There is some wisdom to end the pain and suffering. With so many of the homeless animals starved and frozen to death. One must pounder why we stood by holding all lives are precious and do nothing to help them end their suffering. What the society has been doing is not enough. And there is no end insight of the battle to control the over populated situation, the cruelty situation. So what PETA proposes is not cold hearted per se. It is a practical solution. Of course if we extend the same practicality on human beings in the most proverish country, we will be labeled as murderes. So I can also see why it is shocking to hear a humane organization proposing such an seemingly inhumane way …

This is no surprise, i’m sad to see PETA once again showing how detached they are from what reality really is. PETA reminds me of potty training a puppy, you know they’re doing their best, but unfortunately they’re just stinking up the joint. They’re opinions reflect their organization, extreme and unbalanced. Fortunately Best Friends is there to counter balance the untamed beast. God bless their intentions, but god help the cause. No Kill Please!

AND THIS is exactly why I stopped supporting PETA

AND THIS is exactly why I stopped supporting PETA

I could not have said this better myself. I, too, have struggled with Peta’s philosophy for many years and have had a love/hate relationship with them. Your blog was awesome. Crossposting Thank you!

I believe PETA diminishes the value of ALL life by their philosophy…one animals life is more important than another…don’t eat an animal but kill it if they interpret it’s life as valueless

I stopped supporting PETA when their leader made excuses for Michael Vick. I don’t have a problem with the man playing football, but I do believe any interactions he has with dogs should be closely supervised. Their advocacy of killing also makes me uncomfortable.

PETA’s attitude toward petsis one of the reasons that I refuse to support them. They simply do not understand anything about pit bulls and feral cats. PETA insulted the memory of Steve Irwin at his death accusing him of harming wildlife, but they are far worse.

Makes me sick that PETA would look at this issue in this way. I have also had a love/hate relationship with them but I will not support them and will be sure to broadcast their message of death.

Many PETA employees have no idea this is where PETA stands. When they call for donations, I tell them when they stop killing those that are rescued then I will be happy to reconsider donating. The person on the other end of the phone is always shocked to hear the PETA kills those it rescues. This is truly a new level of “invisibility” if your own staff doesn’t know what its company is doing!

I am with the view of Best Friends! I used to believe in PETA, but I do not agree with their “better off dead” philosophy. I believe if PETA does not change their view on this they will lose many members.

PETA’S take on this is so short-sighted. I cannot abide this death message. Clearly, they are confused. As always, I applaud Best Friends stand.

Anyone here able to show me this PETA philosophy in print? I am disturbed by this. Thanks!

usually i support PETA’s beliefs in helping animals but i have never subscribed to their actions and antics as part of their movement. as far as their latest endeavours, i absolutely do not agree with them whatsoever. how can you say that an animal would be better off dead simply because they are a pit bull or because they came from a hoarding situation. this, for me, is the straw that broke the camel’s back. i’ve never given them any kind of monetary donation and now i never will. they have now also lost me as a supporter in voice as well. Joan described them as confused, which i think is a very nice way of putting it. thank you to Best Friends for being the wonderful organization that you are. don’t ever change, keep up the amazing work that you do. i will always support you as best i can.

Well said. There’s always something “off” about PETA that sometimes I can’t put my finger on, but I’m glad I read this. It lets me and other no-kill advocates know what’s going on in the organizations that claim to be on their side.

Wow! What an eloquent article. Nicely done Greg.

PETA’s repeated comment that “no good people go into the shelter LOOKING for a pit bull to adopt”. EXCUSE ME! I have a college degree, a well-paying job, have been married to the same man for 24 years, volunteer, advocate and donate to several different causes. And I went purposely to the shelter to look for FIVE different pit bulls to adopt! Call me crazy, but I’m wondering what their idea of “good people” is!

PETA’s comment that “no good people go into a shelter LOOKING for a pit bull to adopt” confounds me. I have a college degree, a well-paying job, have been married to the same man for 24 years, volunteer, advocate and donate to several worthy causes. I PURPOSELY went into the shelter looking for FIVE pit bulls to adopt. My dogs all have their CGC’s and one (my “scariest” looking purebred) is a certified therapy dog.
I would really like to know what PETA’s definition of good people is!

I am so on board it’s not even funny. I will never, ever go to a breeder again, and I have three (one dog and two cats) wonderful rescues that bring me so much happiness.

PETA is such a bunch of extremists. They are abslutely riduclous in their beliefs. They’ve got such a holier-than-thou atttitde about them. Their way is the only way possible. PETA, you could do so much more if you’d use your powers for good instead of evil. Until then, I cannot and will not support PETA.

I am not on board with PETA at all in any aspect. I disagree with so much that they do. I did not realize this was there view and it makes me like them less. Sad.

Tammi, just google it. It has been in the news many times. In one incident they were killing dogs, putting them into large garbage bags, and then driving around at night to dispose of them in dumpsters around town. Reason? “They didn’t have enough money to feed them.”
Gah!

why is it okay to kill them if they’re the wrong breed but not if it’s for survival?

OMG!!!! Someone needs to educate PETA on the breeds they so easily condemn. I am a full believer that pitbulls are the most loving affectionate amazing breed of dog. Yes there are some bad ones out there but the because of poor breeding and owners not training or raising them properly. Pits dobermans rottweillers all get horrible reps bc they are the only breeds most reported for dog aggression and injuries. Little do people know there is a study out a few years ago siting that labs and goldens (“best family pets”) are just as highly responsible for injuries and deaths BUT they are seldom reported bc they are seen as above that. Anyone who is a pitbull lover/advocate should watch pitbulls and parolees on animal planet. This woman is the example as to what proper handling and knowledge can do when it comes to pitbulls. I believe if a pit is vicious and unhandleable and has been given the chance to be rehabilitated and cannot be then yes euthanasia is the only option for the safety of the public and itself. BUT do not sit here and say the pitbulls should be killed upon entry into a shelter bc then you are categorizing the breed and thats why people are so afraid of them to begin with is bc of total ignorance and lack of understanding of the breed. If i had my own house i would adopt a pitbull right away and that dog would be the most loved and cared for animal ever just like my lab mix, english mastiff and any other dog we have owned. So I plead with everyone we need to educate people on this completely misunderstood breed and start realizing that every dog has the ability to be vicious and can turn on you in a heart beat…not just these “bully breeds”.

The fact that PETA is the same group that is constantly urging people to “go vegan” because killing animals for food is wrong makes the group’s stance on homeless pets the very definition of irony. Better to kill a dog because a person might, *might*, adopt it with bad intentions than to give the dog a chance a loving home is hubris at best and cruel at worst.

I am just curious how many of you that believe everything on the internet said about PETA and believe in the no kill movement actually work in a shelter or muncipal animal control? I don’t like PETA either for other reasons but where in the heck are you going to put all these animals. I work in an animal control and very few folks adopt the massive numbers of pit bulls we get, yes some good people do but they are few and far between. We get over 50 a day and rescues cannot take them all and they don’t get adopted so what are we supposed to do? Do you want to take them all home? If you don’t live this life then your opinions are nothing more than interesting.

Here is a link to a group called “PETA Watch”:
http://www.petawatch.com/2010/03/petas-special-letter-to-detroit-daily.html
I don’t usually put credence to websites who’s sole purpose is to point out the faults of other groups, but I happened to actually read this editorial in The Detroit Daily News when it first came out. Unfortunately, the papers don’t leave their editorials on-line to be read for free for longer than 60 days, so it is no longer posted on the paper’s website. PETA Watch copied it and put it on their website, so I can actually vouch for the validity of this post.

I have lived in Memphis Tennessee my entire adult life. When I was 18, I worked at my first animal clinic. By the time I was 25 I had volunteered, worked, lived around the area long enough to develop a “Mentality” about people and pets. I have experienced enough grappling amongst ALL animal groups, rescue groups, shelter groups, advocacy groups. There is Good and Bad in each and every one of them. Yes, Peta is radical. BUT, before you make a judgement on this radical notion of theirs, PLEASE, PLEASE come to the MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER. There are Good people who come in every once in awhile to adopt one of the adorable little Pit pups, that Dog will be loved forever. Yes that is true. BUT that percentage is like 5%. The others? Just come and see for yourself. BEFORE you make a judgement on me. Google our news, please. Just find out first, about the workings at the Memphis Animal Shelter.

I would like to hear PETA’s response to uproar they have caused among the very people that support them and those that would be on the same side of animal causes as they. Sometimes death is more humane but it certainly is not the answer. I have been a long time supporter of PETA and believe there has to be a radical means to effect even moderate change in attitudes and laws. Although I don’t always agree with them, PETA is this vessel. Perhaps with a little radical pressure from their supporters and the public, they too can be persuaded to change their attitude or good bye support.

I think the documentary ‘Shelter Dogs’ had a lot to do with this mindset. They based their kill philosophy on one no kill shelter in NY State that simply put dogs into small pens until they went out of their poor minds – the polar opposite of places like Best Friends. I have had a great regard for animals and a great disregard for PETA for quite a while now.

Excellent!!! Excellent article. I could not agree more!!!

