PETA puts foot in mouth once again, will they ever learn?

[ShaneGR]

NOTE: I have no 'beef' with PETA's fight for animal rights and protection. I simply have problem with their public relations department.

Following last years bizarre attempt to get the Green Bay Packers to change their name, amusing the entire state of Wisconsin and the national media, PETA has sent a fax directly to the hospital room of Sigfried & Roy entertainer Roy. Roy was attacked by one of his performing tigers last week and suffered massive blood loss and suffered a stroke. He is still in serious condidition.

http://www.nynewsday.com/entertainment/nyc-etpeta3484426oct07,0,995768.story?coll=nyc-flash-headlines

Here is the text of the fax that was sent:

"Perhaps Friday's frightening incident will make you realize that a brightly lit stage with pounding music and a screaming audience is not the natural habitat for tigers, lions, or any other exotic animals," PETA Vice President Dan Mathews wrote.

"The only natural thing that happened on that stage was that this majestic animal lashed out against a captor who was beating him with a microphone because he wouldn't do a trick," Mathews continued. "No matter how much you say that you love the wild animals whom you have confined continents away from their natural homes, you are still the men who have subjugated their wills and natures to further your own careers."

Here's the problem. First off, Roy didn't beat the tiger with a microphone. He tapped the nose of the tiger with the microphone one single time. That's not beating. Second off, these two guys have been raising and breeding this exotic and VERY rare animal for decades. They have built several sanctuaries for this breeding and have also donated several of the creatures to area zoos. Keep in mind that the white tiger has been reported to be near extinction and only a few hundred of them still live in the wild.

While they may have a point about the show, my main problem is that this guy is struggling for his life in some hospital and these people should have waited until he was recovered from his injuries. If he recovers from his injuries. This just strikes me as mean-spirited and clear ignorance of what the performers have done to increase visibility on the plight of these animals.

[Rashind]

1. Yeah...

Peta are pretty big attention whores, and it's almost all bad publicity. It's enough to make a body think that the whole organization is a meat-packing industry plant. "Look how crazy PETA is! All vegetarians/vegans must be equally crazy!

*newly vegan, still not crazed

[mark0rama]

2. PETA: "Pay attention to me!!"

Their take-no-prisoners approach to grabbing attention is obnoxious. Too bad, I'd have a much easier time supporting them if they'd tone it down.

Oh, and since you brought up ignorance: they recently tried to persuade Fishkill, NY to change its name to "Fishsave," happily oblivious to the fact that the name has nothing to do with depriving fish of their lives. The -kill suffix is dutch for "creek" or "stream."

[RebelOne]

3. I am an advocate of animal rights

but I do agree that PETA goes a bit too far on some issues. But I do agree with them that exotic animals should not be used in entertainment. Anyway you look at it, a tiger is a wild animal and does not belong on a stage or in a circus.

[ShaneGR]

4. I don't have a problem with that argument, BUT....

Faxing a letter to the hospital room of a guy who is struggling for his life is not the way to handle the matter.

And insinuating that the two were beating the tigers is just plain ridiculous.

[bahrbearian]

8. I'm sure the Tiger's do their Tricks for doggy biscuit's,right!

These are animals you have to dominate to get to be their Alpha, I am sure they have felt PAIN.

[bahrbearian]

5. Good for Peta

If we didn't have people like them and Greenpeace Who would be getting it to the face of those Idiots!!! I'm Behind you PETA and I donate to!

[paulsbc]

7. you are behind this?

faxing a letter of this sort to a man in critical condition is classless, and supporting this action is classless.

[bahrbearian]

12. Ya I'm Behind it!

Man Is not and endangered creature locked up in a cage, made to do Tricks for a Biscuit.

[forgethell]

19. But he is

a human being who deserves sympathy. PETA, (my wife used to belong until she got disgusted with them) is a bunch of Nazis, IMO. The justness of their cause does not excuse the foulness of their means.

[Rashind]

10. See...

Greenpeace I like. They do extreme things, but they aren't dicks. Peta seems to be on a bastardry kick for at least the last 5 years. Just polluting the image.

I'll be joining up with Peta about the same day I join the environmental liberation front. (which could very well be the same day bush steals election #2)

[bahrbearian]

14. Want me to send you and aplication?

It's only one year away!!

[Rashind]

15. Sorry...

I'm still hoping for a miracle of common sense in my homeland. In any event, if worst comes to worst, I can find the way to their website myself.

[kwolf68]

6. You make a good point BUT

There is no species called a "White Tiger."...In fact, among the Tigers remaining ALL are highly endangered and sadly most will likely go extinct in the wild fairly soon (20-30 years). I weep for this fact.

