Prompted by the recent fifth anniversary of the Great Piggly-Wiggly Dumpster Incident of 2005, the Atlanta Animal Welfare Examiner conducted an informal reader poll in an effort to get a fix on how many people knew of PETA’s habit of killing nearly every homeless pet it gets its hands on, and when they found out about it. The results were surprising.
Nearly half (47%) of respondents did not know that PETA seeks out and kills thousands of pets every year. Ten percent knew about PETA’s killing prior to June 15, 2005, the day the two PETA employees were arrested for throwing the bodies of pets they’d promised to find homes for in a grocery store dumpster. Fifteen percent found out in 2005 as a result of the Great Piggly-Wiggly Dumpster Incident of 2005 and the ensuing media frenzy. Just over 20% found out sometime between 2005 and now. About 3% of respondents expressed disbelief. Approximate percentages in each category remained consistent for the duration of the poll.
What does this mean?
Nearly half of people interested enough in animal welfare to read a column dedicated to that subject did not know that PETA kills nearly every pet it gets its hands on, despite portraying itself as the champion of animal rights. It seems reasonable to assume that readers of a column on animal welfare are better informed on animal welfare issues that are most people, so a very significant proportion of the general public likely has no idea that PETA actively seeks out and kills an average of over 2,000 pets annually, despite a well-publicized scandal and trial, and despite the efforts of advocates to get the truth out.
The flip side of that is that about half of poll respondents did already know that PETA seeks out and kills healthy and treatable pets despite well established lifesaving alternatives. The word had begun getting out prior to June 15, 2005 when two PETA employees were arrested while throwing dead pets in a grocery store dumpster—10% of respondents knew already. About 15% found out in 2005—likely a direct result of the media attention focused on the shocking and sordid news. Just over 20% found out sometime in the past five years, and comments left by some respondents suggest that ongoing efforts by animal advocates and others to get the word out are one reason. A couple of comments cited Nathan Winograd’s book Redemption as the way they first learned the truth about PETA. A few cited a show by Penn and Teller. One first learned about PETA’s killing on Facebook.
About 3% of respondents expressed disbelief—the “No! Say it ain’t so!” answer choice. In retrospect, I should have phrased this answer choice to distinguish those expressing surprise from those who choose to remain in denial despite the preponderance of evidence. Nevertheless, it accounts for only a small proportion of poll respondents.
A couple of comments expressed shock and disbelief. One said that I had my facts wrong, which would mean that all of the news coverage of the arrests and trial, and the statistics that PETA itself reports to the state of Virginia are also wrong. Oh well. A wise woman once said, “You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.”
So, apparently, there is such a thing as bad publicity. The word is getting out and the self-described ‘media whores’ of PETA are earning the disgust of animal-lovers. That everyone doesn’t already know about PETA’s dirty little killing habit is testament to their relentless publicity machine and to the laziness of those in the media who continue to treat PETA as if they are real animal advocates rather than animal killers. How quickly would the killing stop if reporters mentioned the death vans whenever PETA complained about the President swatting a fly or suggested that someone or other use a robot rather than a living, breathing animal? What if celebrities would rather ‘go naked’ than support an organization that not only kills needlessly, but also campaigns against those seeking to establish No Kill communities? What if PETA supporters asked: “If you love animals called ‘dinner’, why do you kill animals called ‘pets’?”
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Comments
Keep up the good work, Valerie. Every day, more and more people will learn the truth about this and the other dirty little secrets of how the US treats homeless pets.
Information can only be used if read and believed. Society sometimes keeps its head in the sand thinking PETA does so much good. It is not that all is bad that PETA does, but the monumental BAD THEY DO keeps me knowing the truth and on the alert in their activities. If one kills it is killing no matter how it is sliced. Thank you for doing your poll and for compiling the stats here. Well done! Keep up the fight to inform others.
I've met people who say that PETA does good work for other animals, so we should essentially give them a pass for killing so many companion animals. But, my question is How do we know they are really doing such good for other animals? They've lied about saving companion animals, so what makes us think they aren't lying about the work they are doing for other animals? Adn we do know, from looking at their records, that they have killed other animals besides companion animals such as chickens that they have "rescued".
It seems sort of absurd to think that they really are saving all those other animals that they allegedly rescue when, at the same time, they are killing 97% of companion animals that they "rescue".
WILL NEVER DONATE TO PETA AGAIN AND WILL SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL IN MY PATH.....
The fact is, there aren't enough homes in the WORLD for all the unwanted pets bred in the United States. Euthanasia is the only option we have - unfortunately.
It was a huge waste of money and resources for media whores / cult Best Friends of Utah to save Michael Vick's dogs. Those resources could have gone to help adoptable dogs.
Why are you rehashing events that occurred 5 years ago? Since when do we blame an entire organization when a couple of employees make mistakes?
I think you're the drama queen / media whore.