Well said. I am a vegetarian and an animal activist who has never liked PETA – they have an all or nothing attitude that has become, quite frankly, a joke.

I don’t agree with PETA in this philosophy. It’s like saying a person born with special needs is better off dead because their life won’t be rich and meaningful because of how they are.

I don’t like PETA’s methods. Go and read what Ingrid …Newkirk’s philosophy on pets. If it were up to her, none of us would have pets. I don’t believe any animal, that still has life in them, that is still fighting to live is better off dead.

Thank you for the blog and it does inform me of some of the practices that I was unaware of and I will no longer support them, just as I wrote HSUS that I can no longer support an organization that supports M. Vick in becoming a dog owner again.

I agree with this post but I am bothered by this statement, “Hoarding is a mental disability that may be linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Animal hoarders are no friends of no-kill, and Best Friends and others in the no-kill movement have led the way in exposing and bringing hoarders to justice.”

You’ve just pointed out that animal hoarding is a mental disorder and then you talk about bringing them to justice, which generally means prosecution and possibly incarceration. What about getting them help instead?

Wow! Bravo to BF – PETA can be very extreme sometimes!!

Ingrid Newkirk makes me ill – literally and figuratively. There are some good folks in PETA that others have pointed out who truly don’t get what PETA is all about. I wholeheartedly believe that all animal rescue orgs should come together no matter what our differences, but this is one organization I can do without. To me, PETA stands for PETS EVERYWHERE are THROW AWAYS. They truly suck and horrify me.

I am surprised to see an article with this kind of tone from Best Friends. BF is usually good at rising above the kind of jab trading that sadly sometimes pervades the community of those of us who care about animal welfare. Comparing PETA to mentally ill hoarders is no more logical than comparing no-kill animal support organizations like BF to that group of ill individuals. I disagree with PETA’s stance, too, and I think BF is a wonderful organization with the wisest mission, but I would expect BF to take a more unifying, peaceful, and positive approach to the dialogue. Those of us who care about animals must try to work together against our real common foes, those who would do animals harm, who oppose humane legislation, and who support a factory companion animal industry.

What’s off about PETA is Ingrid Newkirk – Google her name and see what comes up – it’s enough to make you weep – seriously. Her blogs about slipping into her shelter and “euthanizing”animals while “comforting” them is sickening, gut wrenching, and DOES make me cry. The woman, in my book, is pure evil.

A lot of animal rescue orgs. are getting help for hoarders – the ASPCA for instance. And many orgs are following up to make sure hoarders don’t fall back into their old ways. Many hoarders have been ordered by the courts to see therapists etc..so their is some progress, slow but steady.

But PETA is doing animals harm.

With that logic. PETA would euthanize all human beings also, after all there are horrible things out in the big bad world for us also, getting hit by a car, murder, assualt, unemployment, depression etc. IF they trust and value their own judgement on the issue of animals, they can trust other human’s to have the animals best welfare also. Not everyone is sadistic, mentally ill and cruel. There are animal lovers out there, like me!

I too struggle with PETA and their seemingly mixed messages. I can’t deny that they are an extremely effective organization when it comes to exposing the reality of animal cruelty in a way that makes it almost impossible for the public to turn a blind eye. They have also made great strides in influencing corporate behavior to the benefit of all animals. However, the lack of a consistent and easily understandable philosophy makes it very easy for people to reject all of their messages as coming from a bunch of hypocrites. Why would the average person listen to what PETA has to say about deplorable conditions on pig farms when they are busy killing healthy, adoptable dogs?

I understand the premise of their position on pitbulls that end up in shelters. Statistics indicate that the American Pitbull Terrier is the most common dog breed to be the subject of animal cruelty investigations. However, that does not mean that the best we can do by this breed is to euthanize them.

Maybe we should rename pitbulls to motivate PETA to soften their position a bit, kind of like PETA referring to fish and seafood as “sea kittens” to inspire people to be more compassionate about eating them? American Pupcalf Terriers anyone?

Mr. Castle I have the upmost respect for you and I am 100% behind the no-kill/ NMHP movement however PETA did not lose “everyone else in animal rescue” with their views about no-kill. Do I agree with their views on this subject? No. BUT I don’t believe, and have had many experiences to back up my belief, that the overwhelming majority of ppl can take proper care of an animal. In most cases I find ppl either cannot or will not take proper care of the animals they have taken responsibility for. And I am slightly disturbed by the example you use of an animal spending some time in a less than adequate cage, perhaps you could elaborate bc if someone is adopting an animal, especially one that has already been through hardship or abuse, I would expect them to take proper care of that animal in every aspect of that animals life – including what type of crate is used.

If only there were more people like you !!!! Problem might be solved. I just read something about how one in four children don’t get enough or proper food. It is BAD all over !!!!

Sometimes hoarded pets cannot be rehabed !!! They have suffered socially and physically from the hoarding and are too far gone !!! Blame the people who did this to the animals !!! Animal cruelty is so widespread and out of control and it is a PEOPLE problem. Educate and set fines and worse for the people who do not spay or nueter and the people who abuse (the michael vicks) and the problem will get better.

I hope to GOD this is not true !!! Show us facts !!!

As the proud parent of a Best Friends pit bull, I can tell you that they are utterly wrong in their position. I concur with Mr. Castle that the time has come for PETA to evolve.

PETA is a self-serving, ‘do as we say-not as we do’ organization. I was a member for some time before becoming wise to their weird ways. They degrade those that eat eggs and butter and wear leather shoes or wool sweaters; but advocate the killing of innocent animals (ferals and others) who, thru the help of perfectly capable and caring humans, are given a chance to LIVE. IMO, they are hypocrites who use fear, horror, and manipulation to garner their donations. Best Friends is right on track with the majority in believing it’s possible to obtain the goal of no more homeless pets. Thank you for the work you do.

Totally agree! If PETA were investigated as much as they say THEY investigate, people would be appalled…

Geegee, animal control shelters HAVE gone No Kill. There are many people who work in these shelters – who do “live this life” – who understand that it is possible. I would suggest you do some research on exactly what the No Kill movement is about, what achieving No Kill involves. It CAN be done. It IS being done.

Thank you Allminenyc and Amen !!! Calling on society to do more and put an end to the suffering IN OUR SIGHT !!!! I pray for the day that there is a waiting list to get a dog or cat due to shortage !!!!!

Amen! So many people have no clue as to all the thousands of different groups? that are out there. The best advice is to DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!! Find out what you are really supporting and saying you believe in! Then, get behind that cause 100%

I agree that PETA has done some great things and I support those great things. But that does not mean I support all of the things they do or say. To say that any animal is better off dead then given a chance at a wonderful life that they DESERVE is ridiculous.
I support BEST FRIENDS 100%. Keep up the great work!

She sees a lot…….and it is not good. Seeing what she sees….she sees the worst of the worst…….it would wreck anyone. I have seen dogs on chains or in pens in backyards in zero degrees weather and can see the sheer misery. Who does this to their pet !!! Trying to fix stupid is most likely impossible.

Newkirk wrote an entire article praising Temple Grandin and her work for “humane slaughter.” However, I get correspondence on a daily basis from them trying to guilt me into becoming a vegan because being a vegetarian isn’t humane enough. It’s more of an all or nothing unless we say so attitude.

There are few organizations where I agree with 100% of their policies and Peta is no exception. For example, I fully support the free spay/neuter program for pits. However, I went to the NYCACC shelter specifically to rescue a pitbull. I knew that I could make a difference and give my “Jessie” a loving home. I do wish Peta would adopt the No More Homeless Pets policy. I applaud the amazing efforts of Best Friends!

I have never agreed with PETA. They seem to believe that it’s only their way or the wrong way with no in between. They have always been WAY to extreme for me. I will NEVER contribute to them or help them in any way. As for killing all the pit bulls, well excuse me but I have a labrapittypointer mix who is the sweetist dog. She thinks she is a little lap dog even tho she is over 42 pounds. I guess she never heard that PETA thinks she should be killed for the pittie in her. She is microchipped, fixed and NEVER left outside alone. So take that PETA!

While I do believe that suffering can be worse than death, I certainly do not subscribe to the PETA scenario that all people who wish to adopt are untrustworthy and have ulterior motives.
I have adopted three cats from shelters and will continue to do so, despite the fact that I returned the first one because it refused to be an indoor cat and shredded my new carpet and pooped in my living room. I told the shelter she should be listed as indoor/outdoor only. My next two were with me 2 years (she apparently had feline leukemia when I got her) and 11 years (died at 18 of kidney disease.) I loved those cats and they loved me, we should not have been denied our joyful relationships. Shame on PETA.

PETA’s long-term agenda is for companion animals to no longer exist. People need to know this before they decide whether or not to support them. They have done wonders in raising awareness of the atrocity of animal abuse, but bottom line is they want all domestic species to die out and for humans to have no interaction with other species.

Someone recently suggested to me that shelters rename “pit bulls” as American Terriers. Maybe that will catch on.

The key word here is “sometimes.” Yes, sometimes that is true, but not every case or every animal as a policy. Even some of the Vick dogs have been rehabbed.

