Ok, I'm a relative "newbie" to this site. I've spent hours reading lots of great info. I don't understand the hatred involving PETA. I understand that just like any organization, they have their share of corruption. Of people that are not bound by basic decent values. I understand they can be extreme, just as some people who are "pro-life" are when they bomb offices where abortions occur. It seems to me (maybe I'm just naive) they're a good organization and their most outrageous events are the things that make news. KFC chickens? I'm certain they, along with most of the chicken you eat, are definately not treated humanely. I am not vegetarian, though I have considered it, and the reason is that animals in huge feed lots are not treated well, by any stretch of the imagination.

The church topic? They jumped to conclusions. It happens. The dumpster situation and the dead dogs? A couple of "bad apples" in the organization.

Just my 2cents...
signed, naive newbie

ED'S COMMENTS EDITED IN:

YOU ARE NAIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I hope people with PETA information/experience will answer you because I myself would love to learn more about this organization. Not for any reason other than to better understand why I'm supposed to hate them . I should just google their name. I'm sure I'd find out a crapload of stuff. However, I'd prefer to read what these folks have to say.

Sorry Stephanie, but when these people talk, I tend to listen .

 Quote: stephanie biros

I am not vegetarian, though I have considered it, and the reason is that animals in huge feed lots are not treated well, by any stretch of the imagination.

Uh...we run our own ranch as well as helping with the family ranch as well. (over 2500 head combined)
We have a fairly large feed lot (this is seperate from the ranch with 1700 head at a time) and our livestock is treated humanely and with care.
I think that there are places that do not treat animals well, there will always be that, but I kind of take offense to being lumped in with inhumane people.

Our cattle are checked daily, any sick or injured animals are cared for in seperate pens so that they 1)do not infect the entire herd and 2)so that they are not picked on while they are recovering.
Cattle that are bad enough that they cannot be saved are euthanized so that they do not suffer.
We "calve" in the winter so calves that are small birth wieghts or not accepted by mom or that get injured or sick are brought into a warm barn and fed and looked after every 1.5 hours. I have had a calves in the house in dog crates when it is so cold that I do not want to go outside.

PLEASE make sure that when you want to say something negative that you do not lump everyone together. People in the same fields are not necassarily the same as far as work ethics or ethics period for that matter.

I am adding to say that the ranchers around us are the same way as we are about taking care of what keeps food on their table and clothes on their children.

I know this email is a little harsh, and maybe I need more coffee, but I do not like being judged and lumped in with all the others.

 Quote:

I don't understand the hatred involving PETA

 Quote:

when they bomb offices

That's enough for me.

Quote "PETA kills 85 percent of the animals it takes in, and finds adoptive homes for just 14 percent. By contrast, the Norfolk SPCA, whose shelter is located less than 4 miles from PETA's headquarters, found adoptive homes for 73 percent of its animals in 2003." Taken from http://petakillsanimals.com/index.cfm

http://petakillsanimals.com/downloads/PetaKillsAnimals.pdf

This is the website that brought a lot of things to light for me. Some of whats on it may be bunk, but it was enough for me to start searching the internet to see what I could find. I have no personal dealings with PETA, but I don't have to know them personally for it to affect me. Others here may have more specific dealings with them.

Google can be a pretty instructive tool.
Click here for
a Google Search

This one was particularly interesting,
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21

Edited to add ...
The Humane Society was another organization that Honest Kitchen proudly supports (letter fron THK in another thread). They were not clear on which one they support. One Humane Society runs the local animal shelters. The other,
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/136
is just as bad as PETA.

Edited by Charlie Snyder (03/09/2007 03:12 PM)
Edit reason: Added link for HSUS

There is also a forum dedicated to PETA topics right here on Leerburg:

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/66/page/1

jeez, all you have to do is go to PETA's own website to find plenty that is objectionable. no need to even check in with what their detractors are saying. the official stance of the organization should rile anyone here. they are militantly against pet ownership.

Carol, I'm glad to hear there are ranchers who care. I believe they are out there, but I don't believe it's the majority. Blame it on my reading of other kinds of books, including Fast Food Nation.

I have browsed PETA's website. I don't see anything completely crazy there. Most of it I agree with. They seem a little over the top for my tastes, when they talk about leaving flyers everywhere, talking aloud on a crowded subway so people will overhear, ect. But they're against puppy mills, animal testing in laboratories, well, I'm sure you know all this. I saw nothing on their website reguarding breed specific legislation or anything to do with the allegation that they believe people shouldn't own companion animals.

Sure there's lots of this crap on "other websites", people who seem just as crazy against PETA as they claim PETA to be.

Also, there's the PETA kills stuff. According to their very own website, they do believe in humanely euthanizing animals not fit for ownership (due to behavioral issues) and they agree with spaying and neutering. A little over the top how they say a way to get involved is to physically take our neighbors animals ourselves and pay for the operations, I mean come on. That I admit does sound like craziness. But, hello! Yeah, there ARE too many animals, too many stupid people breeding animals who have no clue what they're doing, puppy mills, ect. I would never buy from a pet store. I have qualms about getting from a shelter though, because where do those dogs come from ultimately? Probably a puppy mill. That was the reason I carefully selected a breeder who seemed to be "in it" out of a real love for GSD's.

Anyway, sorry but I can't just jump on the bandwagon screaming against PETA, and I still don't get it. I only believe half of what I read, and quotes and info from antiPETA websites are not 100% believable in my book.