Who hates PETA?

[kathylove]

You really shouldn't be surprised at all by reactions to them on a herp forum...

PETA, H$U$, Defenders of Wildlife, and other humaniac groups all want our hobby, our passion, and for some, our business, exterminated. They ALL voted for HR 669, which would have made every single exotic reptile illegal to ship across state lines (or import) - no exceptions - unless somebody would have come up with big bucks to prove their species innocent of being an invasive species. Most herpers don't have that kind of money. (Lots of other groups voted against us, too - even the Nature Conservancy - very disappointing! I used to support them, and still think they do some good work, even if they want to kill our hobby. But I would never send them money again, even though I do not consider them a humaniac organization like the others mentioned). PETA and other animal rights groups would like the end of ALL reptiles as pets, and most, if not all, of them want the end of all other human / animal contact, no matter what the reason or species.

THEY have decided to be our sworn enemies. Whenever I hear of any pet keeper who supports any of these organizations, I feel that either that person has not done their homework before donating, or they are unable to think logically. Unless they can give me an excellent reason for their support (I haven't heard any so far), then my respect for that person generally shrinks a bit. Why would any logical, thinking herper feel any more charitable towards them than they are towards us? Just doesn't make any sense to me. But I am open to learning something new. If anyone has a good reason to support any of these extremists, I'd like to hear it.

 

[HERETiC]

I'm on the same page as you guys and I dislike, and have always disliked, PETA and HSUS for all the same reasons!

 

[Outcast]

I believe they should all be on the terrorist watch list.

 

[Brandon29]

Hate em!
I have no problem if someone believes in a cause, but anyone thats violently unbalanced gets my pure hatred.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I don't hate them. They have a good message about treating animals with respect and dignity and preventing unnecessary cruelty to them.

That being said, that message and goal has definitely been perverted and been overrun by a more radical agenda. So in that regard they're failing. And until they take a more pragmatic view on some things and purge the radical elements, then they will come off as a radical group; which to a certain extent they've become.

But I see nothing hypocritical about humanely euthanizing animals they've rescued. Unfortunately many of these animals are so abused that they can't be adopted out. So they have to be put down. In a lot cases I think that is probably better than being left in the conditions they were previously being kept in.

 

[James42785]

I don't hate them. They have a good message about treating animals with respect and dignity and preventing unnecessary cruelty to them.

That being said, that message and goal has definitely been perverted and been overrun by a more radical agenda. So in that regard they're failing. And until they take a more pragmatic view on some things and purge the radical elements, then they will come off as a radical group; which to a certain extent they've become.

But I see nothing hypocritical about humanely euthanizing animals they've rescued. Unfortunately many of these animals are so abused that they can't be adopted out. So they have to be put down. In a lot cases I think that is probably better than being left in the conditions they were previously being kept in.

They only adopted out eight animals out of the 2,366 they took in during 2009. ALL the rest were euthanized. There is no possible way all those animals were unadoptable.

 

[kathylove]

From the animalscam link provided on page 1 of this thread...

1) According to government documents, PETA employees have killed more than 19,200 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens since 1998. This behavior continues despite PETA’s moralizing about the “unethical” treatment of animals by farmers, scientists, restaurant owners, circuses, hunters, fishermen, zookeepers, and countless other Americans. PETA puts to death over 90 percent of the animals it accepts from members of the public who expect the group to make a reasonable attempt to find them adoptive homes. PETA holds absolutely no open-adoption shelter hours at its Norfolk, VA headquarters, choosing instead to spend part of its $32 million annual income on a contract with a crematory service to periodically empty hundreds of animal bodies from its large walk-in freezer. (bold and italics are mine)

That does not sound like they are "treating animals with respect and dignity and preventing unnecessary cruelty to them.". But they do sound VERY hypocritical to me. I find it impossible to believe that more than 90% of the rescues are unadoptable. But they wouldn't know, since they don't have any open hours. Nothing admirable at all, in my opinion.

 

[wade]

I was going to post in favor of PETA just to make the conversation interesting, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Well informed people like Kathy are our salvation. We should all be so well informed.

 

[Tavia]

I'm sure quite a few of the the people that support or work for PETA & the HSUS are just very passionate about animal abuse & are not "bad" people. But the ones in charge are, IMO, genocidal, lying murderers. They put out there at one & the same time that animals have just as many rights as a human & yet they want to "free" all domestic animals to the point that, as was said, humans would not interact with animals for any reason. And the only way to do that would be the total eradication of whole breeds of domestic animals, because you can't just release them all out into the wild.