George, the real question is, why isn’t your community heading a subsidized sterilization program for Pit Bulls? 50 a day?? It’s time to stop wasting money housing and killing so many, and start “fixing” the problem. And yes, I work for AC and we get more Pits than anything else. Our subsidized S/N has slowed the intake significantly, however.

Well said. Thanks for posting this article.

PETA has called for the Livingstone County, MI, Animal Shelter to retain it’s policy of euthanasing all Pit Bull type dogs.

“As someone whose work involves rescuing pit bulls from abuse, I urge Livingston County Animal Control to continue protecting pit bulls by retaining the agency’s current policy against adopting them out (“Livingston animal shelter extends adoption time, may drop ‘bully breed’ ban,” March 15). We all wish for happy endings, but pit bull adoptions often end in tragedy.

Every day, PETA staffers meet sad and lonely pit bulls who have been trapped for years at the ends of heavy chains with nothing but bare patches of dirt and plastic barrels for shelter (if they’re lucky), trembling in fear, full of heartworms, ribs protruding, and scarred all over from fights. In winter, they shiver from the cold and in summer, they are eaten alive by flies, fleas and ticks. They are often physically abused and starved, sometimes to death, for losing in illegal dogfights, or for being “bad guards,” or “not mean enough.”

Nice families rarely visit shelters in search of pit bulls, and pit bulls from unknown backgrounds don’t always make good family additions. No one wants to end the euthanasia of animals at shelters more than those holding the syringe, but supplying pit bulls to dogfighters and those seeking “macho” status symbols and cheap security systems aren’t solutions. Spaying and neutering to prevent more pit bulls from coming into the world is.

Teresa Lynn Chagrin,Animal Care & Control Specialist, PETA, Norfolk, Va.”

I do understand where you are coming from Maria, I do Not endorse killing Pits. I do Endorse No Kill Shelters. But The Memphis Animal Shelter is a PERFECT Example. It was taken over by some VERY, VERY skilled people who are skilled at LIVING UNDER A RADAR, they are a Corporation, they are called Gangs by the media. They know how to work the system, they know HOW to and have successfully TIED the hands of the judicial system, in the name of Pitbull Abuse, they torture these creatures from the day they are born, until the day they die.and they work at the Memphis Animal Shelter. Today. We are trying, yes. But for ALL of you who don’t work in it, volunteer at it, don’t witness it. PeaceOnearth, I am glad you are a voice for children, ANIMALS need one too.

I come from a family of hoarders so I know that it is a mental disability. It was brought about in our family by different circumstances but it was disconcerting to say the least. My grandmother at one time had 21 cats outside. She also hoarded food and my aunt hoardes clothes. The idea that ‘If one is great then 100 is better’ is ok if it’s toliet paper or things you don’t need to maintain, but when it comes to hoarding animals it can be a disaster. Animals of go without food and medical care because it becomes to much responsibility for the hoarder to keep up with. You can rescue the pets but no rescue can force someone into therapy. That can only be a recommendation from a judge if they are proscecuted or a family member. Hoarding is a mental disability that is linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Just watch the series called ‘ Hoarders’ and U will see. I work with a NO Kill group and I am college educated as well and as I write this I have a wonder Pit Bull that I rescued last week laying on my bed watching me and wagging her tail. She is the eighth Pitt I have had and I love them all. They are wonderful dogs.

I don’t think this position is going to change for PETA until Ingrid Newkirk turns over the helm and I don’t see that coming for a long time. I live in Norfolk VA where they are headquartered and they do so much good here with free vetting and free spaying and neutering. Someday they will change their stance, especially if contributions start falling.

Again, thanks for a very valid and relevant comment. I also am conflicted about PETA for the reasons you listed in your blog. It’s why I am not a member and cannot convince myself to become a member of that organization. PETA has done and continues to do extremely valuable work in their efforts to expose animal cruelty and mistreatment. They have a loud voice and use it to call attention to the continued mistreatment that animals endure in our society. However I part company with them on their proposed “solutions”. They fall into line with what has been repeatedly sarcastically referred to by a local animal blogger as the “Texas solution” – when you encounter an animal problem solve it by using the Texas solution – shoot it. It’s a solution that he as well as many others in the state are struggling to stop. So again that mentality is why PETA and I will never be on the same page.

I stopped donating money to PETA several years ago when they first (as far as I was aware) started coming out with articles needlessly bashing no-kill groups. They acted as if ALL no-kill groups were bad & ALL “open-admission” shelters were perfect. I sent them a long e-mail explaining that both no-kill groups & the open-admission shelters have both positives AND negatives. I told them that IF they insisted on doing a no-kill vs. open admission article they should at least cover the subject honestly, although personally I think they should avoid the subject altogether & stick to going after people/groups who are actually abusing animals (animal testing labs, circuses, etc.) rather than other groups who are trying to help animals.

All that being said, Best Friends seems to be doing pretty much the same thing in this article by bashing PETA & comparing them to animal hoarders.

PETA lost me a long time ago when I found out about this totally deranged believe system they have. They are not God and therefore do not have the right to take a life just because they decided. I bet if you asked my dogs, they are very glad they are alive and the shelter is not even in their memory anymore. Dogs live in the moment and most of them can go on to live great lives. They at least deserve the chance and we should do all we can to give them that chance. PETA is wrong! They have ceased being about animal welfare and are only about furthering PETA’s power. They are sick and need help…….

Very well said!

Bravo! Yes, Peta certainly has a good solution to stopping animal cruelty… if you kill all the animals then there will be no cruelty! Just no pets!

I think the current mix of kill and no kill shelters is a good solution and rescues can fill in the gaps. Education is the only way to solve the problem though, through training, neutering and banning puppy mills.

You should read when Igrid Newkirk has said about humans. You will truly be afraid of this woman then. Just do a google search or Youtube. She is one scary……..b

I disagree, BF was telling it like it is. People need to know how PETA feels about companion animals. If PETA had its way there will be no companion animals in any home. According to them animals are better off dead than living with us humans. Too many people support PETA thinking that they have the best interest of companion animals in mind. The truth needs to be told and having an organization like Best Friends explain it will help more people realize what they have been supporting.

Please address the dichotomy inherent in these two statements: “Hoarding is a mental disability that could be linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder” and “Best Friends… have led the way in exposing hoarders and bringing them to justice.” Is it a mental disorder or ISN’T it?? Are you seriously advocating the criminization of a sickness? I should think that saving the animals would suffice…

PETA has outlived its usefulness to those creatures it once vowed to serve.

I believe PETA is taking the easy way out by killing animals rather than rehabilitating them. I takes more work to rehab than to kill…. educate yourself…

And ironically in the case of FLOCK what we discovered is most of these cats were not “feral” at all….way too many of them are sitting on laps these days to qualify.

PETA wants all companion animals gone, not just Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls are just an easy place for them to start.

How can we take a “unifying approach” and “work together” with an organization that wants to kill animals? You say our “common foes” are those who “would do animals harm,” but it is PETA themselves who want to do animals harm.

Saying that ” Animal hoarders are no friends of no-kill, and Best Friends and others in the no-kill movement have led the way in exposing and bringing hoarders to justice ” I think is a bit harsh. Hoarders horde because ( as you said) it is a mental illness AND because they love the animals so much. Although its not healthy, hoarding should not be publicized as needing ” Justice”

With much love and respect for you do out there,

Kristal

I agree, they want all companion animals gone, but I don’t believe they are singling out pit bulls simply because that is an easy place to start. With most companion animals, I believe they are doing it for what they misguidedly see as the animals’ rights, but with pit bulls, there is, as I said, a deep hatred.

Yes she is one SCARY B

This is a very scary group of people and personally I don’t believe they have the best interest of animals at heart.

Well, some animal control shelters have gone no kill. Here in Los Angeles, not so much. Ok, well, not at all, unless they are private shelters. City and County shelters? No, sadly, no. In fact, we don’t even call these places shelters anymore. The word “shelter” implies safety but here in Los Angeles, the city of Angels, we just keep keep killing the homeless animals because of lack of funding, lack of space, not enough spaying/neutering/not enough effort to come up with new ideas to save these gorgeous animals…….some day we hope it will be better.

There is an annual “Animal Rights” conference that takes place alternately in DC and LA. Dozens upon dozens of animal rights organizations are represented that these annual conferences with upwards of 1000 individuals attending. Every single year PETA boycotts this conference. Specifically why PETA boycotts the conference I do not know. However, I guess it’s because the beliefs of the organizations and attendees of the conference do not coincide with PETA’s beliefs of killing innocent animals just because some people are bad and cannot be trusted. I am totally lost as to how PETA can say the unnecessary killing of animals is “ethical treatment”. PETA’s name is an oxymoron if you ask me!!

I GUESS PETA COULD ALWAYS LET GO OF THE DOCK & DROWN. I’M NOT SURE AFTER READING THIS IF ANYONE WOULD REALLY NOTICE PETA WAS GONE.

peta ARE assholes

A cat is not an “IT” and shame on YOU for returning a cat to a shelter. I applaud that you adopted from a shelter and understand that this kitty did not wish to be indoors, but I pray that the shelter you returned her to was a no kill. Also, think how stressed and confused that kitty was when she wound up back at the very shelter you saved her from. Could you not have found a better solution? I see people bring their animals back to high kill “shelters” all the time because they are inconvenient. Heartbreaking each and every time.

