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PETA defends record on animal advocacy
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter was written in response to a column by Shirley Connealy. That column can be found here.
To the editor:
Shirley Connealy's recent opinion piece about PETA was rife with inaccuracies and mischaracterizes our work to help suffering and homeless animals. Despite the persistent myth, the only red paint that PETA throws is on fur coats that have been donated to us by former fur-wearers for use in our colorful demonstrations. And while PETA uses many creative and legal methods to raise awareness of the cruelty inherent in fur production, placing notes in people's pockets isn't one of them.
Had Ms. Connealy contacted PETA or visited www.PETA.org, she would have learned that PETA is a shelter of last resort for animals who have nowhere else to go. Virginia officials acknowledged this to USA Today, saying, "PETA will basically take anything that comes through the door, and other shelters won't do that."
PETA takes in animals who are abused, sick, elderly, aggressive, unsocialized or otherwise unable to be placed in homes. Impoverished and heartbroken families regularly come to us for help because they can't afford to pay a veterinarian to euthanize their elderly dog or cat. "No-kill" facilities often refuse to accept unadoptable animals, but PETA never turns away any animal in need.
We have found loving homes for some animals from special situations, but we refer most friendly, healthy, adoptable animals who come our way to a wonderful local open-door shelter where they will have the best chance of being adopted.
PETA works to end the animal homelessness crisis (and the resulting need for euthanasia) at its source, by spaying and neutering in our mobile clinics -- so far, we have sterilized more than 97,000 dogs and cats in the past 12 years at low to no cost to their guardians. We educate millions of people about the importance of animal adoption and sterilization with our ads and public service announcements. Our Community Animal Project fieldworkers are on call 24/7 and on the road every day helping abused and neglected animals, such as by delivering bedding and sturdy doghouses to dogs left outdoors all winter.
I invite caring people to help us reach the day when there is a loving home for every animal by always spaying and neutering, always adopting from shelters, and never buying animals from pet stores or breeders. To learn more, visit PETASaves.com.