PETA: The Fight For Animal Rights

1. PETA by Josephine
2. There have been people who cared about animal rights in the past. In the 18th century, there were writers and poets that displayed their feelings on that topic in their works. One of them, Jeremy Bentham, one said,
“... the right question for animals is not ‘Can they reason?’ ‘Can they talk?’, but ‘Can they suffer?’ ” Jeremy Bentham
3. PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It is a worldwide organization with over 3 million members. It fights for Animal Rights. PETA Logo
4. What is Animal Rights? Animal Rights is the thought of letting animals get the basic rights. They don’t want animals to be caused pain, or be exploited/killed by humans. It does not mean equality between humans and animals.

Members would do undercover investigations into slaughterhouses or laboratories. It works with celebrities and government officials in campaigns to spread the message and get free media coverage. They pass out flyers and talk with people one-on-one. Some also acts as “field workers,” which means they go to neighborhoods and offer dog houses, toys and neutering/spraying services to (owners of the) dogs that seem neglected. The organization uses many methods to fight for their cause, but haven’t succeeded much in getting laws made.

Timeline of major events
1. 1980: PETA was created and organized the first World Day for Animals. World Day for Animals
2. 1983: U.S. military would laboratories no longer shoot dogs and cats to use as medical training.
3. 1991: The Silver Spring Monkeys case becomes the first animal cruelty case to be examined by the U.S. Supreme Court. Monkey
4. 1993: After PETA target General Motors, car companies around the world stopped using animals in crash tests.
5. 1994: Calvin Klein becomes the first popular clothing designer that says he won’t use any fur in his design, after PETA supporters’ protests and meeting with PETA representatives.
6. 1996: Because of PETA’s campaign, NASA agrees to stop Bion - experiment organized by the U.S., France and Russia to send monkeys to space wearing straitjackets. Nasty

2004: PETA persuaded chemical companies and US Environmental Protection Agency stopped plan for chemical testing, saving tens of thousands animals.
10. 2009: It took a month of campaigning from PETA, after a video showing violence in military training against dogs, for the Bolivian Ministry of Defense created the military’s first law, which forbids any behavior that causes the death of an animal.
11. 2010: Utah passes law that government-run shelters don’t have to sell animals to labs, after PETA does undercover investigation at University of Utah. University of Utah
12. 2011: PETA filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld asking for the release of orcas caught in the wild, that they are slaves and violates the 13th; first time the 13th was asked to apply to not humans. Sea World
13. Due to PETA’s campaign, US military no longer uses monkeys in “cruel chemical-attack training course.” (PETA)
14. 2012: Egypt stops using animals for trauma training after PETA gave them simulators.
15. Supreme Court of Puerto Rico cancels Bioculture corporations plan to create a monkey breeding facility that sells them to US labs, after campaigns and lawsuits for at least 2