I adopted my pit bull from a shelter! I went there on purpose looking to save a pit. Even though she was just used to breed puppies and was never socialized properly at the age of 5 she has now become the light of our home. I could not even imagine my world without her smile and love. Shame on PETA and shame on them for singling out pit bulls. They should work harder in the effort to end dog fighting and provide more outreach for the proper treatment of domestic animals.

I stopped supporting PETA years ago when an article appeared in their magazine, bashing Best Friends as “Friends of the Few”. I wrote a nice letter that I love feral/community cats and TNR and I can’t condone PETA’s view. All I got back was a condescending letter explaining why killing ferals and shelter animals is better. It makes me sad that they don’t want to change their view. They should just plainly leave those issues out of their agenda. They do well in all their other campaigns, on fur, on animal testing etc. Let organizations like Best Friends handle the shelter and companion animals issues, they know it better!
By the way, a word of warning, don’t go on anti-PETA websites. Those are run by front groups like Consumer Freedom, and they do hate all of us animal loving people. HSUS has some good information about these groups.

If you follow PETA’s “logic” all the way through, you could not have a dog or a cat for a pet anyway because they eat meat.

A wonderfully articulate and insightful piece. I’ve met some terrific people at PETA, and I think they would agree with this blog! Hope everyone at PETA comes around sooner rather than later.

PETA, you suck. I will never support them, ever.

My sister-in-law is a kind, gentle person with a college degree. She’s also kind of a hippie. She owns two pit bulls.

Most of the Vick dogs have been successfully rehabbed. Only one needed to be euthanized for unmanageable aggression.

What does the Memphis Animal Shelter do to promote adoption, and to promote adoption of pit bulls? Are you using Petfinder? Do you have hours that allow WORKING FAMILIES to come in and adopt? Do you have off-site adoption events? Are you rescue-friendly, allowing and encouraging rescues to come in and pull dogs they can handle ad place better than you could, freeing up resources for you to devote to the remaining dogs? Do you provide training and socialization for the dogs?

Do you have a low-cost or free spay/neuter program, that is ACCESSIBLE to people who do not have cars, so that owners who want to, or would be open to, spaying and neutering the pets, especially the pit bulls you have in excess, can get their pets spayed/neutered?

Do you encourage or discourage the adoption of, specifically, pit bulls, by active families with older children?

“Sometimes hoarded pets cannot be rehabed !!!” This is true, and I think sometimes you have to look at an animal who’s suffering and be big enough to give it the painless death it deserves, not only to free it from pain, but also because the money spent on operations and prolonging its suffering could be used on other adoptable animals. But this is ALREADY what many shelter workers do. They treat animals on a case-by-case basis.

Ingrid Newkirk has bragged about the fact that when she was a “shelter” worker many years ago, she would go in early on kill day so that she could do the killing herself.

And how does seeing the worst invalidate or negate the millions of wonderful pet owners in this country?

Not every adoption is the right match, and an all-or-nothing attitude does nothing to help animals. It’s one thing if an adopter isn’t willing to work at it; it’s another thing if it turns out to be a bad match. Better to have the pet come back to the shelter and be matched with a more suitable home, while the first home is matched with a pet who’s a better fit.

High kill shelters that won’t give animals time to find the right home are part of the problem.

Pit bulls are amongst the most popular breeds, or breed type, in America. That’s why there are so many of them.

They’re great pets for active families. A pit of unknown background might be a poor match for an average family, or a great match, or need a more experienced owner. JUST LIKE A DOG OF ANY BREED, OF UNKNOWN BACKGROUND.

And if high-kill shelters were so all-fired interested in ending the killing, they’d be adopting policies and practices that DO reduce the killing. Google UPAWS, and read that story, “Memphis”.

PETA has a kill rate of over 90% every year, in its “shelter.”

PETA believes that the existence of domestic animals is a horrendous mistake and cruelty, and that the only solution is the extinction of domestic animals–all species of domestic animals–and the end of all contact between humans and non-human animals.

PETA has repeatedly opposed, not just No Kill, but the adoption of ANY policies taht would reduce killing–for instance, they claim the only “solution” to feral cats is catch & kill. All of them.

If you have pets, PETA is not your friend.

I stopped supporting PETA years ago, because they are so radical and in-your-face. I am a long time supporter of animals, a vegetarian of 25+ years (working towards vegan, but having trouble giving up cheese). Anyway I have not yet actually seen some of the things that PETA is now being accused of and just wish we could all work together for the common good of the anmals, all of them, not just the companion ones.
I am truly curious at to whether these accusations against PETA are true.

Brilliantly stated. It is such a shame that an organization with its huge political power and high visibility holds on to such an archaic position on companion animals. I do support most of their campaigns and applaud them in bring change in many areas of animal rights, they have lost me on this topic. Animal rights? The right to life (one filled with live and compassion of course) is first and foremost!

So sad to hear this… soul-less people walk among us

Really?I’m typing this with my loveable shelter adopted pit on my lap as she tries to lick my face. The shelter here is easily 75% pits because of this logic. Inexcusable.

Where can I find their statement about Michael Vick?

Mad props for speaking the truth. Peta is a killing machine, period.

Well said! Thank you for writing this! I too hope that PETA will join the No More Homeless Pets message. Until then, thank you for all that you do BF!

LKE WITH MOST ISSUES PETA TAKES A STAND ON, THEY HAVE TUNNEL VISION, IT IS THEIR WAY OR NO WAY. THEY ARE ALWAYS OVER THE TOP AND UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE AND UNDER MANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE UNETHICAL MEANS TO GET TO THEIR END. I HAVE SEEN THIS FIRST HAND .

I supported PETA and HSUS for years until I learned that neither of these national organizations support No Kill. Now I only donate to Best Friends, an organization doing such a great job with its own facility and its outreach programs. No Kill has to become the standard for U.S. shelters….

WEll, I went into the shelter specifically for a Pit Bull after my last one that so endeared herself to me died of heart failure. I found tthe most wonderful boy who is now CGC & TDI registered. So take that and think about it PETA.

Maria, I applaud your volunteerism, but I’m confused by your post. PETA’s position as stated in the article is “there is a chance that someone with bad intentions might adopt a pit from a shelter.” That is vastly different than the quotation that you included. Could you please provide the source of that quotation, since it is not from the article above?

Good article. Used to support PETA. No longer. While I agree with much of what they support & believe in, they have continued to disappoint me in many ways. There are many other worthy organizations to assist instead. They could be such a strong advocacy group if they started worrying about the feral cats, animals mistreated by hoarders, and finding ways to adopt all breeds of dogs. All issues affecting mistreatment of animals need to be addresssed.

Something is definitely wrong with your organization. You mean only nice pets, get to live and the rest who are homeless or maybe feral aren’t worth the effort. Shame on you!!!!! What if we did this to humans. Do you want to kill all the angry people who are misunderstood. We do this to animals, next we’ll do it to people. As far as pt bull adoptions go – that’s why we have & still need people to monitor these situations. I see equally mean poodle, mixed breeds, labs, etc.

Another excellent article. Education, spaying and neutering, rescue organizations, etc. are all helping. Euthanasia without any regard for the particular animal sounds extreme to me. One example. I never knew much about pit bulls until I saw the Dogtown episodes and the episode called Saving the Michael Vick Dogs on the National Geographic Channel within the past six months or so. I fell in love with pit bulls after that. I realized dogs are bad because the owners are bad, so to speak. I hope society will eventually get the message that you can’t pick out one breed and blame it for everything wrong that happens. I hope so very much that finally the pit bulls don’t have to keep paying for man’s mistakes. They are the victims. They shouldn’t be euthanized right off the bat and we should always keep trying to make this world a better place for animals and humans and not give up and just say death is the only answer for these poor souls.

that quote is right next to the picture of the very sad looking pitbull.

Wow. I have been a volunteer at the Seattle Animal Shelter (municipal shelter) for over 6 years, and I can tell you that “nice families” most definitely DO come in and adopt pit bulls. Just like most municipal shelters, we get *lots* of pits and dogs that look like pits, and the 150+ volunteers we have working with the dogs (not including foster parents) bust their a**es to socialize and train these dogs and make them highly adoptable. Their claim is just patently untrue and dismisses the thousands of hours WE spend on these dogs. Unbelievable. PETA gives people who do REAL work for animals a bad name.

Another excellent blog! Thank you!

their actual full breed name is American pitbull Terrier. i didn’t know this until i started volunteering at a No-kill shelter.

I plan to write you and share a very disheartening story that links in with this blog post! I just split ways from a rescue group that advocated euthanising any dogs that came into the rescue who presented any form of food dominance or aggression towards ANY other dog. Im still in a state of shock!

You make me want to vomit! ARE YOU SERIOUS!? Nice families DO want pits for pets. they are not born mean or aggressive. it’s the idiots that use them as a status symbol that are to blame.
GO eat a hamburger.

