Peta. When they’re not creating campaign work that includes mostly nude women, they’re thinking about ways to photograph semi-nude women. Or killing animals, according to New York Catholic League president Bill Donohue, who in a post on his organization’s Web site cites Center for Consumer Freedom data that says PETA killed 95 percent of animals in its care last year.
“PETA is a fraud. It also has a long and disgraceful record of exploiting Christian and Jewish themes to hawk its ugly services,” wrote Donohue in a statement. “Those who support this organization sorely need a reality check. They also need a course in Ethics 101.”
The onus for Donohue’s post was the ad to your left, the second in a pair of pieces (there may be more) that hopes to curtail the purchase of dogs from pet stores this holiday season. “Be an angel for animals,” the copy reads. “Always adopt. Never buy.”
In a previous life, I did a lot of research and reporting on conditions in facilities where dogs are bred. Many are poor beyond belief, to the point that you’d feel inhuman if you knew your purchase supported such treatment. Still, many happy kids, wives, husbands, friends et al will get a puppy this holiday — never knowing what it was like where it came from.
Nonetheless, Donohue’s argument would be better if it didn’t cite the Center for Consumer Freedom — an organization that’s widely believed to be a front for corporate use. Peta has addressed the 95% issue, mostly disputing the “adoptable” aspect of the claim. In fact, most shelters have high euthanization rates — despite aiming to save as many dogs as possible. And cats, et al. Peta doesn’t even operate a shelter but conducts raids or is called in to help when a puppy mill is uncovered.
So whether or not Donohue’s remarks should be taken seriously is up to you. It may seem an effective argument on the surface but this is one issue that’s widely debated even today. Still that doesn’t make Peta’s “blasphemy”, as one might put it, acceptable. Or not, for that matter. Catholics everywhere are sure to scoff, while the rest will enjoy Playboy model Joanna Krupa’s curves or bemoan yet another misogynistic campaign piece from Peta — an organization that was founded (and is still run) by a woman.
There’s a similar piece with reality TV star Audrina Patridge, here.
Via Gothamist
More: “Happy Thanksgiving, From Peta”