BY ALEX DEADORFF
In a world that seems to be filled with hate, cruelty, and injustice, when one comes across something that is good, they often cling to it for dear life, grasping helplessly at the idea that the world can be a better place. That little bit of hope that man is, in fact, inherently good comes in all shapes and sizes. The most common places that people look to in times of need are charities filled with volunteers whose only hopes are forging a better world. However, sometimes, these charities do not actually do everything in their power to accomplish their stated goal. Furthermore, they sometimes take money away from the advertised goal, in order to redirect funds to corrupt causes. For example, a charity is allowed to pay employees a salary of whatever they deem fit, which often includes monetary donations made by those who entrust them to use the money to do the right thing. A charity does not always advertise the amount of money it truly donates to its respective cause, and not always are its true intentions so apparent. This rings true for one of the most well known animal advocate groups: PETA.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is often advertised as volunteers fighting tooth and nail for the better treatment of animals. PETA shows its high-class animal shelter, where pets who can no longer be cared for, or stray animals, are accepted for the “second chance at the life they deserve”. However, no one really cares to look into what PETA’s true intentions are. People blindly donate to a cause because they think it’s good; however, in reality, their money is going to an extremist group whose beliefs far exceed their advertised agenda.
For starters, PETA’s main shelter, located in Norfolk, Virginia, has approximately a 90% kill rate. In fact, in 2014, its adoption rate was an astonishing 1%! Wow! A whole 1% of the animals brought in managed to make it back out the front door, as opposed to the back, via a black garbage bag. Amazing, right? Although PETA does not advertise its shelter as being no-kill, it does advertise that when an animal is brought in, its intentions are to do everything in its power to make sure that said animal will leave the shelter happy, healthy, and with a loving family to call their own. However, this is far from the truth. Those involved with PETA have been quoted saying that they believe owning animals is inhumane because it is not what the animals were put there to do. They believe that animals should survive in a natural setting and should be free to do as they wish, exploring their once wild roots. In order to make sure that the animals they receive are truly happy, since a domestic animal cannot be released into the wild, they euthanize them as a ‘solution’.
As quoted directly from PETA’s main website, “The selfish desire to possess animals and receive love from them causes them immeasurable suffering.” So, according to PETA, man’s best friend should not reside in the living room, lounging on a $100 memory foam bed bad because it will cause extreme suffering.
Although coined the “nanny dog” due to their extreme love of children, the notorious Pitbull is also on the list of changes that need to be made on the PETA agenda. Although it is a widely debated topic, there is no proof that pitbulls are any more dangerous than any other breed of dog. In fact, according to a recent survey on dog-breed aggression, pitbulls ranked 121 out of 300 breeds, ranking at a lower aggression level than Chihuahuas, Doberman Pinschers, and even the much loved Golden Retriever. Despite this, PETA has made it very apparent where it stands on this misunderstood species. Rather than take the side any rational minded rescuer would, that is, that it’s a loving organization and not a fighting one, it took the opposing stance. It has gone on record multiple times expressing pit bulls as a vicious species. As if spewing out facts that are incorrect and having no basis whatsoever were not enough for this so called charity, it has also made it a point to speak out on how pits should be ended altogether. PETA does not believe that people are at fault for the few pitbulls that do lash out, rather that all pits are ticking time bombs ready to attack at any given moment. One would think that someone who claims they are for the “ethical treatment of animals” would research the facts and would advocate what is known and researched about them, such as how they were the number one family dog during World War 1 and often used as mascots for the war to keep the soldiers going. But by all means, why not spread rumors about something that can’t even speak up to defend itself. That’s definitely what a charity should be doing with its free time, right?
Not only has PETA gone on record making heinous claims regarding the animals it claims to protect, but also it has advocated being vegan in order to stop the slaughter of animals all around the world for human consumption. Despite this, in 2013, PETA took out stock in various fast food chains, such as Mcdonald’s, that have had various claims made against them regarding the quality of meat, use of horse meat, and the amount of cruelty happening within the slaughterhouses that supply their meat.
Although some charities are what they claim to be, when proper research is done, supporting a local charity can truly make the world a better place. People just need to do research on a charity before putting their money towards what they claim to support. If people go in educated, the outcome will make the world a better place to live in. If one would like to donate towards a cause that helps animals, they should research some local animal rescues. One can always volunteer their time or open up their house to foster if financials cannot be verified. There are almost always loopholes, and one must stay educated in order to remain above them.