Just say, ” He’s an American **cough*cough** Terrier! Isn’t he beautiful? “

PETA should be put out of business. They are sick.

How could anyone hate a pittie?? They are so funny and loving and beautiful.

The only thing inherently deadly about them is their farting. Seriously deadly.

It is said that a group with the incredible gift of world-wide attention feels that is is the only voice “of reason” in the world of animal rights. PET has espoused, in the past, some rather atrocious acts of violence, all in the name of animal rights. Would it not be a most wonderful day if such groups would lay down angry rhetoric and sincerely work toward a world were all life is valued as precious and special and treated with dignity and grace across the board?

OH MY GOD — thank you so much for injecting a smile into this thread. They are sooo loving and sooooo beautiful…. and their farts could lay an entire city to waste. Oh dog farts.. why do you have to stink so much?

This so-called “solution” is cynically pragmatic, at best, and is most assuredly cold-hearted. Also, it utterly dismisses the incredible work lots and lots and lots of people do for free all across the country to help ease the suffering of all the animals they can. I agree that if you think life is precious and the needless, human-caused suffering of animals is wrong, you should do something about it. That is why a lot of people are trying.

We can simply disagree without likening PETA to hoarders. This article could have made its point without taking the level of discourse below BF’s usually more honest and dignified tone.

I have had several back & forth emails with the president of peta over this issue. I forwarded them to everyone I know and asked them to never give peta one more cent of their hard-earned money. I have been against them since I was in high school. Not sure what originally turned me off, but they have done nothing to change my mind the past 25 years.

what do they actually know about pit bulls makes my heart so sad the word shelter means to look after care for and give lots of love i love the pits

I used to be a supporter of PETA, however, in the last few years my views (and support) have changed. I agree with you on this. ..I see in our area some of the restaurants have taken some of the “community cats” to keep down the rodent population – yes, they live outside- but I think this is one feasible solution for some of them. In our area we don’t deal with Winter weather so that is not a factor. They really don’t understand the no kill doctrine if they categorize hoarding along with it.

I think the answer lies someplace in the middle. I don’t advocate killing all animals but having been in animal welfare for some time I know they are not all adoptable either.

Im giving up my PETA membership

How dumb do you need to be to think this was personal to you?

I have never been comfortable with PETA. They seem extreme just to be extreme,rather than to truly work on animal welfare/rights. I concur with this editorial that they need to rethink their position and “get with the program” of new ideas that are working. And this from a group with one of the worst rehoming statistics on the planet. Really, that’s better?

Please stop using all caps, please!

The best way to stop people from acquiring new dogs and cats is to close down all those stores that sell them. Dogs and cats should be bought from a breeder, not in a store. That should also stop the puppy mills. It would be a huge project, but doable, since many countries have that policy. Imagine all the money every state will save by not having to operate all those shelters. And imagine all the animal lives saved.

What? Animals should never be bought – they are not shoes!! Breeders ad to the problem by bringing more unwanted pets into the world – adoption truly is the only option. I can’t believe this was even posted. Most breeders ARE puppy mills in disguise – do your homework please.

PETA’s view on pit bulls goes way beyond wanting to protect them from potentially bad owners. Ingrid Newkirk the president of PETA hates pit bulls and believes they ALL should be killed, not just the ones in shelters. Yes, even those owned by responsible loving families. It is a personal vendetta of Ms. Newkirk’s. PETA’s ultimate goal is to eliminate all animals as pets.

Pit bulls are big dogs with strong prey drives and although I do like them I don’t believe they belong with just anyone. They are A LOT of dog and should only be with people who can handle that much dog. To promote them (or any power breed) as something that that are not is as much a part of the problem as the media villainizing them. It is simply irresponsible to send them out into the community with no knowledge of their background with people who can’t handle a strong breed. And unless you have seen one attack and/or kill another animal, you don’t know what you are talking about. As someone with small dogs, I resent that I can’t take my dogs to a dog park or on a walking trail because there will be people their being irresponsible with their power breed dogs who could easily kill my dogs.

PETA thinks Pit Bulls should be killed upon entering shelters, because people may adopt them for the wrong reasons? Um,wait so blame the PitBulls for people being asses?
Come on PETA, maybe we should make people take tests to adopt animals? This is so unfair! It is like saying that all chinese people, might eat a cat if they are allowed to adopt them! We have all heard of the disgusting joke, “That you never see cats around Chinese restaurants!” So, maybe we should also just kill all cats so that no one Chinese may adopt them for the wrong reason? Pit Bulls like every person, and every animal deserve a second chance for love. Thank GOD you don’t work with children it would scare me to think of your opinion on what to do with any child who is different or who has a temper?

As a vegetarian of 15+ years I am proud to say that I absolutely hate PETA. While I appreciate their efforts on behalf of animals used for food, entertainment and clothing, their partnership with Playboy and objectification of women is beyond disgusting and disappointing. On top of that, I have worked with feral cats for 4 – 5 years, and believe that their stance on Trap-Neuter-Return and feral cats is absolutely deplorable. In my mind, PETA is just another organization that misleads the public and sucks up donations that should be distributed to help local animals so that they can print pamphlet after pamphlet and pull publicity stunts like putting a woman painted as a tiger in a cage in below-freezing conditions.

Geegee: It (no-kill) can be done and is being done at forward-thinking shelters. I volunteer at a government-run shelter in Salt Lake. Here’s a story that ran recently about the incredible progress brought about by nothing more than a change of attitude.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50999562-76/shelter-county-animal-cats.html.csp

If you bury your head in the sand like an ostrich and bemoan the “woe is me” attitude then you are right, nothing changes. Change happens when people band together and say “Enough!”

FOund a pit bull puppy in a dumpster who had some sad person pull his toe nails out. He is now 11 years old and a family pet who is loved and cherished. I couldn’t imagine that he would have been killed at a shelter. That is catagorizing and grouping like we do with certain ethnic persons isn’t it? SHAME on PETA

Sandy: Please list one “great thing” PETA has done and please list references. I honestly would like to know. To me, they are an extremist, self-serving group that really needs to just wither away.

Not necessarily. There are many dogs (including mine) who are vegan, and some cats as well. (More people argue that cats cannot be vegan than dogs, but I do know some healthy vegan cats.)

I have seen undercover video footage of PETA employees needlessly killing puppies and tossing their little bodies into various garbage cans. As I mentioned in an earlier posting. PETA boycotts the annual Animal Rights conference. Probably because the animal rights organizations and attendees believe all animals have rights and should be protected – not by killing. Obviously PETA disagrees with this. So much for “ethical treatment of animals”!!!

Agreed. And a bad match can certainly be corrected by finding the kitty a more suitable home/guardian. However, to bring an animal back to a high kill “shelter” in a city with a very high kill rate and expect it to find a second good home is to believe in fairy tales. That’s how it is in my city anyway. I hope for this kitty’s sake, it was not that way. I do not believe I have an all or nothing attitude, but I do volunteer in a city with one of the worst save rates at our city and county “shelters” in the country. It makes me angry as does PETA.

It’s not just PETA that feels all Pits are bad. My Husband and I have ACSC (AAA) Home Owner’s Insurance, and they won’t cover anyone who owns a Pit. And if you have, or get one and they find out, they will no longer cover you for anything that has to do with Home Insurance. When you sign up for Home Owner’s Insurance, they give you a pamphlet to read and it has in it all of the dogs that you can’t have. there are only about three or four, with Pits being number one. And they have every name that Pits go by. it’s absolutely rediculous. I feel that all of these “companys”, etc. need to meet a few Pits and find out just how loving they really are.

PETA=People For The Economical Treatment Of Animals. PETA doesn’t care about the ethical treatment of animals. It cares about getting money.

I adopted a mixed breed from a shelter that is clearly a pitbull mix with some (a tiny bit) lab in her. I was fortunate that our vet was sympathetic and savvy enough to only list her as a lab mix on her vet records to avoid this kind of stupidity. I have been bitten by dogs 3 times in my lifetime, a chihuahua, a poodle and a golden retriever. I’d be willing to bet that none of those dogs were on your Homeowner’s Insurance blacklist!

I think the current fashion of demonizing of hoarders is pretty disgusting. As you say yourself, hoarders have a mental “disability”. Bringing them to “justice” (preferably on-camera) is a fundraising ploy. It would be more accurate (but perhaps less politic) to compare Ingrid Newkirk’s organization to the oldstream sheltering/animal control mindset from which she came, where sheltering and killing are synonymous.

PETA is a bunch of left wing fruits that have damaged animal welfare.

Amen! I honestly had no idea that PETA wasn’t no-kill! After reading this, and considering what I’ve always just automatically believed of PETA, I am truly shocked, dismayed, and disheartened. PETA has lost any amount of respect I may have had for it after learning these things:( God bless Best Friends and the work you do!

How can we put PETA out of business? They sound like a sick bunch of idiots to me. Regards, Aola Walden, animal lover all my life.

