PETA Has Shaped the Way an Entire Generation Sees Animals
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AC53-gala:Augustus club newsletter 7/29/10 3:00 PM Page 1 Giving Animals a Future augustusCLUB ‘s Dr. Joan Price is a retired philosophy professor and a loving guardian of two dogs. After joining PETA in 1984, Joan took part in many of PETA’s campaigns and has Joan Price made a difference through effective letter-writing. When PETA asked Joan to take action in a case involving her alma mater, Arizona State University (ASU), she did not hesitate. Joan immediately contacted the editors of her local newspaper, The Arizona Republic, to tell them about the cruel and deadly experiments taking place inside ASU’s anatomy and physiology classrooms. Then and Now: As a child, Joan would drape toilet paper over the side of the bathtub to allow spiders who had fallen in to escape. “If the spider got away, it was fortunate—if not, [the spider] was augustus squashed by a family member or friend and I received ridicule from all sides,” says Joan. But now, children who care about animals are more likely to be admired than mocked. “[B]ecause of PETA, people CLUB are beginning to realize that compassion for animals is identical with goodness of human character.” Issue No. 53 | Summer 2010 From 1980 through 2010, We Want to Hear From You. PETA Has Shaped the Way an As we reach this 30-year milestone together, we want to hear from you regarding Entire Generation Sees Animals your experiences over the past 30 years and what you would like to see PETA Spend a Very Special accomplish in the next 30 years. Some of your answers may be featured in a future ...a message from Ingrid E. Newkirk Evening with PETA newsletter or on PETA’s planned giving Web site, PETAPlannedGiving.org. We look forward to hearing from you! and Your Favorite Stars! As a young girl, I adored animals and spoke out strongly role in creating a new paradigm for society’s treatment of 1. What changes have you seen for animals in the past 30 years, and what changes would you in their defense to anyone I saw harming them. But I animals and that this new way of looking at animals has most like to see in the next 30 years? certainly never questioned the ethics of sitting down to a freed this and coming generations from the blinders worn plate of roast beef. My parents were wonderful people by my and my parents’ generations. Join host Alec Baldwin and ______________________________________________________________________________________ who also loved animals, and it didn’t occur to me as a child In this issue of our Augustus Club newsletter, we are PETA President Ingrid E. ______________________________________________________________________________________ to consider that some things that we had in the house— celebrating PETA’s 30th anniversary and reflecting on the Newkirk on September 25, say, a leather armchair or a decorative ivory piece—were many profound changes for animals that have come about 2010, for PETA’s 30th 2. How has your belief in animal rights changed your life? the products of animal suffering. It just didn’t. as a result of the hard work of our staff and volunteers Anniversary Gala & ______________________________________________________________________________________ I think the way in which my family and I regarded animals and the generous support of members like you. Humanitarian Awards! ______________________________________________________________________________________ was the way that most people did. We loved dogs, cats, As you read on, I hope you’ll be proud of all that you Help us celebrate 30 years of 3. Please tell us what first brought you to PETA. and horses, but my mother picked out live chickens at the have helped us accomplish for animals and successful campaigns for market without a thought (or so it seemed), and I loved excited about the prospect of the even animals! This exciting evening ______________________________________________________________________________________ wearing my little fur hat made from an exotic cat. I loved greater victories that your support at the historic and elegant ______________________________________________________________________________________ my sausages, woolly sweaters, and leather purse and will bring to fruition in years to come. Hollywood Palladium will boots, and I didn’t think about where they came from. Thank you for giving PETA the best feature a sumptuous dinner, a Ignorance was bliss. My family and I also didn’t think 30th birthday present that we I understand that some of my responses may be printed in an Augustus Club newsletter or on celebrity awards show, special about the lives of the elephants and camels we met in could ask for—the gift of your an Augustus Club Web site. entertainment, and more. the traveling show or the suffering of the bears and tigers compassion, involvement, at the zoo. generosity, and loyalty. Your support of this unique Name ___________________________________________________________________________________ That’s why it