to PETA - grab an arm willya?

At worst, they find him a home on a farm somewhere.

[rug]

15. I love Sunday mornings on DU.

[Summermoondancer]

19. Uggh, we find little kittens all of the time and I find them homes

I have never NOT found a home for one so this is absolutely outrageous that someone who proports to be an organization against animal abuse kills the animals brought to them...what happened to them working with the humane society to adopt them out?

[creeksneakers2]

20. If PETA can't find homes for the animals

They shouldn't accept them.

[AngryAmish]

21. Dog killers.

[AlphaCentauri]

22. I though PETA were serious when they confront me with my kids outside the circus

they made me feel like I was degenerate animal abuser for taking my kid to the circus

[chimpyisstillsatan]

23. PETA and ALF are terrorists (nt)

[Name removed]

37. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[a la izquierda]

24. My husband and I hate PETA. We're strict

vegetarians and animal rights' activists. Both our dogs are strays that no shelter would take, but that we couldn't really afford. We volunteer and donate money to shelters.
We don't wear fur or leather...and don't give a hoot about their celeb spokespeople. They're vile and offensive, like shock jocks.

[Old Time Pagan]

27. Properly cared for, grass fed animals acutally help

environment and are a valuable source of omega-3 oils.

We raise cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. Our animals graze on pasture, we do our own haying and grow our own grain for the chickens. We can't compete with the prices of COFA meat but we sell everything we raise.

We and our neighbors treat our animals with respect and care. Humans are omnivores, some can make the transition to being herbivores without paying a health price some need both vegetative and animal proteins to thrive.

If PETA wanted to make a real difference they'd put all they efforts into exposing agribusiness for the scourge it is and encourage neutering of all animals whose offspring don't have homes available.

The rest of their bilge is just extremist ranting, we've got plenty of that already from the freaks on the right.

[RhodaGrits]

33. Thank you for this truth.

In the proper circle of life, humans and animals enhance each other's lives for however long that may be and give back to and sustain the earth from which they spring.

Agribusiness treats the animals horribly, pollutes our environment, uses up enormous resources and then sells us food that leads to inflammation, chronic disease and early death (and profits for them and big pharma).

We need to go back to local food, local farms and a life that nourishes us. I am gradually coming to the realization that my 20 yrs of vegetarianism was misguided - an awakening that has been difficult for me. I gave it up because I couldn't eat the chickens I raised and didn't think it right that I buy them shrink-wrapped. There is another path that doesn't call for the extinction of domestic species - it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

PETA wants all domestic species gone and in the interim that they be given rights on a par with humans - in the meantime, euthanize the ones that are inconvenient.

[Zhade]

40. PETA calls for some species to become EXTINCT?

Shit, I knew they were fucking nutcases, but that's really insane.

[Skip Intro]

52. I believe everything I read without any source or LINK?

:eyes:

[Zhade]

39. Humanity will likely never go full vegetarian.

Welcome to DU!

[AllieB]

42. Great post-welcome to DU!

[a la izquierda]

61. Well said and welcome to DU

I was so enraged by what I read I could barely sputter out a well formulated comment.

[JeanGrey]

25. Is anyone surprised at this? I thought this was common

knowledge. Peta will tell you they are "better off".

[MonteLukast]

28. PETA always struck me as a lot more into posturing...

... than actually doing what's best for animals.

Ordinary people who spay and neuter their pets do much more to prevent animal cruelty, any day.

That being said, I get a kick out of their Unhappy Meals. ;-)

[dixiegrrrrl]

32. I found some pics of their "Unhappy " stickers...

[ClarkUSA]

30. They are nuts who believe animals are better off dead than be folks' companion animals.

[Skip Intro]

59. Bullshit.

Back it up?

Or just check out this link: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/03/why_we_euthaniz.php - and post 49.

Wtf?

[Blue_Tires]

34. hatchet job...

First of all, peta takes in damn near every animal that shows up on its doorstep...abused, beaten, maimed, diseased, etc...Not every dog or cat they get is well adjusted and cared for...Sometimes all peta can do is try to provide a safe and humane environment for as long as possible before a humane death...