PETA Lover:
A few facts:
* A recent study conducted by Maddie's Fund found that there are 17 million Americans who are looking to acquire a pet this year and who have not decided from where. There are 4 million pets killed in shelters annually. If shelters adopted the No Kill Equation, working to increase their market share by just a few percentage points, the number of healthy and treatable pets killed in shelters would be zero. There ARE enough homes for them all.
* Many of the former Vick dogs were rehabilitated and adopted into homes. Some are even therapy dogs who visit children and cancer patients. You can't put a price tag on what Best Friends and Bad Rap did in saving and rehabilitating those dogs. Whatever they spent has paid back dividends already. Those dogs are living, breathing, tail-wagging examples of triumph over abuse and stereotypes. They are an inspiration.
* Ingrid Newkirk describes herself and PETA as media whores. True, given their penchant for public
I recounted the story of the Great Piggly Wiggly Dumpster Incident of 2005 precisely because it was NOT an isolated incident. PETA continues to seek out and kill an average of over 2000 pets per year, most of them healthy or treatable. That is an ongoing abomination. They were caught, quite literally red-handed, and even so, they continue to kill shamelessly and without apology. I stand behind every word I wrote. Try a little reading comprehension for a change.
Valerie,
I learned years ago that PETA was not what I thought it was. Ingrid Newkirk should never be hailed a hero or an animal expert. I'm glad you're working on the expose! I'm also thrilled to see that you're an Examiner (as I was starting to lose faith!) and that you offer a different (=factual and researched) opinion than the Faith and Family Examiner of Atlanta who just goes around regurgitating any sensationalized garbage she came across in her "research" (=media articles). Thank you for responding to her nonsense with facts.
Valerie - thank you so much for keeping the bright spotlight focused right on PETA and their deceptive methods.
Bett - I am one of those people who likes what PETA does for non-pet animals. Well, not what they DO, but the campaigns they run which give me a chance to sign petitions and sign letters.
The important part - I want to be clear, though, that in no way do I support anything Ingrid "Wicked Witch of The East" Newkirk does when it comes to cats and dogs.
Nor would I ever again send them any money as I did years ago before I found out how much she and her bobblehead puppets absolutely despise companion animals.
That's really weird, isn't it, how they seem to really care about farm and wild animals, but have this incredible blood lust for killing our family companions.
How's that spelled? S-C-H-I-Z-O-P-H-R-E-N-I-A?
According to PETA they are not a shelter and only take diseased and unsocialized pets - the rest are passed on to Shelters for adoption.
Funny thing is most people just believe whatever they read. Try actually calling/working for PETA as i have and see for yourself. Those animals are in no shape for adoption.
Also - EVERY shelter kills healthy adoptable pets. Every single one. The average rate is 50%-80% depending on shelter. The only solution is to end breeding.
Clearly PETA should take on the no kill stance - AKA only accept animals they know will be adopted and reject the rest as all no kill shelters do. Then we can write articles about how they won't accept animals and other shelters do the killings. lol you people are crazy!
JR and Melissa-
Both of you are guilty of either willful ignorance or outright lying. PETA seeks out and kills healthy and treatable pets. I delved into the details of the Great Piggly Wiggly Dumpster Incident of 2005 in my previous article "Still killing after all these years", which includes numerous links to news coverage of the initial dumping and the trial. Ingrid Newkirk admits that PETA kills healthy and treatable animals. She said so explicitly in an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation with George Stroumboulopoulos in 2008. She just prefers to lie to supporters on her own website, knowing full well that donations would dry up if she told the truth there. Shelters following the No Kill Equation (which I wrote about in my article "Shelter Pet Population 101") save 90% or more of all animals they take in, and they are open admission, as Tompkins County has been for over NINE YEARS (See my article "I was there"). Such shelters save ALL healthy and treatable animals
Most people don't know about the evil side of Peta. Peta kills 97% of all surrendered animals at their facility in Norfolk, VA. They have NO adoption program, no Petfinder.com account, are anti-adoption and totally pro-kill.
Peta is vehemently against no-kill sanctuaries (even well-run ones) which they consider "warehousing". They want all pets to be killed, like at their facility in Norfolk VA (delete spaces):
www. virginia. gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi?link_select=facility&form=fac_select&fac_num=157&year=2008
See the ADOPTED and EUTHANIZED columns. Look at all the wildlife they killed - there's no local wildlife rehabber? They even killed the 2 lone "poultry".
Peta "defends" their assembly line murder of healthy adoptable animals, claiming "no other shelter would take them", "they're beyond rehabilitation", "they're in the worst condition" etc. Just pathetic lies.
They want to kill all pit bull type dogs and feral cats. How are bullies, ferals and homeless pets any different from animals in labs, fur farms, and slaughterhouses, which Peta defends? They're no different - THEY ALL WANT TO LIVE.
Please DO NOT FINANCIALLY SUPPORT PETA. I used to love Peta back when they cared more about animals than publicity. Now they've gone quite insane.
Struggling sanctuaries and rescues that go wrong NEED HELP - they're overwhelmed. Heaven forbid Peta, with their MILLION$$ and army of volunteers, lend a hand; instead they attack.
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