The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, commonly referred to as PETA are an

animal rights group, originally established in 1980 and today boasting more than 6.5 million

members and supporters. Though often caught in controversy, it maintains its slogan that

Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way.

They do this through lobbying government officials, undercover investigation, attempting to help

find homes for abandoned or abused animals, and aggressive media campaigns. Their radical

nature is offputting to many, however they have done much good for animal rights in their

lifetime.

PETA was established in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk. Having worked in an animal shelter

for most of her adult life Newkirk felt obligated to take a stance in favor of abused animals and

do all she could to help them. At its inception the group was extremely small consisting only of

Newkirk, her husband, and a handful of others. However after her husband's successful

infiltration of an animal testing laboratory the group was quick to gain notoriety. Her husband

was able to take pictures and other evidence to take to the FBI, triggering the first United States

police raid on an animal testing facility. IT also led to a new amendment to the United States

Animal Welfare Act in 1+85 along with being the first animal testing case to ever be heard on

the supreme court. From this case along with other successes such as the shutdown of an abusive

texas slaughterhouse, the shutdown of a US department of Defense wound lab being

conducted shooting dogs and cats, a huge animal rights music concert at the Washington

Monument, and convincing multiple big name companies to cease animal testing the public

image of the group grew enormously. By 1991 the group claimed over 350,000 members along
with an annual budget above $7 million, a staggering amount of growth for a time period so

short.

PETA today continues to enjoy a generally large member base and a public aware of their

existence and image. They continue in their tradition of inspecting laboratories, however they've

grown in the amount of public media campaigns theyve conducted most likely attributable to

their growing budget. As for demographics PETA has yet to release any sort of information on

its members. From an anecdotal perspective PETA members can be expected to span the

demographic spectrum for people in support of fully autonomous and non-anthropocentrist

animal rights. Despite their extreme nature as a group, they make a point, as explained on their

website, of offering something for all tastesfrom the most conservative to the most radical

and from the most refined to the most outrageous. As opponents to the group are quick to

point out, this often leads to a disconnect and a good amount of misperceptions by both members

and non-members. A person may join PETA due to their catering to a less extreme demographic

and be surprised later to find out some of the more extreme positions and actions taken by the

group.

Continuing on the topic of opposition PETA is no stranger to people in intense

disagreement with them and their message. This opposition comes from people spanning the

ideological spectrum. Some of their most vehement opponents come in the form of other Animal

Rights activists and groups. These groups claim that in PETAs efforts to to gain mass appeal

and support they have abandoned their roots as an animal rights group and instead become a less

extreme animal welfare group. Other opponents include those who claim that PETA has gone
much too far in its efforts and methods. One website activist facts compiled a long list of some

of these claims which are quite shocking to see.

These include PETAs phony Physicians Committee, their donations to an arsonist

from the animal liberation front, their dubious claims about religions and religious figures, their

propaganda filled kids website, and Newkirk herself letter to Yasser Arafat asking that he spare

animals in his suicide bombing attacks. (Activist Facts)

These claims make it easy to see how PETA is often despised or treated with a

trepidatious nature when mentioned. Their existence in the mainstream brings them a great

amount of conversation and focus on them and different activities and campaigns they do. They

have a large influence on American Culture. Despite their inability and ineligibility due to their

extremist and non profit nature to gain support from political leaders or parties, they have had a

profound effect on american culture. They are the first group that comes to minds when most

americans imagine animal rights. They've managed to bring veganism into a more mainstream

and acceptable light, theyve brought much greater awareness to animal testing in laboratories,

theyve brought awareness to slaughterhouses and factory farms and have conducted a myriad of

other public awareness campaigns.

As for funding PETA rakes in an enormous amount of money and gains funding almost

entirely from its members. In 2016 alone PETA raked in $65,740,009 in member contributions,

$543,889 in merchandise sales, and $751,020 in interests, dividends, royalties, and other income.
 PETA is a very large interest group that has and continues to maintain relevance. As

mentioned earlier they have a quite radical nature at their root despite their attempts to present a

more moderate image to the public. They have however managed across the years to win some

large victories for animals and their rights, being probably the single most powerful animal rights

groups. The future will only show where PETA will go, but it can be expected that they will

continue to work their best as they see it to protect and advance the well being of animals.
 Sources

1. PETA.org

a. Multiple websites under this domain were used. All direct information not

otherwise cited can be assumed to have been gathered here.

2. https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/21-people-for-the-ethical-treatment-

of-animals/