Charities

PETA

A Global Issue

The subject of animal rights may conjure up images of dreadlocked, vegan students chaining themselves to sheep but even the most avid fan of a nice rare sirloin would be shocked by some of the conditions livestock are kept in – around the world. This charity this month is devoted to improving global standards for the treatment of animals. Based in Virginia USA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the world's largest animal rights organisation, with representatives scattered across the globe.

The Problem

There are four target areas – covered by PETA. Firstly, factory farms are often responsible for inflicting abusive, living conditions on their livestock. Whilst farming is no atrocity in itself and animal flesh forms a natural part of a balanced human diet, the ethical treatment of the living creature is not something which can be denied. Indeed the ethical debate surrounding veal consumption still looms over the gourmet world.

Secondly we have the controversial topic of vivisection: Guinea Pigs as Guinea Pigs for anything from medication to cosmetics - in order to ensure they are safe for humans to use. The Animal Welfare Act ensures that the number of animals used for such purposes is recorded, but many species of rodent and bird remain exempt from this tally. Products are pumped into their stomachs, liquids are squirted into their eyes they are forced to inhale aerosols – a far cry from life in a field. Furthermore it is thought that experimental results may not be totally reliable, given the physiological differences between rats and humans.

Next is that new pair of boots. Yes - the clothing industry violates animal rights standards to a rather alarming extent. Leather is by no means a bi-product of the abattoir but in fact a major motivational force behind the cattle industry. Sheep farmed for wool are subject to painful procedures such as the removal of their tails - however the most shocking cases are those involving minks, racoons, foxes and beavers. These are often killed by genital or anal electrocution, which induces a heart attack. Some are even skinned alive. This horrific trade is based on the desire for fur.

Finally we come to the entertainment sector - but how entertaining is it, really, to watch an elephant ride a bicycle? As well as the intense training which often involves whips and electric shocks, performing animals are subject to extended periods of time alone in confined spaces. Many zoos are guilty of such behaviour, where the presence of wildlife is primarily for the entertainment of paying visitors.

Additional concerns for PETA include domestic abuse and breeding so in summary, this organisation operates on a scale which encompasses everything from the global farming industry to the individual pet owner.

So What Do They Do?

Working on a worldwide scale, PETA promotes the ethical treatment of animals via an ongoing education programme. This is helped by significant media coverage which includes regular features in print and on TV. Consumer boycotts encouraged by PETA - are another way to raise awareness about unethical practises, which are often closer to home that the community expect.

Further activities involve an ongoing effort to unite the worlds of science and law in a mutual understanding about the ethical treatment of animals. Constant investigation is vital to uncover the depths of this global problem and research into more humane practises allow new approaches to be implemented – approaches which don't violate the charity's code of ethics.

Success So Far

Founded in 1980, PETA's activity in the world of animal rights was immediate and rather drastic. Within its first year of operation the charity uncovered abusive behaviour in cases of vivisection. Throughout its twenty-seven years of operation it has saved countless animals from testing and has produced vast improvements in the living conditions of livestock. One notable story concerns a fast food company which the conscientious citizen should definitely think twice about visiting.

In 1999, PETA launched a campaign against McDonalds after the corporation failed to respond to a demand made two years earlier. In under a year, over twenty-three countries saw a total of over four hundred demonstrations - all demanding an improvement in the treatment of poultry before the inevitable slaughter. The company is reported to have made: “basic but important animal-welfare improvements.” This was the first time in American history that a corporation of this size agreed to make farmed-animal welfare improvements. To see exactly what it took to get PETA to call off their McCruelty campaign, click here.

Getting Involved

PETA is a non-profit organisation, meaning that all funding is devoted to the cause in question. Membership involves an annual donation of £12 and members receive a subscription to the quarterly magazine Animal Times. Further donations and animal gifts are accepted and can be made on the PETA UK website here.

If you are passionate about animal rights and wish to be actively involved in the campaigns then information about current action in the UK can be found using the previous link. Such action includes preventing needless mass slaughter after new cases of bird flu are discovered and preventing Oxfam from exploiting animals for the sake of financial gain.

Advice on how to respond assertively and effectively to cases of animal abuse can be found at www.peta.org/actioncenter/speak.asp. This advice includes a comprehensive guide to writing letters in response to media articles or in order to raise awareness about a particular issue.

How Far Have You Gone?

Have you ever killed a rat, a spider, a fly or a woodlouse? Of course you have and I'm not here to make you feel guilty about that. The purpose of this article hasn't been to convert the world to a life of tofu and Buddhism but merely to demonstrate the extent of abusive behaviour against animals - for little or unworthy gain.

- David Haw

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