Cover photo: © iStock.com/Linas Toleikis 2019 Dear Friends, It’s obvious when you think about it: All conflict stems from the oppressive structures play in our relations with other animals and idea of “us vs. them.” Our family vs. theirs. Our country vs. theirs. in enabling exploitation and abuse. Our religion vs. theirs. Our species vs. theirs. The victories on the following pages reflect our dynamic campaigns Homo sapiens has ranked itself not just at the top of the list of all to revolutionize the way people think about animals and to challenge species but also in its own category separate from the rest of the the human-supremacist view that we’re superior to other animals © PETA animal kingdom—a ranking that was invented in the 1700s by a in any way that can justify disrespecting, abusing, and slaughtering European biologist who also classified humans into racial subspecies, them. with white people ranked highest. Obviously, the ranking of races was an arbitrary hierarchy based on the one doing the ranking rather We thank all our supporters—especially our Vanguard Society, than on anything rational. In 2019, we launched our “End Speciesism” Augustus Club, and Investigations & Rescue Fund members—for campaign to point out that the same bias is evident in the ranking helping to make this important work possible and for working with of species. us toward animal liberation. We may not fully understand how all beings think—or what they With kind regards, think about—but dismissing their mental world as less deserving of consideration than our own is just vanity. Take donkeys, for example—some of the most abused animals on Ingrid E. Newkirk Earth, whose suffering PETA affiliates around the world are working President to end. When we look into a donkey’s eyes, the entity looking back at us is not an automaton that has no feelings about being forced to carry heavy loads. There’s someone inside that body who feels Board of Directors and Officers hunger, thirst, pain, fear, joy, loneliness, grief, jealousy, and love and Ingrid E. Newkirk, Secretary who has preferences, makes decisions, experiences anticipation, Michael P. Rodman, Chair overcomes challenges, and communicates with others. Animals’ lives Jeanne Roush, Treasurer matter to them. Honorary Board of Directors We know that every living being deserves freedom from abuse and Nanci Alexander Anjelica Huston exploitation—beings of all ethnicities, religions, genders, and species. Pamela Anderson Bill Maher While every struggle for equality is unique, several common themes James Cromwell Alicia Silverstone emerge when we talk about the underlying structures of every form Alan Cumming Lily Tomlin of societal oppression. But we often overlook the role that these same Edie Falco Photo: Koustubh Pol The Way We believe that animals have an intrinsic worth of their Awareness is the first step. Change is the second. own, quite apart from their utility to humans, and should not be treated as commodities. Therefore, PETA’s motto is PETA also creates change for animals through shareholder “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for activism, corporate negotiations, internet marketing, entertainment, or abuse in any other way.” scientific research and analysis, funding the development of non-animal test methods, lobbying, humane education, The greatest cause of animal suffering is not malice. youth involvement, outreach to the courts and law It is ignorance. enforcement, and rescue work. The places in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the With these tools, we’re getting animal tests replaced with most intensely for the longest periods of time are inaccessible sophisticated and humane non-animal methods. We’re to most people: laboratories, industrial farms, slaughterhouses, persuading grocery and restaurant chains to require their fur farms, the entertainment industry, the pet trade, and the meat, milk, and egg suppliers to make sweeping reforms. backyards and homes of abusive animal owners. We’re pressuring designers and retailers to stop selling fur, leather, down, and wool. We’re pushing the film, television, The ally of ignorance is silence. and advertising industries to replace the use of live great apes and other wild animals with computer-generated Just as mold thrives in the dark, animal abuse thrives in a imagery or animatronics, and we’re turning people away climate of secrecy. Just as sunlight is the best disinfectant, from live-animal shows and exhibits. public awareness is PETA’s most effective weapon against animal abuse. We’re saving animals’ lives through hands-on rescue work. We’re successfully urging law-enforcement No one does more to raise awareness of the plight of animals authorities to take cruelty to animals seriously. We’re than PETA. The video footage and other findings from our persuading the courts to give animal abusers stiffer eyewitness investigations of facilities in which animals are penalties, sentence them to anger-management training, neglected and abused draw millions of web viewers each and prohibit