The White Tiger is nothing more than a Bengal Tiger with a recessive gene. It is possible that some day in the future in some zoo two Bengals will breed and viola' out comes a "White" Tiger.

Among the Tiger subspecies you have the Bengal, Sumatran, Siberian, South China and I think one or two other species still in existence. Another 3 or 4 have gone extinct during the course of the past century.

These animals just like other big cats need space, lots of it and that is running out. I have dedicated my life to these marvelous creatures, but feel no sense of confidence that any (with the very possible, rare, vital, unlikely belief that the Leopards and Jaguars may survive for a long, long time). For Lions, Tigers, Cougars (to less degree) and my specialty (Cheetahs) I have less confidence.

As far as PETA...They have some good ideas, but their outlandish
actions don't help. I will agree, they have issues.

As far as the justification that these two men are somehow doing great things...bla bla bla thus producing some "new age conservationist" is something I reject.

How can a child REALLY learn about these amazing Cats by watching them do fucking magic tricks? By virtue of circuses and this type of fare, children are being TAUGHT that animals are there for our pleasure, our entertainment. This is a notion I reject and I would rather see every big cat go peacefully into the night of extinction if it means the brutality that too often befalls them will end.

As someone who wants to preserve ALL ANIMALS (even the ugly animals, lizards, etc.) I find extinction as a plausible alternative ostensibly sickening to my stomach.

[Rashind]

11. Lizards aren't ugly.

:-(

[kwolf68]

17. LOL...Didn't mean to hurt you friend

I didn't mean "ugly" in that sense...I just meant animals that aren't "cute and cuddly."

Everyone can get into saving Pandas, Dolphins, and Tigers...but what about those animals like Lizards, Gators, etc?

I was just saying that my convictions toward conversation transcend beyond the furry widdle' creatures. Though seeing a newly born Cheetah cub did have a slight impact on my life, I would never forsake the rest of the animal kingdom.

[radwriter0555]

9. Actually, the reason white tigers are "near extinction" is because they

were not found in the wild to begin with. They're a genetic anomoly and have been literally bred into existence from one single female captured about 50 years ago in Asia somewhere. All the white tigers you may ever see are related. MOST die or are destroyed at birth due to the massive genetic defects they suffer from these forced breeding programs. Those sanctuaries? They're breeding labs for profit, since the animals that do survive are made to perform as circus animals.

Secondly, PETA was out to get some publicity for the great work and recognition they're entitled to for those endeavors, and it worked.

Their points about the tiger lashing out are entirely correct. That is indeed the ONLY natural behavior that animal has ever engaged in, in his whole life.

So, I know I'll get flamed for defending PETA, but frankly I think that circus dude got what he deserved. I'm just shocked it didn't happen sooner.

[BiggJawn]

13. PETA Can't put their foot in their mouth...

Because a foot is MEAT, and that's just plain WRONG...:evilgrin:

I like the comment about PETA being a "meat industry plant" to dis-credit Vegans everywhere.

Makes sense...

[Deja Q]

16. Yeah, but would you like it if somebody tapped you on the nose?

But I agree, PETA should have waited until the poor guy healed up, sheesh!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. i agree with PETA..and i also think circus's and zoo's are evil

[Seneca]

22. some zoos are good

Many zoos have come a long way since being little more than glorified jails for wild animals.

Many zoos now offer naturalized habitats mirroring their own, but with one better feature - no poachers to hunt them, or shrinking savannahs, rain forests, or whatever their original habitat was.

It is a sad state of affairs that many wild animals, like elephants and tigers, are safer in zoos than they are back in Asia or Africa.

Great zoos, like the one in San Diego, not only provide safe habitats, but also serve valuable educational purposes - i.e. getting the word out about global environmental degradation and endangered species preservation. The people who work in zoos are the greatest animal lovers you will ever know, and they have solid scientific credentials. Many endangered animals are born in zoos and can keep the gene pool alive through exchange programs.

PETA is good in some ways, but relies too much on raw emotion and hysteria over science and reason. If they truly cared about the well-being of animals like the tigers in S&R's shows, they would not reflexively wish for them to be returned to their native habitats, unless the governments in that region can assure and enforce their safety.

I agree that S&R should retire for good if Horn makes a full recovery. Perhaps their animals can find good homes in high-quality zoos.

We humans are animals too. Balance in all things.

[TheDonkey]

20. Roy asked for the Tiger not to be killed before he passed out

So PETA should be thanking him for the gracious and brave move.

[Uzybone]

21. F%#* PETA

after thier hysterical letters complaining about a suicide bombing killing a donkey they are nothing but idiots.