INTERNSHIP AT PETA, BERLIN: A PERFECT EXPERIENCE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ANIMAL PROTECTION In this chronicle, I will describe Scandinavia and Southern Europe, many areas in which the organization my curricular internship at PETA’s PETA Germany covers animal rights works. Germany office in Berlin, realized issues all over Eastern Europe. The under Krishna Singh1 ’s tutorship organization also has other affiliates: Communication from May 22nd till June 8th of. PETA France, PETA Netherlands, According to the country’s context or This document first describes the the issue at stake, PETA deals with organization itself and its areas of the question of how to communicate work (1) as well as its welcoming and about animal rights issue. To this end, friendly office in Berlin (2) and goes it builds relations with politicians, on describing the different tasks lobbies, journalists, scientists, vegan and projects I participated in and start-ups, celebrities (vegans and the experience I gained through this non-vegans). Among other things, amazing internship (3). PETA tries to inform politicians about 1. PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL difficult situations concerning non- human animals and incite them to TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA)’s PETA Switzerland, PETA Asia/Pacific PRESENTATION and PETA Australia. ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of PETA’s goal is ‘to uncover animal Animals ‘(PETA) was first founded in abuse, educate the public, and the USA in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk encourage people to make lifestyle and Alex Pacheco. With more than changes so that animals can live 6.5 million members and supporters, their lives free from exploitation2’ PETA USA is now the largest animal . It therefore aims at spreading rights organization. a message of respect towards all In 1993, PETA Deutschland [Germany] animals and at promoting veganism e.V. was created as a separate legal [a lifestyle free from any kind of entity and now has more than 1 animal exploitation]; a message which is reflected in its own motto “Animals million members and supporters. change the Law. It also collaborates Its headquarters are located in are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment”. with other actors to disseminate Stuttgart and count with more than animal rights issues while the 60 employees, organized in different During the internship, thanks to team often realizes interviews field divisions (vivisection, clothing, my tutor Krishna Singh working with journalists on specific issues food, entertainment, whistle- at the legal department of PETA concerning animals. As a charity blower, companion animals, wild Germany, I was able to discover the organization, a big aspect of PETA’s animals). While PETA UK covers work also consists in fundraising. 2 PETA Deutschland. Über PETA Deutschland 1 Legal department of PETA Berlin e.V. URL: https://www.peta.de/ueberpeta ISSN 2462-7518 Legal provides information to politicians Killing of young male chicks on determined issues. Moreover, From a legal point of view, PETA deals it supports companies that turn Another issue, common to many with cases of people and/or industries their back on animal exploitation countries relates to the breeding breaking animal protection laws. in the development of vegan options, of chickens and the killing of male It informs public prosecution and products or services (for instance: chicks. In Germany, 40 to 50 million other authorities on the violations, the introduction of vegan materials one-day old male chicks are killed submits criminal complaints, fights by car companies Tesla, BMW and every year by the egg industry; projects based on animal exploitation Ferrari; or the culture of in-vitro this number goes up to 2.5 billion (fattening farms. abattoirs, zoos, meat). hunting events, fishing events, etc.) by all legal means, receives Youth testimonies from civilians and helps them to take legal action. In addition to its kids department, a youth department named PETA2 Video production was created in Germany in 2003 and in the USA.. This department The organization makes its own is active on many social medias videos about animal rights issues and engages in street activism. – and presents alternatives to animal different approach, same message. suffering. It therefore gives visual worldwide. Meanwhile, according PETA therefore adopts different to paragraph 1 of Germany’s Animal form to cases of human disrespect approaches in the diffusion of respect 3 Protection Act (APA), the killing of towards animals and often endorses towards all animals. vegan products or recipes. It also animals without a proper reason broadcasts footages from journalistic Specific issues in Germany shall constitute a criminal offense. sources exposing animal violence Considering the absence of specific and institutionalized abuse, which During my internship, I could legislation regarding chickens, includes, for instance, the shocking also get informed of animal rights PETA filed a criminal complaint to videos of baby elephants