Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PETA’s Pawns:
How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children
Introduction
Everything kids see—in school, on television, the details of PETA’s marketing tactics aimed
in magazines, and on the Internet—helps at children. During 2002 and 2003, for exam-
shape their development. But few parents ple, PETA sent a “humane education lecturer”
realize how People for The Ethical Treatment into schools to convert young children to strict
of Animals (PETA) and its allies utilize these vegetarianism. Little did parents know that
vehicles to reach kids through clever commu- this paid speaker had been arrested over a
nications campaigns. dozen times for animal-rights-related crimes,
many of which were affiliated with his alle-
PETA begins a graduated process of indoctri- giance to the Animal Liberation Front—a group
nation with kindly animal “welfare” messages described by the FBI as a “domestic terrorist”
on a website geared toward young children. By organization. And in addition to sending con-
slipping in radical animal “rights” propaganda victed criminals to “educate” young children,
into the benign “help-animals” theme, PETA PETA employees distribute graphically violent
lays out the path to its next, more extreme anti-meat and anti-milk propaganda to kids as
age-specific website, “Peta2.” The blurring line they come and go from school. PETA even
between caring for animals and “liberating” gives small children blood-and-gore PETA comic
them begins to disappear as teen celebrity books entitled “Your Mommy Kills Animals!”
endorsements, schoolyard demonstrations, and “Your Daddy Kills Animals!”
and other activities help transition middle- and
high-school students from passive sympathiz- Psychologists and school officials have
ers to “PETA’s army of animal rights rebels.” denounced PETA’s child-propaganda as “despi-
By the time PETA kids reach college, many are cable,” “traumatizing,” “beyond insensitive,”
encouraged to adopt a lifestyle of vandalism, and “an absolute atrocity.” But PETA shows no
burglary, and even arson. sign of slowing down, and the details of its
radical messages are unknown to most par-
Most parents would be shocked if they knew ents and teachers.
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 1
“We are after
the kids who
are looking and
searching for
something.”
— “PETA Kids” coordinator Marci Hansen, (June 22, 2003)
How PETA & the Animal Cult Movement Target Kids
With $31 million in annual income (2006), PETA’s clever advertising campaigns are neces-
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sary to achieve its goals because most people
(PETA) is among the richest, most influential are not naturally inclined to adopt this radical
animal rights organizations in the world. It philosophy. As one animal cult leader candidly
sees children as a way to effectively maintain told Great Britain’s Observer newspaper in
its power by ensuring that its violent and 2003, “We are after the kids who are looking
destructive messages will be promoted for and searching for something.” Through a sophis-
generations to come. Although many parents ticated campaign designed to convert the next
are familiar with PETA’s attention-grabbing generation to its cause, children of all ages are
media stunts, few are aware of PETA’s snared by PETA’s predatory net and told that
coordinated campaign to bypass parental their search is over.
authority and indoctrinate children with its
radical philosophy. PETA’s graduated process of indoctrination
begins when children enter elementary school
In the words of its founding president Ingrid and continues through adolescence. At each
Newkirk, PETA’s goal is “total animal liberation.” stage, PETA increases its expectations for “ani-
In addition to spelling the end of meat and mal liberation” recruits, going behind the backs
dairy foods, this extremist organization has of parents at every opportunity.
vowed to eliminate animals from zoos, aquari-
ums, circuses, and rodeos. Its activists cam-
paign aggressively to ban fishing, fur, leather,
wool, pet ownership, and biology-class dissec-
tion in schools. And PETA opposes all medical
research on animals (including lab rats)—even
to cure diseases like AIDS and cancer.
Instructions for St
encils
1. Download sten
cil and print.
2. G lue stencil onto
a more durable m
acetate], or lamin aterial [cardboard
ate the sheet. ,
3. C
ut out the black
areas [exacto kn
4. Tape to your ta ife works best].
rget and get spra
ying!
