SPCA - si! PETA - no!

[voxwoman]

I've always had a problem with people tossing blood on fur-wearing socialites, and raiding labs and such. But this is over the top.

The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It is Copyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted here with permission:

"Ethical" Defined

After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster over four weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptacle behind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watched the occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two people in 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 say the van is registered to the headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, and Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsy performed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed. Police say PETA has been picking up the animals -- alive -- from North Carolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook and Hinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. In response to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it's against the group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "that for some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option than euthanasia." (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) ...Oops, my mistake: that's "Playing God" Defined.

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

The more I learn about PETA, the less I think of them. The story of them killing animals isn't even unusual. According to PETA's own filings, in 2004 PETA killed 86.3 percent of the animals entrusted to its care -- a number that's rising, not falling. Meanwhile, the SPCA in PETA's home town (Norfolk, Va.) was able to find loving homes for 73 percent of the animals put in its care. A shortage of funds? 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 from http://www.PETAkillsAnimals.com -- and they have copies of PETA's state and federal filings to back it up. The bottom line: if you donate money to PETA because you think they care for and about animals, you need to think some more. PETA literally yells and screams about how others "kill animals" but this is how they operate? Pathetic.

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

(This is True is a weekly column featuring weird-but-true news stories from around the world, and has been published since 1994. Click the link for info about free subscriptions.)

I'm thinking that PETA now stands for "People Euthanizing Those Animals"

Comments

Bleargh!

[nolawitch.livejournal.com]

Why do all those earnest animal lovers continue to give money to that corrupt organization? Their money would go a lot further towards their goals if they gave to the less glamorous SPCA. People are so much the problem on the planet.

Re: Bleargh!

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

I support my local shelters - all my animals are either rescues or adoptees from shelters. Next winter, my daughter will be old enough to volunteer at the local shelter (they don't want kids under 12), and she's been bugging me for a year or 2 to work in a shelter. (she, like oot, wants to be a veterinarian)

Go on, post it on UF.

[lionsphil.livejournal.com]

<sub>Not that I'm stirring (http://www.google.com/search?q=snappingturtle+peta+site:ars.userfriendly.org) or anything.

He'll probably just block it out from his mind and ignore it anyway. And Naruki's not around to point out the stupidity of any replies he does make.

Dang, are the horns showing?</sub>

Re: Go on, post it on UF.

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

Are you implying that there are rabid PETA supporters on UF? I thought this story broke on the board (without the editorializing) a few days ago, because I had seen a wire service article maybe last week about the NC police and the dumpster full of dead dogs. I have actual work to do today, so I can't get involved in a huge debate (although what one could say in their defense boggles my mind). Maybe I will post a link to the This Is True page and let is stew for a few hours...

The story's old news, yes.

[lionsphil.livejournal.com]

The 83% figure, however, isn't.

SnappingTurtle is a PETA supporter who, as the Google link demonstrates, insists on remaining oblivious to all wrongdoing with the kind of "anything bad you say must be lies" fervour of a Scientologist.

But do work instead. Hmm...I knew I was supposed to be doing something...

Re: Go on, post it on UF.

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

Fine. I hope you're happy now. (go see)

[lab-rattus.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I hate those bastards.
I think they "relieve" the shelters of these dogs to look like they care, kill them, dump them and tell everyone how many homes they found for the dogs.
As some of you know I have a rescued doggie and have subjected you to many cute pictures pictures. I am going to hug my dog now.

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

You know (well actually you don't know), I have this story, or a "future universe" peopled with sapient dogs (canine sapiens, I suppose). I think that I'm going to work in some poetic justice for the PETA people in that universe. I don't think these canine sapiens are going to be particularly thrilled with PETA'a brand of "help"...