Aiden Judge

Conor Judge

Joseph Finch

Ross Mcneel

Mr. Gross

English 11 B (2)

27 February 2019

PETA’s Unethical Animal Handling

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt

501(c)(3) corporation. Its mission statement is to remove animals from entertainment,

laboratories, the food and clothing industries, and to provide animal services such as euthanasia

and “shelters”. However, PETA participates in many different forms of unethical resource

allocation, such as ridiculously high kill rates for their sheltered animals, non-existent private

animal shelter, and even financial support for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), an eco-

terrorist organization. Despite spreading light on animal abuse in labs and other industry around

the world, PETA should be investigated by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and stripped of its

tax exempt status, and more regulations should go into place to ensure the responsible use of its

resources and the protection of sheltered animals.

Every year, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS),

releases reports on all public and private animal shelters in the state of Virginia. Their 2017

report on PETA reveals disturbingly high euthanization rates. Two years ago in Virginia, all 50

private animal shelters euthanized a total of 2,844 dogs, cats, horses, livestock, poultry, and other

companion animals. Out of all of these animals that were put down, PETA contributed over
1,800 euthanizations (Animal Custody Records). Investigations have revealed that many of the

cats and dogs included in these “mercy killings” were healthy and adoptable. In 2017, PETA

only released 54 companion animals for adoption. Since its founding, PETA has euthanized a

proportionately larger amount of animals than any other private or public shelter in Virginia,

which prompts an introduction of new laws, or even the removal of PETA’s tax exempt status.

By introducing new state laws in Virginia or new federal laws for the entire nation, PETA could

have its tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status removed by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). This will

effectively hinder PETA’s ability to allocate its resources to mass euthanization, and laws in

effect can limit how many animals their “shelter” can put down or give for adoption.

The VDACS also unveiled strange findings about the PETA’s Private Shelter in

Newfolk, Virginia. According to a VDACS investigation, the facility does not hold enough

enclosures to house the number of animals reportedly taken into custody each year (Animal

Custody Records). Routine inspections have little to no animals are being housed in the facility at

all, despite the thousands of them reported being impounded annually (Animal Custody Records).

Since VDACS is not aware of any significant efforts by PETA to facilitate adoption of the

animals brought in, these reports verify that PETA’s shelter’s primary purpose is not to find

permanent homes for animals. Their “private animal shelter” is nearly non-existent. Another

finding revealed that the shelter is not accessible to the public, and that most of the adoptions at

the facility were to PETA employees or affiliates (Animal Custody Records). Ironically, PETA

has also published recommended guidelines for animal shelters to operate in accordance to.

However, PETA’s own facility does not meet many of the key recommendations stated in the

publication, and in fact it satisfies very few of them (VDACS). By adding new legislation

pertaining to the protection of sheltered animals and responsible use of resources, PETA will be
responsible for their animals and hopefully will maintain their shelter and the animals in their

custody.

Despite PETA’s unethical treatment of animals in their care, they have also managed to

advocate for animal rights throughout their history. Causing debate on ethics pertaining to

animals, revealing media cover-ups of disgusting atrocities committed by researchers, and many

other similar viral campaigns. Before the foundation of PETA in March of 1980, there were no

animal-rights-activist groups at the forefront of the media, exposing injustices done upon

animals. In fact, PETA’s very first investigation, which was held in 1981, “...resulted in the first

arrest and criminal conviction of an animal experimenter in the U.S. on charges of cruelty to

animals, the first confiscation of abused laboratory animals, and the first U.S. Supreme Court

victory for animals in laboratories” ("PETA’s History: Compassion in Action"). PETA’s exposé

done on a “training school” for exotic-cats, which exposed the repetitive beating of said animals,

as well as their other investigations, have caused many to debate the ethics of many animal-based

services. ("PETA’s History: Compassion in Action"). PETA has undoubtedly had an effect on

the questionable ethics regarding animal-captivity and testing, but these actions will always be

outshadowed by their history of violent protests, inhumane expenditures, and mass euthanization

of their sheltered animals.