This is also why they spend so much money promoting spaying and neutering, so they can affect the root cause rather than the end effect...And for all those in this thread wringing their hands about the high euthanasia rate, by all means please check out the euthanasia rate at your local shelters...But hey -- we haven't had a good peta-bashing thread for about 3 weeks, so flame away...

[Zhade]

41. The numbers don't lie. The hypocrisy is real.

NT!

[keepCAblue]

35. This is not news. PETA's been guilty of this for years, and yet they continue...

...their charade of "protecting animals."

A few years back, a couple of PETA members were actually charged and tried after getting caught illegally dumping the euthanized carcasses of dogs and cats in a shopping center dumpster. The couple, who were official staff members of PETA, had been adopting perfectly healthy dogs and cats from local shelters on the pretense of giving them a "good home" and them driving the adopted animals directly to PETA's shelter where they were immediately executed (euthanized). Most appalling of all, the couple got off with a mere slap on the hands, thanks to PETA's high-priced gaggle of lawyers.

And remember, it was PETA (along with the HSUS) who wanted to euthanize all the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's dog-fighting house of horrors. Thank Dog a couple of independent legal advocates and the truly wonderful people at Best Friend's Animal Society stepped in to save the dogs. To date, most of the pitties rescued have been rehabilitated and adopted into loving homes. Had it been up to PETA, they would ALL be dead.

[flvegan]

36. I'm always shocked by the total ignorance of DUers on this issue.

PETA is not a shelter. Never claimed to be. They are a "last resort" for pets destined to be euthanized. PETA does the dirty work via humane euthanasia via injection, saving these animals from a hellish death in a gas chamber. These animals come from open intake shelters, and adoptable or treatable or not, they're still set to be euthanized.

You don't have to like PETA, but don't be ignorant of the facts regarding them.

[TXRAT2]

44. You don't have to like PETA, but don't be ignorant of the facts regarding them.

Then please provide us with facts.

How many animals did PETA have Killed last year?


Since you know the fact's that should be simple.

[flvegan]

46. The number? No idea.

PETA doesn't hide the fact that they euthanize. Here, this is on the front page of their website:

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/03/why_we_euthaniz.php

I'm sure if you asked them, they'd give you an exact number.

On edit, I should state that there are some graphic pics on the above link.

[EFerrari]

45. This story has come up so many times on DU, it's amazing that

there are STILL so many people who don't know the truth of it.

[AlphaCentauri]

51. Animal control can do the same with out the naked celebrities

euthanize pets

[flvegan]

56. Since animal control is largely where PETA gets them from

you'd be incorrect. It's the pounds that PETA gets the majority of the animals from that uses the aforementioned gas chamber.

Some animal controls are a little behind on the times. There's legislation pending to end that.

[AlphaCentauri]

63. well if PETA uses injections why they can donate them to animal control?

if PETA spend that money, they can create a fund to provide local animal control services with the necessary elements to use medication.

[flvegan]

64. They actually tried, but were turned down by one pound.

They didn't want PETA's money. Most of these places are very small, in rural areas and have no vet nor veterinary facilities. PETA already staffs a vet and has a clinic area. At what point is recreating the wheel the smart thing to do?

Besides, I'm fairly certain that a charity giving money to a branch of government is frowned upon.

[Skip Intro]

54. Amen! n/t

[BreweryYardRat]

66. Hmm...

Well, you've provided a link to PETA's website, so you're a step ahead of the other guy, who needs to give us a link to his story.

A lot of your link, though, seems to deal with them euthanizing animals who are horribly sick/injured, and/or whose owners couldn't afford the money to humanely euthanize them at a vet's, and went to PETA rather than giving them to the pound to be locked in a cage and then gassed.

So you're not really addressing the issue, far as I can tell. If PETA's going to pounds and saying "Look, you're scheduled to euthanize these animals today, in a grossly inhumane fashion. We'd like to step in and do it ourselves through lethal injection instead of gassing them," or "Hey, you've got an extremely sick/injured animal here, it's not adoptable, you're not treating it, please let us put it out of its misery," that's one thing -- and it's pretty damn merciful.

But the other guy claims at least a few PETA members been euthanizing adoptable animals, which were presumably NOT immediately scheduled for euthanasia -- sometimes even claiming that they were going to adopt the animals in order to get hold of them. If true, that is completely unacceptable.

