Hypocritical Animal Rights Group Brings Death Toll to 29,398

Today the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) released its yearly report on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) shameful animal care record at its so-called pet shelter in its Norfolk, VA headquarters. New records show PETA killed a staggering 89.4 percent of the adoptable pets in its care during 2012. Despite years of public outrage over its euthanasia program, the notorious animal rights group has continued killing adoptable dogs and cats at an average of over 30 pets per week.

According to records from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, PETA killed 1,647 cats and dogs last year while placing just 19 in adoptive homes. Since 1998, a total of 29,398 pets have died at the hands of PETA workers.

“For the 14th year in a row, PETA leaders have shown yet again they don’t care about the unlucky dogs and cats that come to its shelter for help,” said J. Justin Wilson, CCF Senior Research Analyst. “The animal rights group is talking out of both sides of its mouth – on one side preaching its animal liberation agenda, while on the other signing the death warrant of over 89 percent of pets in its care. It’s beyond hypocritical.”

Despite its $36 million budget, PETA employees make little effort to find homes for the thousands of animals they kill every year. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk previously indicated to The Virginian-Pilot that the animal rights group could stop killing pets, but it would mean cutting down on press stunts and celebrity photo shoots: “We could become a no-kill shelter immediately. It means we wouldn’t do as much work.”

“It seems PETA is more dedicated to publicity stunts than to keeping the animals in its own care alive,” Wilson continued. “It’s the height of hypocrisy for PETA to demonstrate for the ‘rights’ of rats and pigs, while killing tens of thousands of pets. It’s time that the Commonwealth of Virginia finally reclassifies PETA’s pet shelter for what it is – a slaughterhouse.”

At www.PETAKillsAnimals.com, CCF has made public PETA’s “Animal Record” filings with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for every year since 1998.

For more information, visit www.PETAKillsAnimals.com. To arrange an interview, call Allison Miller at 202-463-7112.

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

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