being problematics in Germany, in which trigger public prosecution against mistreated at Germany’s Hannover PETA is involved. approximatively 30 German chicken 4 breeders who were realizing this zoo . PETA’s kids section also shares Pigeons kid-friendly videos promoting animal cruel practice, which led to several criminal lawsuits. In 2016, Germany’s respect. Similarly to what is happening in Green Party even introduced a bill in Barcelona, one of these problematics the German parliament calling for Support is the pigeons’ status, including the a ban on the killing of male chicks5, case of pigeons’ championships PETA cooperates with groups that but the Parliament finally rejected it. share similar objectives and attitudes or racings, during which they are towards animal rights promotion. forced to fly long distances (up Circuses, horse carriages and fishing In Germany, it collaborates with to 1.000 km), sometimes heavily competitions doped and suffering from hunger, thirst or predation, and most of PETA Germany encourages cities the times abandoned when they to ban circuses using non-human are not considered “good enough”. animals. This practice already has Moreover, in most of Germany’s been banned in 80 German cities, cities (although this is not the case in most of them thanks to PETA’s Berlin), even though many pigeons in assistance and legal input. Same the street are there because they were actions are being taken to impulse released or abandoned by humans a ban on horse carriage and pony who domesticated them, it is strictly carrousels. Regarding the fishing various associations regarding, for forbidden to feed them making competitions organized in some instance, the advocacy for a ban them vulnerable to hunger or illness villages - a sport that involves animal on the use of animals in circuses because of the ingestion of inedible suffering and killing -, PETA files or to the prohibition of vivisection items that they have at disposition many criminal complaints. In this and pony carrousels. In accordance (for instance, cigarette butts). In this regard, fines for infringing torture, with its communication lines, it also regard, PETA submitted criminal pain and suffering (considered as complaints against organizers of criminal acts) were imposed on some 3 For instance, through a spot with musician carrier pigeons’ championships and organizations. Lina Van de Mars about the risk of heat stroke for dogs left in cars. URL: https://www.youtube. participated to the defense of people 5 DW (2016, March 18). Practice of killing male com/watch?v=hn6POnPEZ9Y chicks to continue, German parliament decides. 4 PETA. Hannover Zoo Tortures Baby who wanted to help pigeons in legal URL: https://www.dw.com/en/practice-of- Elephants. URL: https://www.youtube.com/ cases. killing-male-chicks-to-continue-german-parlia- watch?v=0Q6iNPykygE ment-decides/a-17030868 Thanks to its diverse areas of anti-speciesist’ movement, entitled from other social movements, concerns and departments, PETA “THE ANIMAL RIGHTS SOCIAL such as the abolition of slavery, it therefore provides a complete picture MOVEMENT. EVOLUTION AND is important for the animal rights of animal rights issues and presents CURRENT CHALLENGES.” This movement’s prosperity to concentrate itself as a global animal rights project was in total accordance with on its ultimate goal, which is animal organization. It also has the merit PETA’s lines of actions as, to protect liberation. to deal with specific and sensitive animals, it is necessary to think about subjects or animal species often left the future of the animal rights’ As a result, the content of the aside, such as: movement and to keep pushing it internship was truly interesting and forward. gave me the opportunity, thanks • Pests: getting focused on rats to the Master’s classes, to apply • Some companion animals: hamsters Provided with all the necessary previously acquired knowledge and and rabbits bred in Eastern Europe; literature on the subject, I conducted a to learn even more, thanks to the • Fish; research on the subject and elaborated research conducted on the animal a Power-Point presentation that will rights movement, the practical • Insects (butterflies, bees, insects used in TV shows); help for a conference to be held at the knowledge obtained through end of this year. The work is divided PETA’s team and Krishna’s insights. • Cases of zoophilia: footages; into three parts: Introduction to Moreover, when choosing the project • Leather production in Asia. the Animal rights’ social movement on which I worked on, Krishna took (1); Evolution of the movement (2); in account my previous academic 2.PETA’S OFFICE IN BERLIN Current challenges and future background (Law and Philosophy) perspectives (3). which made this internship in total Berlin´s office, where I realized my coherence with my studies and internship, depends on Stuttgart’s In this presentation, the definitions interests. headquarters and was created ten and philosophical grounds of years ago. It counts with a dynamic animal rights and speciesism were In my opinion, PETA’s team has team of less than 20 workers.