[flvegan]

67. PETA has an open door to a number of "dog pounds"

And your third paragraph is correct. That's what PETA has done/is doing. They put this program into place quite some time ago. If that wasn't clear from my previous posts, I apologize.

The "PETA members" to whom I *think* you reference were employees who euthanized animals that were picked up as part of this program. While some of these animals may indeed be adoptable, at an open intake shelter means little once their time is up.

[appleannie1]

43. Instead of spending money to kill animals why not spend it on free neutering programs.

The problem facing shelters is there are too many animals for the number of homes. So reduce the unwanted litters by free neutering programs. Many people that would love to have an animal choose not to because they cannot afford shots, neutering and vet bills.

[flvegan]

47. PETA's mobile spay/neuter program has done 50,000 in the last few years.

They also have a national "animal birth control" campaign that promotes spay/neuter, largely through volunteer efforts. See, they do both.

[and-justice-for-all]

48. So what do you prefer?

Through them out on the streets or euthanize them? For some, euthanizatian is better them allowing them to suffer, either from major illnesses or abuse.

I would like to see every animal in a caring an loving home, but reality dictates other wise.

[He loved Big Brother]

53. Which is why I support PETA

They are strictly anti-breeding of animals, they heavily encourage people not to own pets, and generally try to do all they can to discourage the numbers of strays.

It would break anyone's heart to kill an animal. PETA's stance is that it is up to us to do all we can to avoid having so many unwanted animals to have to put down to begin with. That's in addition to the work they do to help animals we breed for completely unnecessary reasons such as fashionable fur. Those minks and foxes are killed brutally.

I use to be a PETA hater too. Then I did some research on the guy who runs the group that is behind the "Peta Kills Animals" website. What a winner. Real swell guy. Talk about a disgustingly covert agenda in the name of greed. Then I watched "I Am An Animal", about the founder of PETA. I realized that hating PETA's methods is one thing, but hating the group itself or their cause comes from being uninformed, so I started thinking for myself. As far as animal rights, they do well. As "in vogue" as it is to hate PETA, I concluded that if I were an animal, defenseless against humans, with no means of living without suffering, I'd want PETA fighting on my side and a euthanizing that was as ethical as possible. Not a jolt of electricity up my butt (or worse) like what is done for livestock and animal fur.

I also support my local PAWS, so it evens out. There's only so much either group can do, but I understand that both are doing their best. Animals were not put here for humans.

[and-justice-for-all]

55. If it was not for Peta and the like...

there most certainly would not be ANY animal cruelty laws and people like Vik would be left to abuse all the animals he wants.

[Old Time Pagan]

65. Since you support them could you explain the Sea Kitten thing to me

They want us to think of fish as "Sea Kittens?" I'm sorry but that is pretty freakin' far out there.

[He loved Big Brother]

77. Same concept as "fried puppy paws" I'm guessing?

Most people can't see themselves eating their beloved pets, but they see no problem with a handful of chicken wings, bringing up is the age old question--- why is one animal made to suffer in order to be eaten, and the other is for human entertainment? The sea kittens thing is probably part of that- PETA wants humans to see how lovable and deserving of life ALL animals are, not just cute widdle kittens. Then perhaps people would reconsider eating them? That's what I garnered after a brief glance at their site. (I'm a supporter of PETA, but not a hard-core member. I just see more good in their cause than bad, and I am certainly going to defend them against the greedy smear merchants of CCF.)

I went veggie for the health of my body and the ecosystem. Animals are wonderful, but being an animal lover was not my main reason for stopping eating meat. More like the 4th reason on my list. Although now it is certainly a more prevalent reason to not eat them. My compassion for them is much greater than it was when I decided to become vegetarian. This "sea kittens" method is understandable. It would probably touch something in a pet owner's heart, imagining their little friend being brutally slaughtered and then eaten by the owner. I haven't had a pet since I was a kid, so it doesn't apply to me personally, though I don't see it as something that far out for the target audience. If I had a pet I would love it like my baby.

I get the impression that PETA tends to use somewhat odd ways of appealing to an animal lover's compassionate side. ;-) ;-)

[Skip Intro]

49. The Pavlovian response here, to PETA, and this story, is embarrassing. And who might be behind this?

Well, the article in the OP uses as a source CCF: Center for Consumer Freedom, as anyone who bothered to click the link would have seen.