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 3
An Online Minefield For Children
In 2002 PETA president Ingrid Newkirk insisted on All of these websites link to PETA’s other online
CNN’s “Crossfire” that “everything [PETA does] is material, potentially exposing web-surfing children
based at adults.” But at the time Newkirk made that to its graphic and often sexually-oriented messag-
statement, PETA was already operating several es for adults. One such site promotes alternatives
children’s websites, each designed to appeal to a to leather clothing, showing adults (and any child
different age group. who happens to click twice from a “PETA Kids”
page) ways to “Pleather yourself” with custom-
PETA begins marketing itself online to elementary- designed lingerie.
and middle-school children with the “PETA Kids”
website. Another Internet site, “Peta2,” targets
adolescents with its “question authority” theme,
PETA distributes trading cards like
featuring skateboarders, violent imagery, and street these to countless elementary-school
lingo for maximum appeal. Diet-specific sites with kids across America.
names like “Veg Kids” and “Milk Sucks” push false
claims and peer-pressure messages, like “eating
meat causes cancer,” and drinking milk is “not cool.”
The kid-themed “Fishing Hurts” site uses images
from the Disney film “Finding Nemo” to tell kids that
“eating fish is dangerous.” And international child-
oriented PETA websites target young minds in other
countries, including specific pitches to kids in India,
Germany, and England.
“Everything we do
is based at adults.”
— PETA president Ingrid Newkirk denies
targeting children on CNN, (March 21, 2002)
With violent knife wielding
images like this one, PETA
encourages adolescents
to rebel against their parents
and teachers.
But even if they manage to avoid straying from PETA’s glamorize its message. And with its “PETA Kids
child-centered websites, kids see invitation after invi- Superstars” program, it offers what every kid
tation to join “PETA’s army of animal rights rebels.” craves—validation—in the form of online “celebri-
Over and over, animal-rights messages are ham- ty” status to everyday children who act out in the
mered home, including these: name of animal rights.
P
ETA tries to overrule parents by telling kids “what P
ETA gives teens detailed instructions on refusing
to eat,” demanding that they adopt a meat-free, to participate in biology-class dissection projects,
dairy-free, and egg-free diet. One PETA Kids page and even advises suing if their grades suffer. “[If]
describes graphic pig slaughtering methods, such school officials still think they can violate your
as “having their tails cut off and teeth sawed off – rights,” PETA warns, kids should “call the Animal
all without painkillers!” And on Peta2, a PETA colum- Legal Defense Fund,” which will “put you in touch
nist tells readers: “EGGS ARE CHICKEN PERIODS! with an attorney in your area.”
Eating an egg is the equivalent of rummaging
through your sister’s garbage once a month, gather- P
ETA appeals to kids to demand the cancellation
ing together all the old tampons and pads, and of their schools’ field trips to the zoo or circus. “Do
enjoying your finds sandwiched between a lovely bit your parents have visions of vacation visits to
of French bread.” (In its 2007 annual review, PETA aquariums or zoos dancing in their heads?” asks
boasts 800,000 Peta2 members.) one PETA Kids page. “Boycott circuses,” PETA
urges, advising children to craft “Heck No—We
P
ETA capitalizes on teen celebrity endorsements Won’t Go!” petitions and deliver student signa-
(including pop superstars and television idols) to tures to their teachers.
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 5
Teenage Rebellion, PETA-Style
PETA claims that over 235,000 kids signed up to tactics. “PETA Kids” and Street Team members per-
receive Peta2’s e-newsletter in 2006. But the animal form specific animal-rights “actions” in exchange for
liberation movement needs more than cheering points, which can be redeemed for PETA merchan-
children: It needs foot soldiers. Enter “Peta2,” the dise and other prizes like music CDs and tickets to
group’s website for ’tweens and teens. On the popular rock concerts. Sponsored activities include:
website, MTV-oriented celebrities deliver the overall “participate in a demonstration against KFC,” “veg-
messages, telling kids “what to wear,” “what to eat,” anize your cafeteria,” “stop [a] field trip to the cir-
and how to adopt a “vegan” lifestyle. But Peta2’s cus,” and “hand out [PETA] leaflets at a concert,
“question authority” message is tinged with violent, aquarium, circus, [or] fur store.” For more rebellious
edgy graphics, and sometimes contains suggestions teens, points are also available for those who “put
to commit illegal acts. our Peta2 stencils to good use. Get busy with a sten-
cil and some spray paint!” One of these graffiti sten- work for you!” PETA offers “digital packets full of
cils is reminiscent of PETA’s early headline-grabbing information” on various topics “for use in essays,
spraying of fake blood on fur coats in public places: class presentations, and persuasive speeches.”