PETA is definitely not new to extreme protests. From comparing the slaughter and

processing of chickens to the holocaust and mocking Christian and Catholic religions, to dressing

like the Klu Klux Klan at the Westminster Dog Show; PETA will do whatever it takes to get

their message across. Their president, Ingrid Newkirk, even said, “We are complete press sluts”

(Center for Consumer...). Though most of these protests to get the public’s attention are non-

violent, PETA has partially funded and supplied the domestic terrorist organization known as the
Animal Liberation Front (ALF), and its illegal activities. In 1992, Rodney Coronado, the

spokesperson for the Earth Liberation Front and activists for the ALF, set fire to a Michigan

State University laboratory that conducted live animal research (U.S Department of Justice).

During the investigation of this arson, a search warrant was acquired for the home of a PETA

employee who was thought to have participated in the crime. In his home investigators found

false identification cards, multiple credit cards for the identities, surveillance logs, and code

words for a university research facility. The search also found rubber gloves, ski masks, night

vision goggles, and other equipment (U.S

Department of Justice). This shows that

PETA had deep roots and support in this

crime, not just financially. Prior to the raid,

the coordinator of PETA’s anti-fur campaign

was called, and was found to be supplying

the two men involved in the raid with

transportation to Washington D.C and

London, England. They were also supplying information on safe houses in both locations (U.S

Department of Justice). PETA’s involvement in this case did not stop there. In their 1995

schedule of donations, $45,200 was transferred into the support fund for Rodney Coronado and

his bail (U.S Department of Justice). The FBI also discovered that PETA later gave more money

to this fund to pay for Coronado's defense in court. Because of PETA’s involvement in criminal

activity and their support of a terrorist organization, they should be investigated by the IRS and

have their tax exempt status removed. By reducing their funding and introducing new laws,

PETA can be limited and more closely monitored to prevent future incidents.
 Over the years, People for The Ethical Treatment for Animals has participated in multiple

inhumane actions against animals in their care and people indifferent to their purpose. Despite

this, PETA has shed light on animal abuse in industry over the years, and improved the living

condition of some animals around the world. However, ridiculously high kill rates, a defunct and

almost non-existent animal shelter, repeated funding of terrorists and their organizations, and a

long history of vile advertisements and protests should encourage the IRS and the State of

Virginia to investigate PETA, remove their tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status, and introduce new laws

pertaining to the protection of animals in shelters and ensure responsible allocation of the

resources that companies such as PETA acquires.

Works Cited
“Ingrid Newkirk Unplugged.” Center for Consumer Freedom, 8 Apr. 2003,
www.consumerfreedom.com/2003/04/1865-ingrid-newkirk-unplugged/.

Kovich, Dan. “Peta Inspection.” Petakillsanimals.com, 7 July 2010,

www.petakillsanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/peta_inspection.pdf.

“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) | Funding Sources, Staff Profiles, and
Political Agenda | Activist FactsActivist Facts.” Activist Facts,
www.activistfacts.com/organizations/21-people-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals.

“PETA's History: Compassion in Action.” PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 2
Jan. 2019, www.peta.org/about-peta/learn-about-peta/history/.

“Results - Reporting Year 2017 .” Animal Custody Records, Virginia Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services, arr.va-
vdacs.com/PublicReports/ViewReport?SysFacNo=157&Calendar_Year=2017.

“Revoked? Reinstated? Learn More.” Internal Revenue Service, www.irs.gov/charities-non-

profits/automatic-revocation-of-exemption.

“PETA’s History: Compassion in Action.” Www.peta.org, PETA, www.peta.org/about-

peta/learn-about-peta/history/.

Winograd, Nathan J. “Shocking Photos: PETA's Secret Slaughter of Kittens, Puppies.” The
Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-j-
winograd/peta-kills-puppies-kittens_b_2979220.html.