Now, here on DU, there used to be no shortage of DUers who'd take what they've been told, and then do some investigating of their own. DUers for the most part don't just take what is presented to them at face value. Well, unless the subject is PETA, evidently.

Had anyone had the fairness in their minds to search for a response from PETA, they would have come upon the truth about CCF. Had anyone had the intellectual curiosity displayed with most subjects, one would have googled CCF. Of course, when one is frothing at the mouth at the mere mention of of the trigger word (PETA), one is hardly in a frame of mind to pause and seek the bigger picture.

Google a response from PETA and you get an article by them (in response to an earlier article by CCF, from which the Telegraph article seems to be taken) exposing the CCF for the corporate front group it is. http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-peta-defends-euthanization-of-sick-injured-animals

Google CCF (Center for Consumer Freedom - misspelled in the Telegraph article), and you arrive at SourceWatch's article on CCF - where the first two paragraphs read:

---------------------------
The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) (formerly called the "Guest Choice Network") is a front group for the restaurant, alcohol and tobacco industries. It runs media campaigns which oppose the efforts of scientists, doctors, health advocates, environmentalists and groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, calling them "the Nanny Culture -- the growing fraternity of food cops, health care enforcers, anti-meat activists, and meddling bureaucrats who 'know what's best for you.' "

Over 40 percent of the group's 2005 expenditure was paid to Rick Berman's PR company, Berman & Co. for "management services. <1> As part of its operations CCF runs a series of attack websites, including "consumerfreedom.com, activistcash.com, cspiscam.com, animal-scam.com, fishscam.com, obesitymyths.com, physiciansscam.com PetaKillsAnimals.com. <2>

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom
---------------------------

This is from like two minutes of Googling, actually looking for the facts. Most DUers would at least put that much into any assertion they felt the least bit passionate about. But not when it concerns PETA. Hell, upthread there is a quick exchange where one DUer relates that PETA wants to give all animals human rights until they can eliminate all animals. Bonkers, right? But the response I read was something like "wow, I knew they were evil demons, but I had no idea."

I mean, bullshit just taken at face value. It's embarrassing to see here, of all places.

[He loved Big Brother]

58. Thank you. CCF is is an astroturf organization.

I think they have less than 1,000 members, yet have millions at their disposal every year. Hmmm... They're critical of PETA, Adbusters, everyone who threatens their wallet. They were criticized for vehemently attacking Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for pete's sake! Yeah, I'm really going to trust CCF for the facts on anything.

[flvegan]

60. And it cracks me up that this has stood in LBN for a day now.

Old information, old criticism, nothing breaking about this.

Hell, we've seen this very same discussion in GD a hundred times already over the last couple of years.

[Why Syzygy]

62. Thank you. But, I will still oppose a group that wants to deny pet ownership. nt

[cambie]

71. From the link below

"If anyone has a good home, love, and respect to offer, we beg them: Go to a shelter and take one or two animals home."
Sounds like they are in favour of Pet Ownership.

[chatnoir]

80. Wish we could rec single posts, I'd K&R yours

Some are guilty of gobbling up disinformation spewn forth without inquiring further.

I mean, CCF? Come on...

[dysfunctional press]

50. peta is a joke.

they long ago lost any credibility that they thought they might have.

[Skip Intro]

57. PETA: Why We Euthanize

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/03/why_we_euthaniz.php

[Orrex]

72. That's noble, when true, but...

Did they really get 2000+ animals with such horrific tumors? Last year alone? I find that a bit hard to accept without some sort of corroboration.

[goforit]

68. Humans are sick immoral souless barbarians.

[IrishBuckeye]

73. Man would I hate to meet your family

Not sure where your comments are coming from so I can only guess.

[Hawkowl]

75. BOOOOO!!!!!!!

PETA does more harm than good, and this latest example just proves it. I'm a die hard, vegetarian, no-kill shelter kinda guy. PETA needs to go away.

[depakid]

76. The Torygraph is completely misrepresenting the situation

Big surprise!

[Kablooie]

78. At least they didn't eat them the way most animal shelters do.

-- they don't?

...

Nevermind.