a bulls-eye image that says, “If you wear fur, watch Topics PETA encourages kids to explore include
your back.” “History of the Animal Rights Movement,” “Animal
Rights Philosophy,” “Animals and the Law,” “Factory
Elsewhere on Peta2, an online advice columnist Farming,” and “Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet.”
counsels a high-schooler who complains that he
was “appalled to see a milk poster” in his school Young activists who make it through high school with-
cafeteria. What to do? PETA’s columnist, whom out souring on animal rights have another stage wait-
the group dubs “Nugget of Rage,” responds: ing for them. On PETA’s “College Activist” website, no
“Wow, how to get posters removed ...hmmm, punches are pulled. The site announces that “the
geez, that IS a toughy. How does one go about revolution is here,” reinforces it with blood-and-gore
removing pieces of paper—perhaps laminated, imagery, and tells young adults: “In the coming
maybe poster board or cardboard—that are stuck months, you will recruit and train a group of animal
to the wall with, say, tape or thumbtacks? What to rights activists capable of executing complex cam-
do, what to do... um, I know! RIP THEM DOWN. I paigns and instituting campus policies that protect
mean, hellooo? You’re on peta2.com, you’re sup- animals. Together, you will permanently end animal
posed to be questioning authority!” exploitation on your campus.”
PETA even taunts the “wimpier” kids who refuse to Of course, PETA’s definition of “exploitation”
run through school hallways tearing down posters, includes serving meat and dairy in the cafeteria
offering further encouragement “that ripping them and using lab rats in vital medical research.
down is definitely the punk rock thing to do.”
Recruits are given “missions,” complete with step-
PETA’s even extends its animal rights propaganda to by-step instructions. These one-time “PETA Kids”
homework. Children sweating over an upcoming are now full-grown activists, ready and willing to do
class assignment are told: “Let Peta2 do your home- PETA’s work.
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 7
Cradle-to-Jail: PETA’s
“Age-Appropriate” Messages
“PETA Kids” website criticizes “cruel” Online PETA
fishing, instructs kids on “what to eat,” directs kids
and tells young children how to avoid posters in s
field trips to the circus or the zoo.
In-school curriculum
materials from PETA
emphasize animal
“exploitation” in The Three Activists place “Unhappy
Little Pigs and Cinderella. Meals” and “Buckets of Blood”
into the hands of children
leaving fast-food restaurants.
Middle
rebel
and o
School
Elementary
School
Activists distribute colorful
anti-milk and anti-meat
trading cards (and tofu “ice PETA distributes free curriculum
cream”) to children as they materials to teachers, featuring
walk home from school. anti-meat messages and
discouraging kids from “chowing
down on one of your friends.”
College
assistance to those whose requests
are denied.
School
protest experience and free lodging,
completing their “training” in the movement.
ovides pre-written
ork” packets on
ights topics for “PETA2” program leaders distribute
s to use “in essays, leaflets, stickers, spray-paint
esentations, and Curriculum material encourages templates, and petitions (and collect
ive speeches.” students to ponder whether it’s cash donations) at rock concerts and
“acceptable to break a law” in other MTV-oriented events.
pursuit of animal rights.
