PETA Kills!

Okay, I've never been a fan of PETA. Yes, they've have good intentions. Supposedly. But I've never cared for the way they go about things. I've been less than impressed with their tactics. Let me give you a brief story...

I am involved in the SCA, a medieval recreation group, and every year we participate in a local medieval fair, sponsored by the city. One of the most popular attractions at this fair is "Judy", the elephant, who gives rides to children. This is, apparently, cruel, as PETA demonstrates every year, petitioning for the release of Judy. They say she is treated poorly. They say she is overworked. They demand that she be sent back to Africa, where she belongs.

The problem with this? Judy is an Asian elephant. She was born and raised in captivity, and depends on people for support. She is fed well and cared for, and most likely would not survive on her own. She works for 8 hours a day, on weekends only, during the "fair season", hauling around three or four 50 lb kids at a shot, and in the off season, gets to lounge around a farm. Were she to be sent back to India (definitely not Africa), she would probably work 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week, hauling logs weighing in at several tons.

C'mon PETA people! If you're going to protest, at least get your facts straight!

Anyway, the reason I bring PETA up is because of this article that was sent to me. I don't know if it is true or not (Snopes lists nothing about it), but it is kind of scary. Read on:

The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It isCopyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted herewithpermission:

"Ethical" Defined

After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster overfour weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptaclebehind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watchedthe occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two peoplein the van and found 18 dead dogs in plastic bags in the dumpster,including puppies; 13 more dead dogs were still in the van. Police saythe van is registered to the headquarters of People for the EthicalTreatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, andAdria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsyperformed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed.Police say PETA has been picking up the animals -- alive -- from NorthCarolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook andHinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. Inresponse to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it's againstthe group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "thatfor some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option thaneuthanasia." (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) ...Oops, my mistake: that's"Playing God" Defined.

In his author's notes section, Cassingham had more to say about thisstory:

The more I learn about PETA, the less I think ofthem. The story of them killing animals isn't even unusual. According toPETA's own filings, in 2004 PETA killed 86.3 percent of theanimals entrusted to its care -- a number that's rising, not falling.Meanwhile, the SPCA in PETA's home town (Norfolk, Va.) was able to findloving homes for 73 percent of the animals put in its care. A shortage offunds? Nope: last year PETA took in $29 million in tax-exempt donations.It simply has other priorities for the funds, like funding terrorism(yes, really). But don't take my word for it: I got my figures fromhttp://www.PETAkillsAnimals.com-- and they have copies of PETA's state and federal filings to back itup. The bottom line: if you donate money to PETA because you think theycare for and about animals, you need to think some more. PETA literallyyells and screams about how others "kill animals" but this is howthey operate? Pathetic.

And you know what I wonder? PETA's official count of animalsthey kill is 86.3 percent. But if they're going around picking upanimals, killing them while they drive around and not even giving them achance to be adopted, and then destroying the evidence by dumpingthe bodies in the trash, are those deaths being reported? Myguess: no. While 86.3 percent is awful, the actual number is probablymuch, much higher. How dare they lecture anyoneabout the "ethical" treatment of animals!

(This is True is a weekly column featuringweird-but-true newsstories from around the world, and has been published since 1994. Clickthe link for info about free subscriptions.)