I am really horrorfied that PETA has such radical views…
How could they possibly feel that way and say that they are for the Ethical treatment of animals. At our shelter we bend over backwards to not kill any healthy, “socializable” non biting dog, what ever breed or mixes…Feral cats are neutered and set free where they were found….
We do not consider this hoarding or cruel…thank you Best friends for being such great role models for smaller organizations like us.
Kim Aranha
President
Bahamas Humane Society

As for the Pit Bull argument, I have never know one to be anything but loving and well mannered. They are wonderful pets. My daughter rescued one in her neighborhood that was being mistreated and breeding one litter after another. Since in my daughters care she has been spayed and is the most lovable animal in the world. Again, Aola Walden

PETA has lost whatever legitimacy it once had. Totally off the tracks. How people can buy into their load of crap is beyond me. Wake up, people! Do your homework. And as for Ingrid Newkirk–rot in hell, you miserable excuse for a human being!

I used to think that PETA could do some good in the world. But this attitude of “better off dead” reflects ignorance and — perhaps — an unwillingness to do the hard work of truly checking out prospective adopters. I worry when I see organizations and individuals practically giving animals away without any attempt to get references or verify the ability to support and care for an animal. Some people who adopt are like someone who gets pregnant because “I want someone who’s all mine and will love ME.” But we can’t adopt an all-or-nothing philosophy about the fate of companion animals — that’s like saying that everyone with a severe disability would be better off dead. As the disabilities community would say, “Now wait just a damned minute…!” Since our animal friends can’t speak for themselves, we need to be their voices and tell PETA to back off.

I quit supporting PETA a long time ago because of their logic starting with the infamous comparison of chickens and the holocaust….

Several people have been disturbed by Mr. Castle pointing a finger at PETA, and feel that Best Friends should be above this. I have been consistently amazed at the amount of bickering, back biting, and isolation that seem to run rampant in the animal welfare world. I live in Boise, ID with at one time close to 20 animal welfare/advocacy groups. I attended a meeting about ten years ago where they all tried to come together and share common goals. It never happened and it likely never will. If you are a non profit you are always scrambling for the scraps in an ever decreasing pie of donations. Many groups are run by well meaning volunteers with little or no non profit experience so they “hoard” their resources and their mission, lest they lose out on either money or praise. It’s very sad because most of these people do mean well. And sometimes it is survival of the fittest. Sometime you have to investigate just what these people are doing and if it is in the best interest of the mission they say they have. If no one steps up and says “hey, what you doing doesn’t make sense, can you explain”, then groups that are better off dissolving will continue to suck up much needed funds that could go to groups who are better equipped in mission and values to continue on.
I stopped supporting PETA years ago because something seemed a little off, then I started hearing all the stories of what they really did…then they started with the naked women in a cage thing and that totally sealed the deal on my withdrawing any support.
I believe that Mr. Castle’s blog post was very reasonable. Yes, he’s pointing a finger at PETA, but its not like they can’t issue a statement regarding his concerns about their operation. My guess, Ms. Newkirk will not respond in a reasonable manner. As she appears to be quite set in her ways. PETA has a very weird philosophy regarding animal “welfare”. The one thing they do extremely well is marketing. It’s about time that both sides of the PETA philosophy be exposed for the public to decide if they are worth supporting. Will PETA be the one to expose themselves? Not likely, unless it was perhaps a way to get tons more donations in their coffers.
If you google just about any charitable organization, animal or not, you’ll find people who will “expose” wrong doing about that group. I’ve read quite a few anti Best Friends articles as well. Some of you posting on this blog have called out HSUS for it’s policies and ability to fund raise. Best Friends fund raises too, Best Friends markets extremely well, and Best Friends appears to do more for animals than a lot of organizations. All organizations have a mission that they dedicate themselves too. It’s important to see how well the actions support the mission objectives. If they don’t then it’s time to examine the group and decide whether one should support or question their motives.
I believe the blog posting does just that, it raises an important question. Sometimes, the very best way to ease your mind with an organization is to volunteer for it. Not just once, but frequently, it won’t take long before you understand where the group is coming from. If you can only donate, then do so, but donate from a basis of fact. Find out just what the group believes in, and do they in fact, practice what they preach? If there appears to be several people/organizations/former supporters pointing a finger, then you best investigate for yourself before you write a check.
PETA has some extreme, somewhat sick ideas on what constitutes humane treatment of an animal. PETA is pretty transparent when it comes to their philosophy. They do in fact feel that animals are better off left to their own devices, that being a pet is almost like forcing an animal into some sort of slavery. With that type of logic the world would soon be more than overrun with wild animals trying to survive in a world where people rule. PETA’s logic is rather flawed, I applaud Greg Castle for writing a thoughtful blog that has served to allow people to dig deeper into an organization that doesn’t seem to have the best intentions toward animals. I’m sure if you wander over to PETA’s blog posts, they will share their opinion on Best Friends and the rest of the animal welfare/rights community. Read the rhetoric, investigate for yourself, volunteer or talk to those who have, and decide…your heart and your intuition will guide you.

First you refer to hoarders as being linked to a mental disability then you tout bringing them to justice? And with that, you know very little about hoarding or mental illness. To compare hoarding to the systematic, pre-medicated actions of PETA is ridiculous just as is generalizing about a group of people, so by your theory, all depressed people act the same way. Hmmm. Don’t think so. Although linking PETA to mental illness might not be so far off.

Gregory, thanks for meeting PETA head-on. I have never understood how Ethical Treatment of Animals means killing them, and it’s past time to get that out in the open. Just an interesting tidbit: hoarding is no longer being considered related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is being found to be its own brain disorder, and will be separately recognized in the next edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual. The parallel you draw to PETA is certainly fascinating, and I have to say I have oft wondered about the mental health behind their position.

While I disagree with many of PETA’s tactics, neither do I agree with Mr. Castle’s incendiary diatribe. Death is a part of life, and everyone would do well to get used to the idea. A world without suffering is ideal, but not real. While I don’t go about suggesting indiscriminate “killing,” I have seen countless instances in which humane euthanasia would have been preferable. Anyone who has volunteered in an overcrowded, underfunded “no-kill” shelter or experienced first-hand a hoarding situation – the ONLY individuals from whom comments on this subject should be solicited – knows exactly of which I speak. As a wealthy organization, Best Friends enjoys the means to be righteous on this issue. However, BF is the exception, not the rule, and no level of whining, band-wagoning, or bashing “opponent” organizations will change that.

Mr. Castle, I’m curious to know how many of the commenters you’ve riled here actually live what they claim to believe. How many say they love animals, then pay to eat their tortured corpses? How many have walked amid a sea of hungry, crying cats – many with dire health issues and no means to treat them – attempting to feed, clean, and care for all of them…trying to COUNT them, for God’s sake? How many have actually done something more substantial than cry a river? Mr. Castle, given your influential position, you have a particular obligation to set a mature and conscientious example. If it’s the animals about whom you truly care, you’ll find ways to unite, not divide.

Thank you for making this belief known to your readership. As a cat rescue I acknowledge tha tthere are risks in adopting out homeless cats, most of the adoptions turn out great and a few end badly . The benefits outweigh the risks.Most people are trustable with the care of their animals. The heavy handed control and paranoia advocated by PETA is very dangerous to the animals and the freedom in the societies that care for those animals.

yuck. i’ve always felt something was a bit off about peta… and then I started hearing about their views on pitbulls- yikes!! how can anyone support that?!

Our dear Wanda was a lovely Pitbull, she was cute and sweet, and when we adopted her she was very hurt and sick, even without skin in her back. I do not know if there’s a lot of pits like Wanda, but for her noble way to be she was treated in a horrible way. The problem is not the dog, the problem is the people. And by that definition of good people, I’m really happy of been a bad person

How dumb do you need to be to not understand that she is just giving an example to give a context!!! ?

The Salt Lake County shelter article is inspiring but they found homes for 1200 dogs and 1600 cats in a YEAR. Shelters in big cities may take in 50 homeless pets a DAY . . . and 75% or more of the dogs are pit bulls. There isn’t enough room to keep them, or enough money to care for them properly. In my city, sickenly, dog fighting is a pervasive problem, and anyone who collects dogs for fighters (or for bait) can go to the city shelter & adopt. It’s virtually impossible for shelter staff to know who’s adopting for a family pet and who’s adopting for their dog fighting activities. I’m sure there are “good people” adopting, but the “bad people” probably outnumber the good ones. Do any of you have any good solutions for this? Just think of those poor dogs! I really can’t bear to think about it, but it does give me perspective on what you say is PETA position (I didn’t know till I read it here.) Also: the feral cat population in our country is having a terrible impact on songbird populations. How about that? Is a cat’s life more valuable than the hundreds of birds she will kill in her lifetime? How about “no-kill” for birds?

Can we send this to PETA as a signed request/concern??

This info has convinced me to revoke my support of PETA too !

I was a big fan of PETA, but I had no idea that this was their philosophy. I am very disappointed with them, but I agree with you Gregory 100%. Have you shared your thoughts with them? I don’t know whether I should stop donating to PETA. They do wonderful things in other countries, but I am disappointed with their policy on this particular topic.

To Marcia: That was really well said.