“Humane” Education:
Legitimizing Lunacy, Coddling Criminals
Incredibly, PETA also deputizes public school teachers discuss which of today’s activists’ “methods” were
to promote its message. Through the warm-and-fuzzy “most effective.”
veneer of its “Teachkind” program, PETA encourages
educators at every grade level to incorporate animal The overall curriculum of Teachkind is designed to
cult propaganda into their classrooms. On its lead children to accept PETA’s radical animal rights
flagship website, PETA boasts that its “education” doctrine; in some instances, it subtly encourages
department “reached more than 2,300,000 teachers kids to break the law. One “research and discussion
and students” in 2003 alone. topic” designed for high school students asks: “Is it
ever acceptable to break a law (such as breaking
PETA provides lesson plans, books, videos, into an animal laboratory and freeing animals)?” The
literature, stickers, and posters—all aimed at students on the receiving end of this lecture aren’t
incorporating the group’s message into existing likely to know that PETA endorses this sort of bur-
class work. One frequent theme involves drawing glary, arson and worse.
connections between African-American slaves and
livestock animals. Students are asked to “compare The Teachkind curriculum for first- and second-grad-
the progression of the civil rights movement in the ers uses storybook discussions, citing examples of
U.S. to the current animal rights movement” and animal “exploitation” in fairy tales like The Three
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 11
“Grrr!”
It seems incredible that a self-described “main- “So, Granny finally gets that you won’t eat her meat-
stream” charity like PETA would maintain a public loaf or touch leather shoes with a 10-foot pole. But
relationship with a violent felon. But the group has is she still giving you the old (and so not true) ‘But
also featured Rodney Coronado as a guest colum- the sheep don’t die’ line when you tell her to take
nist in Grrr! Kids Bite Back, a periodical described that itchy wool snowflake sweater back to Sears?
as “PETA’s magazine for students aged 8 to 14.” Just give her a quick lesson in ‘Wool 101’ warning,
According to its 2005 Annual Review, “PETA dis- it’s pretty gross and Granny will have a hard time
tributed 539,162 copies of Grrr! Magazine to kids forgetting why you feel weirded out by wool.”
and teens.”
Grrr! Kids Bite Back relies heavily on celebrity vege-
The magazine’s very name prepares preteens to iden- tarians and animal-rights activists in an attempt to
tify with the terrorist Animal Liberation Front, which lure kids into the PETA lifestyle. Children are asked
has long used the phrase “bite back” as a rallying cry to vote for the “hottest Tofutti cutie” from a list of
for violent crime. In fact, Coronado dubbed his own vegan movie, television, and music stars.
1990s arson spree “Operation Bite Back.” In 2004’s
first issue of Grrr!, an anti-milk ad includes a photo- PETA Kids, the predecessor to Grrr!, has been a sta-
graph of a vomiting teen with the tagline: “If you knew ple of PETA kiddie-literature since at least 1990. The
what was in milk, you’d spew.” A comic strip titled Winter 1990 issue taught children to “free” mice and
“How a Chicken Becomes a Nugget” shows a cartoon rats from glue traps set by their parents, and encour-
chicken facing a butcher’s bloody knife. An article aged children under 14 to build an activist network
titled “Do Grandma’s Woolens Give You the Willies?” through the mail.
encourages children to stand up to grandma:
PETA distributes
thousands of these
stickers to kids at
rock concerts and
other events.
Unfortunately, responsible parents who monitor their That same year, parents and educators in South
kids’ reading material, supervise their Internet activity, Africa were similarly outraged when anti-chicken
and keep tabs on their school lessons are not neces- PETA activists targeted an elementary school with-
sarily out of the woods. In today’s violent culture, most out permission. As a spokesman for that nation’s
U.S. school districts forbid Education Department told
unapproved visitors from enter- newspapers: “It is unaccept-
ing school grounds. Undeterred,
[A] spokesman for that able to terrorize children like
PETA activists now congregate nation's Education this. PETA should be strongly
just outside school property, condemned.” The school’s prin-
lying in wait for children as they
Department told cipal agreed, “I don’t think that
come and go. newspapers “It is all of the children will be able
to distinguish that it concerns
In recent years, PETA has unacceptable to a campaign. They might take
camped outside schools in at terrorize children like every word for true.”
least 15 states, passing out
anti-fish, anti-milk, and anti- this. PETA should be While some of PETA’s attempts
chicken trading cards to chil- to draw children into vegetarian-
dren as they walked home.
