PETA was founded in 1980 and is dedicated to establishing and defending the rights of all animals. PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. PETA informs policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promotes kind treatment of animals. PETA is an international nonprofit charitable organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, with entities worldwide.
PETA believes that animals have rights and deserve to have their best interests taken into consideration, regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Like you, they are capable of suffering and have an interest in leading their own lives.
The very heart of all of PETA’s actions is the idea that it is the right of all beings—human and nonhuman alike—to be free from harm. Our world is plagued with many serious problems, all of which deserve our attention. Cruelty to animals is one of them. We believe that all people should try to stop animal abuse whenever and wherever they can.
Since 1980, PETA has campaigned to establish a global society in which humans consider the needs of what Henry Beston, noted American writer and naturalist of the mid-20th century, so beautifully called “the other nations.” We uphold the rights of individual animals to be respected. For most, that means simply leaving them alone.
PETA opposesspeciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment business. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of rodents, birds, and other animals who are often considered “pests” as well as cruelty to domesticated animals.
In today’s world of virtually unlimited choices, animal exploitation is simply unacceptable. We can eat better, educate ourselves better, clothe ourselves better, and entertain ourselves better without torturing and killing animals.
We have the power to spare animals excruciating pain by making better choices about the food we eat, the things we buy, and the activities we support.
FAQs
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), nongovernmental organization (NGO) committed to ending abusive treatment of animals in business and society and promoting consideration of animal interests in everyday decision making and general policies and practices.
Has PETA done anything good? ›
Every year, with the help of generous supporters, PETA is able to secure victories for animals. And every victory is important and celebrated, from the smallest mouse spared a horrific death in a glue trap to the thousands of cows, pigs, chickens, and fish whose lives are spared every time someone goes vegan.
Has PETA changed any laws? ›
Sacramento, Calif. – Three PETA-backed bills have become law: Senate Bill 313, the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act; Assembly Bill 44, the ban on fur sales; and AB 1260, the ban on certain exotic-skins imports and sales.
What is PETA best known for? ›
PETA informs policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promotes kind treatment of animals. PETA is an international nonprofit charitable organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, with entities worldwide.
What tactics does PETA use? ›
PETA works through public education, investigative newsgathering and reporting, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.
Is PETA vegan? ›
To be on PETA's action team, for example, the firm says individuals don't have to be vegan, “but since the best thing anyone can do to help animals is not to eat them, we encourage everyone to go vegan,” the action team's FAQ reads.
How does PETA make money? ›
PETA is a nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) corporation funded almost exclusively by the contributions of our members.
What has PETA shut down? ›
In an unprecedented move, PETA closed a Texas slaughterhouse operation in which 30,000 horses were trucked in and left to starve in frozen fields without shelter. PETA stopped Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from shipping stray dogs from Mexico to California to be used in experiments.
Is PETA liberal or conservative? ›
PETA is nonpartisan.
What went wrong with PETA? ›
The organization's controversial campaigns have been credited with drawing media attention to animal rights issues, but have also been widely criticized. Its use of euthanasia has resulted in legal action and a response from Virginia lawmakers.
“ DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.” (This means animals, too!)
What is the main goal of PETA? ›
Since 1980, PETA has been dedicated to defending the rights of all animals. We operate under the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.
What 8 PETA stands for people for the animals? ›
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; /ˈpiːtə/) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA says that its entities have more than 9 million members globally.
How many animals are saved by PETA? ›
More than 26,000 mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids were saved after PETA revealed horrific abuse at the major pet-trade supplier U.S. Global Exotics, Inc., including animals confined to severely crowded and filthy soda bottles, milk jugs, litter pans, cattle-feeding troughs, and barren wire cages as well as ...
What are the things PETA does? ›
PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment business.
Is PETA against eating animals? ›
A hot topic in classrooms and on the minds of many people today is whether or not it's ethical to eat animals. Here at PETA, our core belief is that animals are not ours to use.