 

[Emily1188]

But I see nothing hypocritical about humanely euthanizing animals they've rescued. Unfortunately many of these animals are so abused that they can't be adopted out. So they have to be put down. In a lot cases I think that is probably better than being left in the conditions they were previously being kept in.

You see nothing hypocritical about their 97.3% kill rate in 2009??? That's right, if you're a homeless pet and PETA takes you in, your chances of getting out are 2.7%. Meanwhile, the nearby local human society manages to adopt out ~70% (being very loose with that, I read the stat once but can't find it now) of it's animals. Hmmmm. Yep, that's hypocritical in my book. I'm not a "no kill nation" person at ALL, believe me. But killing that many animals isn't what a shelter does, it's what a slaughter house does.

Then there's the fact that they are NOT about teaching us to prevent unnecessary suffering... they are about teaching not to use animals in any way, shape, or form. Animal liberation, etc etc etc.

 

[medusacoils]

PETA, H$U$, Defenders of Wildlife, and other humaniac groups all want our hobby, our passion, and for some, our business, exterminated. They ALL voted for HR 669, which would have made every single exotic reptile illegal to ship across state lines (or import) - no exceptions - unless somebody would have come up with big bucks to prove their species innocent of being an invasive species. Most herpers don't have that kind of money. (Lots of other groups voted against us, too - even the Nature Conservancy - very disappointing! I used to support them, and still think they do some good work, even if they want to kill our hobby. But I would never send them money again, even though I do not consider them a humaniac organization like the others mentioned). PETA and other animal rights groups would like the end of ALL reptiles as pets, and most, if not all, of them want the end of all other human / animal contact, no matter what the reason or species.

THEY have decided to be our sworn enemies. Whenever I hear of any pet keeper who supports any of these organizations, I feel that either that person has not done their homework before donating, or they are unable to think logically. Unless they can give me an excellent reason for their support (I haven't heard any so far), then my respect for that person generally shrinks a bit. Why would any logical, thinking herper feel any more charitable towards them than they are towards us? Just doesn't make any sense to me. But I am open to learning something new. If anyone has a good reason to support any of these extremists, I'd like to hear it.

This is part of the reason I can't watch programs on Animal Planet. Something my wife Christine hates. She is tired of politics, but watching that channel give credence to their support and message. She just wants to watch for the shows, but I can't. :shrugs:

Wayne

 

[kathylove]

I'm sure quite a few of the the people that support or work for PETA & the HSUS are just very passionate about animal abuse & are not "bad" people.

I agree. I bet that the majority of their supporters would not be supporters if they really knew exactly what they were supporting. That doesn't make them bad people - it makes them gullible people who have not done their homework before deciding on the causes they support.

 

[pridecity]

PETA is exactly why I don't donate to charities unless I've had personal experience with them. I don't know much about HSUS so I will leave that one be. In my local, there are very few that I would actually willingly donate to.

I used to work for Petsmart, and I donated $10 out of every weekly paycheck to their Pet Charities. I'll be honest, I don't know much about where that money goes. I've stopped donating.

I donate to an organization called Cavy Care, Inc. I got my first guinea pig from there. He was at Petsmart through the charity program. I've also boarded four of my guinea pigs there for 6+ months. It cost a pretty penny, but I respect the founder of the charity. Her health isn't the best. She'll take in any small animal including reptiles, sugar gliders, rats, and whathaveyou. She's given her entire home to her organization and I swear her family must be saints because there are usually well over 300 pigs in their home at one time. She also takes in pigs from surrounding states.

If I had the money, I would donate an entire years worth of expenses to her twice a year. Or at least once a year.

At the moment, that's about the only charity I donate to. I've considered a well-known place called The Dumb Friends League, but I really don't know much about them so I choose not to donate until I have the urge to learn.

But again, PETA is why I really have to know an organization before donating my money, supplies, or time.

If fish should be called Sea Kittens so we don't eat them, what are we going to call cows? Sea Cows won't work. We have those. They're called manatees and dugongs. How about Vegetarian Pythons With Legs and Fur? Can't eat them now.

 

[insomniac101]

Hate 'em both, for all of the good reasons others have stated!