I am in shock! I was unaware of PETA’s stance on these issues. I guess the name, “People for ‘Ethical’ Treatment of Animals” should give me pause, but the word ‘Ethical’ is a broad adjective. Their idea of ‘ethical’ is to kill an animal when it presents a problem they believe is too hard to solve? I hope more people are aware of this and hopefully PETA will include ‘no-kill’ in their ‘ethical treatment of animals’.

I have seen many instances in which humane euthanasia might have been preferable. Again, I volunteer and spend time in a city with a high kill rate that is severely underfunded and we have a long way to go. Best Friends has a strong presence here in this city in these shelters but ultimately the help must come from the mayor and and the city’s funding. I don’t for a minute think Mr. Castle’s blog was incendiary. Yes, those that work at the Sanctuary do not always see the worst of the worst – many times, they see the results of the worst but they are not in the trenches. That does not mean that Mr. Castle’s blog was off base in any way – PETA still sucks. Most animals, no matter what condition, circumstance (and I’ve seen plenty) can be helped and saved. Why would Mr. Castle wish to divide animal rescue groups and folks instead of trying to bring us all together for the greater good? I have done plenty more than cry a river and seen more than I hope most ever do, but to suggest that Mr. Castle is trying to stir the pot for some self righteous reason is to me, ridiculous. Yes, death is a part of life, but there is a HUGE difference between a humane passing and the examples you cite. I think you are really angry and misdirecting it towards Best Friends. I believe they truly are the Best Friends the animals have. Ingrid Newkirk on the other hand is the animal’s equivalent of Hitler. In her mind, if the animals aren’t of the desirable breed or are feral, let’s just herd them all up and destroy them and throw them in garbage cans. Haven’t seem that happen at the sanctuary in Kanab.

I hate Peta for this reason. It is part of Ingrid Newkirk’s pro-death philosophy. Real easy to make this decision for those who cannot speak for themselves.

I would like to add that she advocates this for unwanted infants also.

I worked at PETA for 5 years when I was in my 20′s. When you are in your 20′s, want to help animals, and are away from home and impressionable, they can get you to believe things you might not as a 30 something adult. I support many of their campaigns and ideals but not they way they go about them. I do not associate myself with them now. When worked there I did fostering as well which they weren’t very supportive of. I had a rescued pit I wasn’t allowed to talk about at work because they were very against it and discouraged it. Also, MANY people- particularly those in investigations, were of the mentality that NO ONE could care for my animals or any of the animals taken into to PETA like they could. I was criticized all the time for leaving my dog too long, not having more than one dog so my dog had a companion, and so on. You were forbidden to crate an animal- I do not ever use crates unless the dog endangers itself, but we were FORBIDDEN along with having animals under 6 months. Yet I made $24k a year which was barely enough for my dog and I to live in without adding another dog or taking her to doggie daycare like they suggested. I asked to bring her to work with me and was turned down in favor of my boss bringing her dog in.
One more thing- PETA has it’s own feral cats it cares for. It was a big secret when I worked there and we were told not to tell because of their public stance on feral cat colonies. They did however, spay and neuter feral cats for groups at a discounted rate.

Although PETA may have good intentions, I’ve never been a fan of theirs, specifically for the reason Gregory showcases so well. They seem to think that only they care about the welfare of animals, and the rest of the human populace is too ignorant to understand their “global goal” of killing potentially unwanted animals to eliminate the risk that they may suffer abuse. How sad for them and how sad for the animals they “try to help”.

PETA never made excuses for Vick – they hate him and believe he should never have dogs again! I don’t know where you saw this. The Humane Society, on the other hand, is saying Vick should have the chance to adopt another animal!

PETA doesn’t hate pit bulls. I know a girl who works there and she has a rescue pit bull who she brings to the office every day and everyone apparently loves her!

Please check out the local work PETA does in Hampton Roads. Every day the staffers are out there delivering straw and doghouses to dogs who have nothing through the bitter cold winter. These dogs are out there chained with no veterinary care, 24/7 throughout Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, etc. PETA gives free dog houses to these dogs and fills them with straw through the whole winter to keep them from freezing to death. PETA works with localities to prosecute people who let their dogs die on the ends of these chains like they are just objects! And don’t forget, a PETA investigation resulted in the first EVER felony animal cruelty charges to farm workers!

PETA doesn’t believe people shouldn’t have animals – they just want to reduce the population so that 4-6 million aren’t dying every year in shelters. People should stop BREEDING animals – that is their mission. PETA believes people who are responsible should adopt animals. And don’t forget their work with thousands of backyard dogs in the Hampton Roads area every year – delivering dog houses, straw, medical services, spay and neutering, etc. Without PETA, thousands of animals in the area would be freezing on the ends of chains with no one to look after their well being.

You are too charitable to the dictator running PETA. Her attraction to killing is a fetish, and she has given the kool-aid to a secret death-squad unknown to the people telemarketing for donations. I had an extremely credible eyewitness account of a PETA staffer driving a van and pulling over to persuade a person to hand over their dog, who would be taken to PETA’s “Blue Sky Sanctuary”. Get it?–blue sky as in heaven…The dog was taken to the PETA office and killed right there by the staffer who solicited the animal. This is not the only similar story the eyewitness told. This is criminal behaviour, and the fact that so many know about it and nothing is done is remarkable. PETA leadership should excuse themselves from the table so that the good things the organization does are not nullified by the offense of murder of pets taken under false representation, and sometimes outright theft.

If PETA really only wants to stop the killing of 4-6 million unwanted pets in shelters every year, then why aren’t they using all of their clout to stop puppy mills and pet stores? And why don’t they advocate for spay/neuter (which helps reduce feral animal populations, BTW) instead of attacking other groups that do these things? And if they really believe that most adopters are unable to provide a good home, why don’t they advocate for laws that limit who can adopt, and advocate for home checks? Why don’t they advocate for anti-tethering and anti-kenneling laws? In short, why don’t they join Best Friends and other reasonable animal groups in working towards a common cause? Maybe because that’s not really their goal.

I have never agreed with PETA, they are iresponsible people with the logic of a three year old. Thier motto has always been if you can’t care for it, kill it. Someone needs to desperately disband this group of fanatics.

Dear Mr. Castle,
I so appreciate this article for its clarity regarding the practices and policy of PETA as it pertains to euthanasia. However,I would like to express a concern. First an explaination: I work with people who have serious mental illness. I have done this for over 30 years. After the Tucson,AZ tradgey I found myself educating the public about persons challenged by mental illness. Informing the public that despite henious acts persons suffering from mental illness need help/treatment not just justice for the crime committed. So when I saw this quote; “Best Friends and others in the no-kill movement have led the way in exposing and bringing hoarders to justice.” I felt the tug to educate. I highly respect Best Friends for all you do for animals and animal policy here and abroad. You are true leaders in this effort. I would just emphasise that when discussing hoarding or any other mental illness leading to animal suffering that you include in any summation that ‘help’ and not only justice are of importance. As you probably well know justice alone does not stop animal hoarding as the person will return to the activity when and if possible should they go without treatment. Hoarding will be a new diagnosis in the DSM V(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) when it is published.

Thank you for all you do and for this opportunity to express my concerns.
namaste nancy

PETA is another “well intended” group that does not think through some of their ideas. I was a member many years ago until they put out an article basically saying that my beautiful mare that I had raised, trained, and competed from age 4, should be turned out into the wild where she would “be free”…………..Of course, my domesticated, pampered mare would have endured a horrible, suffering death as she was not trained to fend for herself……..Think PETA, think!

Actually, the term “pitbull” is also used as a category which includes more than ten different bully breeds. In Miami-Dade County the pitbull ban specifically names three different breeds as illegal and they use the British Kennel Club breed standards for the American Staffodshire Terrier against which to judge a dog as breaking the law. If the dog in your back yard has more than 50% of the conformation attributes on their list it is impounded. The courts will also not accept DNA as proof that the dog is not one of the three banned breeds. Looks can kill in Miami.

I have been a member of both Best Friends and PETA as well as other animal organzations for some time now, and quite frankly, I did not know all of these policies and ideas from PETA. I will no longer support them if this is the case.Every animal on this planet has a right to live! Karyn Kinney, longmont, Co

I used to believe in PETA.. but feel their “over the top”, “do whatever it takes”,”destroy someone or their property”, is OK if it means getting the point across, actually turns people away from doing the right thing. God Bless those who rescue, giving every extra moment, dollar, for those who have no voice. I live to see “No more homeless pets”. Oh, I pray it will be in my lifetime. And where would we be without all of our rescued pittys? I thank God for creating these wonderful companions.

PETA continues to be deceptive. It ranks only two stars from Charity Navigator (so does AI) because of its misuse of money. PETA’s purpose for being is VEGANISM. It kills over 90% of the animals that come into its “care” – it does not believe in the NO KILL movement or its agenda. Folks, PETA is not a well intended group! The exposes of PETA are sufficient to end funding them.

Some Hoarders hoard animals for a variety of reasons. One key reason is that they seek the unconditional love and companionship from dozens of animals that they can’t or chose not to get from humans. Hoarders and PETA is a very change comparsion and one that’s not backed by research on animal hoarding, although research on animal hoarding is still in it’s infancy.

