Vegans, what's your stance on PETA?

Question

I'm a vegan, so no provocation is intended.

This question is for vegans, vegetarians and other people who are seriously concerned about animal welfare.

Thank you.

I am very grateful to all of you for your answers!

The reason I asked this question is because I've come across several web sites, YouTube videos, etc. accusing PETA of corruption, hypocrisy, violence (not only against people, but against animals as well) and so on, so I was wondering whether it was merely the result of pro-animal-exploitation, pro-hunting, pro-meat-eating defamatory campaigns against PETA, or if there really is some truth in them.

As I'm not familiar with PETA, I wanted to hear the opinions of people that I know not to be biased against animal welfare issues!

Answer 1

Since their existence they have done much to fight for the rights of animals and to educate the public about animal
cruelty and the advantages of vegetarian diet. They have
caught a lot of flack lately due to the actions of a few rogue
employees and because of their use of celebrity ads. However, they were the first organization and veganism has
come a long way in popularity because of them. I really wish
that it wasn't so popular for vegetarians and vegans to disavow and trash them.

Answer 2

I think peta should concentrate more on making the conditions animals are kept in better rather than try and shock people into giving up meat. Like it or not people are going to eat meat and so by them being so forceful it actually divides the vegetarian/vegan community from the rest of the world.

I think that it's great that they are putting the effort into something they believe in but sometimes they go too far. I tried to show my mum one of their videos... not to convert her but just because she asked why I won't buy wool... but she didn't want to because she thought they were too extreme and, while these things do happen, peta sometimes implies that this happens everywhere and so we should boycott everything altogether.

Saying that, peta does help me be a vegan because whenever I start thinking 'what's the point?' I go to their site and am reminded why.

Answer 3

I completely support PETA's views and think they are great however it is an open member association so anyone can become a part of PETA. They do not discriminate against their members. The problem with this is that there are so many radical members who do things in the name of PETA which makes the organization look bad. These bad apples do not support the views and ideas of PETA and many of them are actually against PETA's view and stage these acts to create bad publicity for the organization. PETA encourages peaceful protests, polite letter writing, and education. They do not support burning buildings, releasing of animals, people walking around naked, ect. These are people who take it upon themselves to make a point but often do it in a non-productive way.

Answer 4

PETA or any other group that uses extreme measures is of no good to no one.

The only true powers in this world is the consumer and money

We all have a responsibility to all life in a balanced way this includes death for food but Cruelty is completely different and Cruelty(like hunting to extinction) is something very human and very consumer like. we as individuals can do only what we can and nothing more, but to have faith that others also choose to do the right thing but we all got to eat and we all got to spend.

Just being a better individual and having faith that others are seeing things the same without using extreme measures and with hope the future can be better for all living things, this is of course is idealistic and there nothing ideal about a human mind.

In short do what you feel is right and have faith others do the same.

Answer 5

I think they are great! I frequent the website often and I try to stay away from companies that do animal testing and what not. I had no idea what Iams was doing until I saw the video and read the articles, but I'm very happy I was made aware of it because I wouldn't have heard it from any other media outlet. It also had a big influence in my decision to get vegetarian, and I get a lot of great vegan and vegetarian recipes and support from the websites. So, yeah! I think it's great, I'm gonna go there right now. :)

Answer 6

I'm not a big fan of them. I don't like their tactics, and I hate the way they use T&A to get their message across. If you are looking for a good pro-vegan organization with a more user-friendly message, I suggest you contact Compassion Over Killing (www.cok.net). They don't have the celebrity cachet and the glossy mateirals PETA does, but they're also not going to engage in the idiotic publicity stunts PETA does.

For the record, though, COK is overwhelmingly concerned with the dietary aspects of veganism and less with other forms of animal exploitation.

Answer 7

I'm of the opinion that PETA points up some serious and even sickening animal abuse practices that otherwise would have gone unchallenged. The kinds of product testing that big corporations (especially cosmetics) used to practice were unscientific and deranged! And yes, nobody has a need for baby harp seal fur in this age of synthetic fiberfills.

But those PETAns who think that pet ownership is a crime and that house cats can thrive on a diet of lettuce--that's a lunatic fringe that gives the legit parts of the movement a bad name and that keeps me completely disinterested.

Answer 8

I'm a vegetarian and I really love animals. I was looking into more about PETA a couple of weeks ago, because I was considering joining, but I read on Wikipedia that back in 2005, they euthanized at least 80 animals that they took from a shelter, and got rid of them in a dumpster. That is disgusting. They are supposedly for the rights of animals, yet they go and kill 80 plus animals, because they didn't want them to be put down by some other way. That is way to extreme for me. I'm all about saving animals but not in that way.

Answer 9

peta means well
i read that they removed animals from a place of torment then had them put down because good homes couldnt be found for them.
well i think thats better than leaving them to live tormented lives. peta has extreme moments but they care about animal suffering. so im for peta. peta shows us some real nasty facts. peta makes me cry. i cant say more

Answer 10

I don't follow thier campaigns but get the feeling that they cause a lot of problems for the vegetarian movement by thier actions. Don't know if thats true, but meat-eaters seem to cite thier actions a lot.

Without knowing much about them, it seems they might do better by highlighting and educating more than the apparent confrontational approach. Without them though, i bet the world would be even more ignorant of the meat industry so fair play to them for that effort.