People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals killed most of the animals at its Norfolk, Virginia, shelter in 2014, according to preliminary figures filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The group euthanized 2,454 of its 3,369 cats and dogs, the vast majority of which were “owner surrenders,” meaning that they’d been relinquished to the group voluntarily.
These figures aren’t shocking to PETA’s long-time critics — who have for years pointed out the discrepancy between how this prominent animal rights group is perceived, and what they actually do — but they are leading to a renewed call from no-kill advocates to put the shelter out of business.
Here’s how long-time PETA critic Nathan Winograd, a well-known shelter reform advocate, recently put it on his Facebook page:
How much money did PETA take in last year from unsuspecting donors who helped pay for this mass carnage? $51,933,001: $50,449,023 in contributions, $627,336 in merchandise sales, and $856,642 in interest and dividends. They finished the year with $4,551,786 more in the bank than they started, after expenses. They did not see fit to use some of that to comprehensively promote animals for adoption or to provide veterinary care for the animals who needed it.
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“This time next year, I would love to see figures showing PETA did not kill any animals because they are no longer allowed to. Ideally, I would like to see a PETA that is true to its mission,” says Winograd. “As to the public, they do not have to believe me and they shouldn’t believe PETA. They owe the animals to look at the evidence, weigh it for themselves, and ask themselves if it is keeping with the vision for animals they wish to see.”
Read the preliminary 2014 PETA shelter report filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services here.
Here’s the video and press release to which PETA directed The Huffington Post.
Get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share.