Also, if you’ve ever seen Confessions: Animal Hoarding or another animal hoarding show, you know that almost always, one or more of the animals are dead from disease or neglect and many are sick.

PETA NEEDS TO WAKE UP WHEN IT COMES TO BULLY LOVERS AND EUTHENIZING EVERY DOG ISN’T THE ANSWER I HAVE HAD UP TO 5 GROWN BULLY’S ON DOG TRANSPORTS FOR ADOPTION AND NOT ONE WAS AGGRESSIVE ITS THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE OUR ANIMALS THE WAY THEY ARE AND NOT THE BREED I AM NOT A PETA ADVACATE FOR THIS VERY REASON

If only PETA would get on board, as said in the article, they are one of the most influential animal organizations in the world…Oh the great work that could be done!!! Having said that, thank you for writing this blog, animals don’t have a voice, thank you for speaking for them. God Bless you and the fantastic work you do.

PETA has scared me for quite awhile now with their belief system, it reminds me of a cult. This comparing no-kills with hoarders is just another mark on the con side of my list. I’ve done extensive research on animal hoarders for various papers in college, looking at all sides of this issue-from the animals to the hoarders to the rescuers. I just have to say that even though I think it’s horrible to even think of animals, and people, live like that it is a psychological problem and needs to be dealt like one not as something deviant or criminal. What I hate is people making fun of the “cat lady” or people who make the situation worse by dumping animals at places that looks like a hoarders. I am glad that it seems as though more attention is being brought to these human outcasts of society and the throw away animals that they think they are saving, it gives me hope that someday we can learn how to heal these broken humans and animals.
In my research I learned that animal hoarding is not just about the number of animals in one area but how said animals are being taken care of. With this being said a proper no kill shelter is in no way a hoarding situation. If the animals are being well taken cared of and found new homes as soon as it is ok for them to be adopted out then they can in no way be classified as an animal hoarding case. PETA seems like a controlling partner in an abusive relationship based on their philosophy of adopting out animals. The whole “You are only safe with me and so you can’t leave me I’m going to kill you,” is what the abusers/murders sometimes think when they kill their partners. I’ve liked a few of the things PETA has done for animal rights but so far on my list they have come out more bad than good.

I am 74 years old and over the years have picked up stray dogs and cats off the county roads. Some I have had over 12 years. I live on 50 acres that is completely fenced so we have never lost one. Presently we have 6 dogs and 3 cats The cats I am constantly at war with over who owns this house. The dogs really don’t care as long as the wood burning stove is roaring. We have no children or relatives and have decided that best friends will inherit our entire estate but not to soon I hope. I have gotten to the point in life where I say what I feel. I personally think that PETA are the Nazi’s of the animal kingdom. If somebody does not like my opinion of Herr PETA I don’t really care. God bless best friends and all they stand for.

You are completely right, I give to PETA month automatic deduction and know of two others that just recently quit giving to them although they do some very good things their lack of endorsement of no kill undermines what animal rescue should be all about I have questioned my giving to them for sometime.

Killing isn’t the answer. It’s an easy way out of having to make an effort or take responsibility instead. PETA and Planned Parenthood could learn something from that.

My husband and I have sent in an occasional donation to PETA in the past, but something about them just didn’t sit right with me either. After this article and a little digging on the internet, I was deliriously happy to send back to them their request for money with the message to remove us from their mailing list immediately and that we find their stance on no kill shelters and philosophy of euthansia in lieu of taking time for animals to find their forever homes to be abhorrent. I volunteer at a no kill shelter that is well run and I help with feeding/checking on three feral kitties in the neighborhood. I cannot fathom euthanizing healthy, adoptable animals. There are people making heroic efforts every day getting animals out of kill shelters and into a no kill shelter, rescue group or foster home and usually with limited resources and little fanfare. PETA is just money and media hungry – LAZY when it comes to one of the central issues of animal welfare.

I have one APBT named Harold. We love each other with all our hearts. We believe that dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, pegions and all other kinds are gifts; they were given to teach humans about the true meaning of life. It is ashame that so many simply cannot see that.

As others have mentioned, the “no-kill” philosophy *has* been adopted by municipal shelters. However, some people seem leave the impression that making the switch to “no-kill” is as simple as just wishing for it to happen. I work in a small municipal shelter and we are very slowly working our way towards “no-kill”. It’s taking a lot of hard work, time, funding, and a little bit of luck in expanding our network of rescues. “No-kill” isn’t easy to obtain, but all shelters should be working towards it as much as they can, no matter how slow the progress is.

I have a big baby of a malamute and if she as much as barks at a smaller dog, we run the risk of having to deal with an overly paranoid owner, saying such things as “she was seconds away from eating my dog, I could see it in her eyes”. Meanwhile, little yappy dogs attack my dog’s legs all the time in dog parks. If a dog is to hurt your dog, then of course you have the right to be upset…just don’t assume that’s what’s going to happen because you’re prejudist towards certain breeds. Good thing you don’t take your dog to dog parks, keep it that way. Btw, PETA sucks for not caring about feral cats (my #1 love in life) — as long as they have that philosophy, I will never support them.

It’s very sad seeing such a huge group taking such a deplorable stance. It sounds more like laziness than a legitimate reason to kill an animal.

PETA lost my donations 3 years ago when they said that all the dogs taken from Michael Vick should be euthanized. If I remember correctly, the Humane Society of the United States agreed, but later retracted when they saw the progress that had been made with all of them, the Vicktory dogs in particular. I can’t believe that they still feel that way about the Vicktory dogs when they have come such a long way & some have even found loving homes & some of them are therapy dogs. Some people are just blind to reality…

Some of her quotes:

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/1865-ingrid-newkirk-unplugged

I was just about to renew my membership at PETA but I didn’t know they had these two philosophies with which I definitely do not agree; the pit bull issue and the killing of feral and homeless animals. PETA does do wonderful work and has had many successes among them: their undercover programs which have exposed mind boggling atrocities at laboratories in universities and other places. However, I believe that they do need to re-think these two issues and I will write to them about it.

“I know a girl who works there and she has a rescue pit bull who she brings into the office every day and everyone apparently loves her!”

Is the dog you’re referring to Zoe the pit bull, by chance?

I work for my local humane society, and although it can be more challenging to find good homes for pit bulls b/c of the public’s misguided opinions of these loyal, wonderful dogs – if given enough time, we have found that GOOD homes can be found for all our cats and dogs, pitties included. If the dogs are spayed/neutered before being adopted out, the “bad” guys don’t want them anyway, and they don’t come to rescues to get their animals. So if shelters/rescues follow good policies, including reference checks, home visits, spay/neuter BEFORE adopting out…then much of the problem goes away on its own. Go Rescue! Peta, you do some amazing things…but as a group you need to get on board with no kill, it is logical and possible and happening all around you – get with the program!

Hitler had the same novel idea. When people are not productive or present a problem that is to hard to deal with. Euthanize them.

You have their motto wrong it is Sig Hiel !!!!!!!!!!

Peta does some good things Hitler got the trains running on time and got the economy back on its feet but I don’t think any body is going to accuse him of doing good things.

In case you have not figured it out, PETA does not give a big crap about animals. All they care about is passing the collection plate.

The general pubic are a bunch of easily scammed and herded sheep.If you don’t believe me just look at who they picked to lead our country.

Peta reminds me of the Waffen SS. At least the SS gave you a wooden cake of soap and lied to you before they turned on the gas..

Peta has done great work. look at all the money they have collected for their leaders.

All vegans are good for is moving target practice. Have they no feelings for a poor defenseless vegetable being ripped ruthlessly from the bosom of mother nature.

I don’t know about that every animal on the planet has a right to live. You have never met my geese.

I got news for you PETA does think things out and that is what they come up with.You getting an idea what their agenda is.

Do you actually believe that their intentions are good.

You are not quite right about the feral cat problem. For every bird they kill they probably kill a hundred rodents and snakes. I know I watch them. There are way to many of them just like the &^@# deer whose favorite pastime is running out in front of my car and scaring the bejesus out of me.

Feral cats make good moving targets for practice. But I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger. I guess I will just have to switch over to illegal aliens.

The main problem I see with humans passing is that it is not happening often enough. I would take a dog any day over most of the people I have run into.

You deserve a Pulitzer prize for that statement.

Did not PETA know that the holocaust was a hoax!!!!!!!!!! If you don’t believe just ask Mel the moron Gibson.

PETA must just love the Chinese. Remember that little fiasco that got on the internet. Truck loads of slaughtered dogs shipped to Canada to be turned into dog food.

Wow, Miami sounds like a fantastic place to live. As a recent retiree I once considered moving there. Certainly glad that didn’t happen!

You sound a bit confused also. Helping curb overpopulation is one thing; I don’t think Father wants a shortage. Man has already caused enough of that in many species… other than his own.

I am pleased that you work for a no-kill group and appreciate that you love the Pitts. (But always be aware of the “hoarding” impulse). Keep up the goodness. At what point did you stop going to school?