them from owning animals. We’re engaging year. Our media campaigns—and especially our recruitment young people and revolutionizing the way future of celebrity spokespeople—put animal issues in the headlines generations will view animals. And we’re inspiring of major media outlets every single day. Our grassroots countless people to go vegan, to buy only cruelty-free outreach is second to none, with demonstrators and leafleters products, and to make animal-friendly choices in all on the streets all over North America seven days a week. aspects of life. At a time when all but the most controversial voices are Ultimately, PETA strives to achieve a world in which animals drowned out in a media din, our willingness to be cheeky are respected and humans are aware of and concerned and provocative when necessary ensures that the plight about the ways in which their daily decisions affect the of animals does not go unnoticed. lives of other sentient beings. Lion: © Sean Noronha • Other animals: PETA 5 The Dedication and Generosity of Members Make Our Work Possible Vanguard Society and Augustus Club members such as those below serve as the roots of financial support that enable our vital programs to grow stronger. Deborah DiMare vanguard society member I am proud and honored to be affiliated with PETA and will always continue to support them and the people who make up this outstanding organization. Their passion for improving animals’ lives is humbling and inspiring. It takes a village to create change, and PETA is the town center. Their endless encouragement of others and businesses like mine not to lose the momentum of our purpose in saving the lives of animals is tireless. PETA is professional, organized, and, in my opinion, one of the most meaningful animal rights organizations in the world. Sarah and Mark Taylor vanguard society and augustus club members We support PETA because it’s important to us to make sure our money is having a big impact for animals. There are many great organizations out there helping animals, but PETA is among the best at making landmark change with our money. PETA has such a strong track record of making a major impact for animals, it has amazing leadership, and we know our money will have a direct impact on the welfare of animals. Reichen Kuhl vanguard society and augustus club member We live in a world where so many people are tragically raised to feel that they are superior to animals—or, worse, not part of the animal family—and where so few people have spent the minimal time and energy required to merely peer into the absolute hell that humans have created for other living, breathing, feeling beings. This ignorance and the suffering it causes keep me up at night. I only sleep easier knowing that I have partnered with PETA—who I know seeks to be the ultimate champion for every one of these unfairly disregarded and tortured lives. PETA stands for justice. Lion: © Sean Noronha • Other animals: PETA © iStock.com/Ingus Kruklitis 7 PETA condemns the use thousands of dollars in cash and equipment to • After PETA revealed that Louisiana State University of animals in laboratories, pioneers in the development and use of cruelty- had purchased dogs from an animal shelter for use in which is an example of the free toxicity tests, presented at the world’s largest experiments, Louisiana banned shelters from selling harm caused by human toxicology conference, and coauthored a paper live animals to laboratories. supremacism. In 2019, that led to a policy by the U.S. • Following two decades of work by we halted many cruel, Environmental Protection Agency PETA scientists, the EPA pledged worthless experiments (EPA) that will prevent hundreds to end toxicity tests on mammals © 1stgallery | Dreamstime.com in which animals writhed of birds every year from being by 2035. in pain, quaked with fear, poisoned and killed with pesticides. and endured lonely isolation. We also promoted PETA’s powerful campaign tactics— sophisticated non-animal methods—with fantastic In 2019, PETA also achieved these which often include exposés and results. See PETA.org/AnnualReview for more. milestones: demonstrations—against Liberty • We persuaded AbbVie Inc., Research in New York (where cats PETA persuaded major companies and organizations— Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and dogs are bred to be tortured and including The Hershey Company, the Kellogg Company, Novo Nordisk A/S, Roche, killed), Colorado State University McCain Foods, Nissui Group (owner of Gorton’s Inc.), Boehringer Ingelheim, Sage (where wild animals are captured Kirin Holdings Company, Morinaga & Co., Pernod Therapeutics, and DSM Nutritional and infected with diseases), and the Ricard, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ball Corporation, Products to stop using the meaningless forced swim University of Delaware (where rats are force-fed alcohol, and many others—to stop conducting or funding test, in which terrified animals paddle frantically in electrically shocked, and forced to undergo near- animal experiments.