If you love animals, and want to help them, volunteer at your local shelter or rescue group. If you have some spare time, take some of the dogs out for a walk, or drop off some food, treats, toys, or kitty litter, etc. Help out at an adoption event. Sometimes the dollar stores have collars and leashes. I'll go buy about $20 worth of those, and donate them to our local county shelter. They always need that kind of stuff, as well as cleaning supplies such as bleach and paper towels.

There are so many ways to help animals in your own community. The look on a dog's face and the wagging tails during our walks make my day!

Kathy

 

[Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)]

What sane human being doesn't hate them?

They believe in the philosophy of "better dead than fed".

Any fanatic of any persuasion scares me. You can't talk to or reason with that kind of person or group, and many are not averse to getting their point across using violence, deception and legislation. A fanatic who wants to take my beloved non-human family members away from me is public enemy numero uno in my book.

 

[mustang445]

PETA and HSUS

I manages a horse-drawn tour company for several years. I have had more than my fiar share of PETA fanatics. In Charleston, where I live the industry does a better job pf policing its own than all the rules and regs the governemt sets up. I was actually stopped by the cheif of police because he said he "knew" my horse was too dehydrated to work because she "foaming at the mouth". Ummm - next time your really tjhirsty try working up a big wad drool to sling at passersby. We used to have a group of college kids that would ride by everyday screaming "anuse" and "murderers". The best response I ever heard was from a new employee who said "is that Maybelline your wearing? " It went way over their head.
Being part of a local Basset rescue, one of the biggest misconceptions we find is that the majority of people who donate money to HSUS seem to think there money is going to their local animal shelter. My local shelter gets no support form HSUS and most do not either! If you want to support rescue or your local shelter - do it locally. If you you are reticent about giving money because you don't know where it will go, most shelters will be thrilled to take donations of food, toys and time.

1. Not me but when was the last time you took your Percheron to the Waffle House? We were on our way back from the internment of the CSS HUnley Crew.
2. We got Cammy from Carolina Basset Rescue.
3. Had to include a snake! That's Lipstick!

 

[Jessicat]

Also did not expect Kathy Love to pop up on my PETA hating thread.

Obviously you haven't been a member of this site for too long...


Have you guys seen the "Meet your Meat" video?

It sickens and disturbs me.. but gets me really heated that the main message of the video is "become vegetarian." It makes me incredibly suspicious about what PETA'S motives are behind this. Admittedly, I have not done any research on the subject matter yet.
It makes me sad that PETA is exploiting already exploited animals by filming their mutilation and death, as well as being a passive by stander to these horrible actions.
It also pisses me off that the main message of the film is "don't eat meat." The overproduction and exploitation of resources is how our capitalistic society runs. We do this to EVERYTHING, not just animals. I've heard horror stories from Ocean Spray employees that make me never want to drink Cranberry Juice again, for instance. Perhaps if the message had been, "support your LOCAL butcher, never buy from a chain restaurant again.."
Ug, the video just left me feeling overwhelmed and depressed. And I'm still curious as to what PETA's agenda is...

 

[pridecity]

Hey.. Jessiecat... could you PM me some of those horror stories? I drink a lot of cranberry juice and now you have me slightly worried...

Back on subject, is it PETA who does all those undercover videos to show how this company or that company abuses animals? I remember when I was 12 or so, I saw an undercover video about IAMS where it showed they cut out the meat on a bunch of dogs' hind legs, the thigh I guess, and put it in the dog food. I've never bought IAMS since, even though I know it's highly unlikely that the video was true. Was that a PETA video?

 

[James42785]

Hey.. Jessiecat... could you PM me some of those horror stories? I drink a lot of cranberry juice and now you have me slightly worried...

Back on subject, is it PETA who does all those undercover videos to show how this company or that company abuses animals? I remember when I was 12 or so, I saw an undercover video about IAMS where it showed they cut out the meat on a bunch of dogs' hind legs, the thigh I guess, and put it in the dog food. I've never bought IAMS since, even though I know it's highly unlikely that the video was true. Was that a PETA video?

Putting aside the moral wrongness of that, it wouldn't make any sense to use dogs in dog food. It takes more food to raise the dog than you would get out of it.

 

[Outcast]

Putting aside the moral wrongness of that, it wouldn't make any sense to use dogs in dog food. It takes more food to raise the dog than you would get out of it.

Not if they are using euthenized (sp?) dogs and cats for their meat products in the dog food... I have heard many stories about Old Roy and other cheaper brands doing that... people finding bits and pieces of flea collars and such...