Is PETA too radical for its own good?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights group in the world, claiming nearly 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide. Although PETA champions a positive message to stop animal abuse and cruelty, their tactics have been criticized as extremely offensive and radical. Their historical controversy and increasingly radical activism arguably diminishes their social impact and turns off many prospective members.
PETA has four core issues, namely opposition to factory farming, fur farming, animal testing, and the use of animals in entertainment. As their slogan proclaims, "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." Many people would agree with this message, and support policy changes to benefit animals in these ways.
However, PETA’s use of shock and overtly graphic imagery in their campaigns to raise awareness is problematic. Many of PETA’s campaigns objectify women, and have received criticism from feminist rights advocates as being exploitative and degrading. Various media ads have compared animal abuse to victims of human exploitation, child labor, slavery and murder-cannibalization cases, which have generated angry responses from war-torn refugees and murder victim’s family members, among others who claim that the organization downplays and disrespects those affected by these countless human rights crimes.
In addition, despite PETA’s vocal animal welfare stance, the organization has come under attack for running an animal shelter which euthanizes over 81% of its animals. PETA’s operation of their animal shelter has drawn criticism from lawmakers and other animal rights activists, who balk at the idea of a shelter that makes almost no attempt to save animals, claiming that the organization is more “euthanasia clinic” than “shelter.” As testament to their reckless overuse of euthanasia, two PETA employees had been charged with cruelty to animals in a widely publicized case in which over 80 euthanized animals were left in shopping center dumpsters. In a separate incident, PETA was found to have been involved in the kidnapping and illegal euthanasia of a family dog who was wrongfully taken from their yard.
These events, media campaigns, and other incidents showcase the many various aspects in which PETA’s extremist leanings have manifest. PETA’s controversial and aggressive media campaigns and inciting actions have alienated and offended a large majority of the population who might otherwise be supporters of their message. Many radical activists believe PETA should stop the constant media stunts and use of nudity, as the resulting media circus clouds the topic at hand and prevents people from accepting animal rights as a serious issue. There has been criticism from both the conservative and radical ends of the animal rights movement, with many people agreeing with their core ideology, but disagreeing vehemently with their guerilla tactics. However, it is hard to argue with success, and PETA is by far the most successful animal rights organization in the world, despite (or perhaps because of) its controversy and criticism.