strongly condemned.” ism are irresponsibly misleading
The cards show cartoon imag- —such as its claims that non-
es of children suffering various illnesses and embar- vegetarians are more susceptible to illness—other
rassing conditions, supposedly as a result of not campaigns inappropriately use graphic images to scare
being a vegetarian. The characters include “Pimply children out of consuming meat, fish, and dairy prod-
Patty,” “Diabetic Diane,” and “Ear Infection Enrique.” ucts. In 2002, PETA activists (including one dressed
One registered dietitian told reporters that the PETA like a pig) set up outside middle schools in New
campaign was “based on sensationalism” and “a Hampshire and Massachusetts with a graphic video
real tragedy. It targets teenagers who really are cal- display of pigs being slaughtered. One protester car-
cium deficient and need to drink their milk.” ried a sign that read “Pigs are friends, not food.” After
PETA showed up in Portsmouth, NH, Mayor Evelyn
Dieticians aren’t the only ones who have spoken out Sirrell told reporters: “It’s an absolute atrocity to use
against PETA’s aggressive tactics. After one incident children this way … a lot of kids were traumatized by
in 2005 where PETA employees confronted children what they saw.”
Your Kids, PETA’s Pawns: How the Animal “Rights” Movement Hurts Children 13
No Safe Haven for Kids
PETA doesn’t limit itself to harassing and propagan- Mommy Kills Animals” to children of fur-wearing
dizing kids in and around schools. Circuses are women, outside holiday performances of The
apparently fair game, as are theaters, restaurants, Nutcracker and other theatrical shows. The comic’s
and even school field trips. In 2004 PETA started front page shows a ’50s-era cartoon mom with a
handing out “Buckets of Blood” to children outside sadistic look on her face, stabbing a bloody rabbit to
of KFC restaurants, middle-schools, and high- death with a giant knife. It urges children: “Ask your
schools. The red-and-white striped buckets are mommy how many animals she killed to make her fur
meant to resemble KFC’s signature fried-chicken coat.” The back cover describes women who wear fur
container. But according to the Associated Press, as “terrible people,” and tells kids: “One of those
“instead of fried chicken, each is filled with items terrible people is your mommy. Your mommy kills
including a bag of fake blood and bones, a bloodied animals! I bet you didn’t know that.”
plastic chicken and a cardboard caricature of a
blood-spattered Colonel Sanders holding a butcher Denver’s Rocky Mountain News classified PETA’s
knife toward a terrified-looking chicken.” attempt “to manipulate adults by traumatizing
their children” as “despicable.” The Omaha World-
PETA launched a similar campaign in 2000, Herald declared that “it’s the vulnerable children
distributing “Unhappy Meals” to children outside of who will likely suffer for the anxiety-inducing insen-
McDonald’s restaurants (focusing on the franchises sitivity of the attack on what should be a happy,
with playgrounds) in states from California to South family-oriented outing.” Dr. Jeffrey Dolgan, chief of
Carolina. The giveaway included a bloodied toy pig, a psychology at Denver’s Children’s Hospital, told
stuffed Ronald McDonald doll holding a butcher’s The Denver Post that PETA’s “Your Mommy Kills
knife, and a game that asked children to lead a Animals” campaign is “beyond insensitive.” He
fictional cow through a maze. PETA’s written warned: “The implication is that mother is a mur-
instructions read: “If she takes the wrong path, her derer and a killer … Some vulnerable kids will not
throat will be slit with a butcher’s knife.” do well with this. It is potentially very anxiety-
arousing. Someone has made a mistake.” Sadly,
PETA’s most controversial child-oriented campaign to given PETA’s lengthy track record of targeting chil-
date was kicked off in late 2003. In more than 15 dren for activism, the implication that “mother is a
states, the group handed out a comic titled “Your murderer” was clearly not an innocent mistake.
ed
at youngsters Times Union
November 14, 2000
target elementary
PETA activists middle school
school students
The Deseret
Morning N
ews
PETA rally
The Burlington disrupted
June 12, 20
01
Minister warns
01