Every day across the globe, animals are fighting for their lives. They are enslaved, beaten, and kept in chains to make them perform for humans’ “entertainment”; they are mutilated and confined to tiny cages so that we can kill them and eat them; they are burned, blinded, poisoned, and cut up alive in the name of “science”; they are electrocuted, strangled, and skinned alive so that people can parade around in their coats; and worse.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights organisation based in Norfolk, Virginia and led by Ingrid Newkirk. It mainly operates on the simple principle of “Animals aren’t ours to experiment on, eat, wear,use for entertainment or abuse in any other way possible.” It also educates people about animal abuse and promotes HUMANE treatment to animals.

It’s a non-profit organisation which stands for animal rights and thus is committed to end all types of abuse of animals taking place in order to boost world economy and inside the society and promote consideration of animal interests in everyday decision making and general practices and policies.

Origin of PETA

PETA was founded on 22 march,1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco. PETA’s earliest efforts included exposure of and litigation against government and private research laboratories that used animals in testing. Gradually the organization began to appeal to industries—such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, which traditionally used animals for extensive and invasive testing of their products. 

Peta is dedicated to establish and defend the rights of all creatures. PETA believes that animals have their own rights and deserve to have their best interests taken into consideration, regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Like you, they are vulnerable to suffering and have an interest in leading their own lives.

The heart of all of PETA’s actions is the idea that it is the right of all beings—human and nonhuman alike—to be free from harm. Our world is plagued with many severe problems, all of which deserve our attention. Cruelty to animals is one of them. We believe that everyone should endeavour to stop animal abuse to whatever extent they can.

Since 1980, PETA has campaigned extensively to establish a global society in which humans consider the postulates of Henry Beston, noted American writer and naturalist of the mid 20th century, so beautifully called “the other nations.” We uphold the rights of individual animals to be respected. For most, that means simply leaving them alone.

How does peta function?

 The main function of PETA is to fight for the rights of animals. This is why the majority of their campaign is focused on advertising and media influencing – as it brings the paradigm shift in public opinions over time and will advance the movement of the rights of animals.

In today’s world of essentiality unlimited choices, animal exploitation is simply unacceptable. We can eat better, educate ourselves better, clothe ourselves better, and entertain ourselves better without having to torture and slaughter animals.

We have the authority to spare animals unbearable pain just by making better choices about the food we eat, the things we buy, and the activities we do. Thus, PETA works through public education, cruelty, investigations, research, legislation, animal rescue and protest campaigns.

The abuse that animals suffer due to humans is heartbreaking, sickening, and infuriating. It’s even more so when we realize that the everyday choices we make—such as what we eat for lunch and the kind of shampoo we buy—may be directly supporting some of this abuse. But as hard as it is to think about, we can’t stop animals’ suffering if we simply look the other way and pretend it isn’t happening.

Animals are counting on compassionate people like you to give them a voice and be their heroes by learning about the issues they face and taking action. Each of us has the power to save animals from nightmarish suffering-and the best of all, it’s easier than you might think. There are millions of individuals  working to make this planet a kinder, better place for animals to live on, learn how animals suffer when used as an object for experimentation, food, entertainment, clothing and the pet-trade. 

Influence of PETA on society

Animal activism and the struggle to end animal cruelty have been predominant in society.  PETA brings together members of the scientific, corporate, and legislative communities to achieve large-scale, long-term changes that improve animals’ quality of life and prevent their deaths.

PETA is the largest group dedicated to the conservation of animal rights with over two million members. It battles the misuse of animals in the media and fashion industry, as well as their everyday consumption. 

Nowadays, people are getting more actively indulged and educated, with the help of celebrities and major informative organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the NAIA (National Animal Interest Alliance).  

Intentionally or not, parents, teachers, the media, and other influences send children the message that puppies and kittens are “friends”, fish and chickens are “food”, and rats and mice are “pests”. Most children are also taught that human desires, needs, and interests, no matter how trivial, always triumphs those of other species.

As a result, people learn to ignore their own conscience, which tells them that it’s unethical to mistreat other creatures. They convince other peoples that they have the “right” to imprison animals in laboratories, experiment on them, and kill them as it might help humans satiate their desires.

They tell people that it’s alright to eat ice cream made from cows’ milk because our desire for dessert outweighs a mother cow’s right to nurture her calf, that it’s OKAY to steal sheep’s wool for sweaters and scarves and ducks’ feathers for pillows, that keeping fish in small tanks for a decoration and entertainment is acceptable, and that the enjoyment we get from casting a baited hook into the water to catch fish matters more than the pain inflicted on them when they’re pierced through the lip and yanked into an environment in which they can’t breathe. Humans use speciesism to try to justify every kind of cruelty imaginable.

All animals deserve equal consideration, regardless of humans’ opinions of them. While most of us have been steeped in speciesism throughout our lives, we can – and must – overcome this destructive way of living.

Together we can make a difference!