still comes as a somewhat pleasant fundraising event will help fuel Address _________________________________________________________________________________ surprise to me when I meet young families that have PETA’s future groundbreaking never fed their children meat, never taken their kids to campaigns. City, State __________________________________________________ Zip ________________________ a circus with animals, never purchased companion animals Individual tickets are $500. For Tel. __________________________ E-mail ____________________________________________________ from pet shops, and never bought products that are tested more information on the event on animals. Such remarkable changes have taken place in a span (including details on table Please submit your responses in one of the following ways: of just one and a half generations! sponsorships) or to purchase • Online at PETA.org/ACSurvey It fills me with joy when I meet people in their 20s who tickets, visit PETA.org/30; • Via e-mail to [email protected] have been living a cruelty-free lifestyle from infancy, and call Kristine Vasic at 323-644- • Via mail to Attn.: Augustus Club, PETA, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510 7382, extension 34; or e-mail there is no doubt in my mind that PETA played a primary us at [email protected]. Thank you for your support and for being a valued member of PETA’s Augustus Club. Printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper Printed on 100% post-consumer waste AC53-gala:Augustus club newsletter 7/29/10 3:00 PM Page 3 Giving Animals a Future augustusCLUB Over the past 30 years, PETA has made so much progress for animals that it’s hard to know where to begin. Some of our biggest successes were the result of some of our most well-known initiatives. For example, our fur campaign has based and molecular approaches) would helped convince a long list of top not only generate more relevant data designers and retailers to stop selling than animal testing but would also be fur. And our list of companies that faster and less costly. This 180-degree don’t test their products on animals turn in the government’s position on has grown from 25 to more than a animal testing is the result of the thousand, thanks to our Caring relentless fight that PETA’s scientists have Tracy Reiman Consumer campaign. waged against federal bureaucracies. Executive But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In 1980, the Ringling Bros. and Vice President So much else has changed since PETA Barnum & Bailey Circus was filling was first launched in 1980. arenas and was the darling of parents Back then, PETA only had a handful and teachers who thought that watching Then and Now: In 1992, when I of staff members, none of whom was a animals perform unnatural tricks under was a new campaigner, people scientist. When we went head-to-head threat of punishment with clubs and couldn’t believe their ears when against animal experimenters, the first whips was good wholesome PETA suggested that people thing that they would do was attack entertainment for kids. Now, because refuse to eat turkey on our credentials. Now, PETA has more of our hard-hitting campaign, Ringling Thanksgiving. I did endless scientists on staff than any other seems to be losing popularity. Some of radio interviews and shows at animal rights organization, and we the arenas in which Ringling performs are Thanksgiving time, and I are changing things at the highest said to be half empty, and others have remember that people had no levels of government and corporate stopped hosting the circus altogether. idea what a vegan was, let alone decision-making. Wherever Ringling stops, we are there a Tofurky. Now everyone knows PETA’s scientific documentation and to greet it. At each stop, we use facts what “vegan” means, numerous testimony over the past decade, which and images to educate the public about faux-turkey products are have revealed the failure of animal testing what circus life means for animals. available in stores, and Martha to protect humans and the environment Among our materials are photos of Stewart has even devoted an from dangerous chemicals, were echoed Ringling workers “training” baby episode of her television show in 2007 in a groundbreaking National elephants by binding them with ropes No One Could Have Predicted How Far to vegetarian Thanksgiving Academy of Sciences report, and even on their legs, trunk, back, and neck and recipes! the U.S. Environmental Protection forcing them to perform tricks under I also remember that people PETA Would Take the Animal Rights Movement in Just Agency’s 2009 strategic plan asserts that the threat of punishment with bullhooks were surprised that PETA cared non-animal testing methods (e.g., cell- and electric prods. about chickens. They’d say, “Cows, sure. But chickens?” Then a few years later, when we launched our fish empathy PETA’s undercover investigation of a primate campaign, it was as if we had laboratory in Silver Spring, Md., resulted in the first magically moved the bar.