So my PETA letter not only received one automatically generated response but three. Whether a real human replies or not remains to be seen. However I think they will; PETA strikes me as the kindof group that likes to argue.
The highlights from one of them were:
"Thank you for contacting PETA about the "PETA Kills Animals" billboard and the accompanying promotions for it.
We believe a lot of good will come from this shabby attempt to undermine PETA's efforts to help animals. This campaign, as you may know, is the work of the deceitfully named Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a front group for Philip Morris, Outback Steakhouse, KFC, logging interests, cattle ranchers, and other animal exploiters who kill millions of animals every year, not out of pity, but out of greed. These companies are concerned about the strides that PETA is making that are changing their industries and compelling them to take animal welfare concerns seriously, so they hope to scare people away from caring about animals by spending millions on ads like this.
PETA can't afford billboards in Times Square, so we're grateful for the opportunity that this one provides to discuss the animal overpopulation crisis. We are on the front lines of the battle to turn back the tide of unwanted dogs and cats, and we need you to help.
Our caseworkers tirelessly rescue homeless animals from environmental dangers, as well as cruelty and neglect. They crawl through sewers, poke through junkyards, climb trees, and dodge traffic in order to reach animals in danger. During floods and storms, they are out saving lives at all hours.
We do not run a traditional shelter. In fact, we refer every healthy, cute, young animal we can to shelters. And some of the animals we rescue are lost companions whom we are able to joyfully reunite with their families. Of the homeless animals we take in ourselves, the healthy and adoptable ones are fostered, adopted, or taken to local shelters. However, most of the animals we receive are broken beings for whom euthanasia is, without a doubt, the most humane option."
Aside from all of the above being absolute lies and bullshit, it seems the biggest problem that PETA has with the Center for Consumer Freedom (an organization I happen to very much respect) is who funds them, not the allegations they make. Too bad the monster they kept poking with a stick finally got annoyed.
Incidentally, PETA erected two billboards in Times Square. And their budget is massively higher than CCF's.
Also, in 2003 PETA killed 85% of the animals they received, finding homes for only 14%. The Norfolk SPCA, four miles from their headquarters, found homes for 73% of the animals they received in 2003. Are PETA's supposed to be more broken than others? Nah, I doubt it.
Entry last modified: April 26, 2006 at 11:55 am.
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