PETA compares AKC to kkk

[lavender r dragon]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090209/ap_on_sp_ot/dog_show_peta_protest_1

NEW YORK – "Is this really the KKK?" somebody asked the woman in the white robe and the pointy hat.

Crowds gawked at a table set up outside Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon, where People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was protesting the start of the Westminster Kennel Club show. PETA contends that the American Kennel Club promotes pure-breeding of dogs that is harmful to their health.

"Welcome AKC Members," read a banner hanging from the table — with AKC crossed out and KKK written above it. Two PETA protesters dressed as Ku Klux Klan members, while other volunteers handed out brochures that read: "The KKK and the AKC: BFF?"

"Obviously it's an uncomfortable comparison," PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said.

But the AKC is trying to create a "master race," he added. "It's a very apt comparison."

David Frei, spokesman for Westminster and TV host of coverage on USA Network, said: "I can't speak for everyone, but the vast majority of the people exhibiting and handling and showing at Westminster are more interested in the health of dogs than anything else."

"We want to produce the next generation of healthy and happy dogs," he said, "not just for the show ring but for the couches at home."

Most passers-by seemed more puzzled than offended, though those who didn't stop walked away thinking they really had seen the KKK. The most common reaction was to pull out a cell phone and start snapping photos.

Police monitored the situation from nearby, but the scene was mostly calm. One shouting match broke out during the hour-long protest.

Earlier, a man strode away yelling, "That's disgusting! I'm going to buy more fur!"

Fatima Walden, who spotted the protest during a shopping trip, called the KKK imagery inappropriate no matter what the message.

"They could have used something else as an example," she said. "You should be considerate to everybody."

___

AP National Writer Ben Walker contributed to this report.

[MaidenFaeSnow]

If they ever want people to take them seriously, instead of thinking they are complete nutbags, they really need to consider not doing dumb crap like that.:roll:

[Lady Anisette]

::rantono: Warning, rant ahead.

Don't get me started on PETA. The AKC is like the KKK? Oh, really?

Dog shows are not horrible places where dogs are mistreated, abused, or lynched. Most of those show dogs live lives that the poor in this country would love to have. They are fed the finest food, given the best medical care, and generally treated to a loving and wonderful home.

I know this because my sister is a breeder and a handler. She has shown at Westminster many times. My mother also used to breed. I would like to die and come back as one of their dogs. Or one of their friends'. Organic foods cooked for the dogs, acupuncture, massage therapy, monthly/weekly pedicures, daily rides.

As is explained repeatedly during Westminster, most of these dogs were bred for a purpose. Guarding, herding, retrieving, hunting. Many of the top show dogs still actually do what they were bred for. Many of the herding breeds have herding titles, some even come from working farms. Many are therapy dogs. Some dogs guard their families instead of livestock but they are still doing a job. No, I doubt anyone is chasing down a pack of wolves with their Irish Wolfhound, but the dogs are loved nevertheless.

Mutts are wonderful too and have a place in our lives as well. I would never malign the darling mutt. I have had quite a few during my lifetime.

Too bad PETA isn't paying attention to other parts of the dog industry like puppy mills. Or why don't they get on they high horses about Satos? Satos are mixed breed dogs that roam Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. You want to see heartbreak and cruelty? Go to Save-a-Sato.org. That is where PETA should concentrate their efforts. Not on admittedly spoiled and pampered show dogs.

And PETA should be ones to talk. They conveniently forget some of the horrible things they have done to show dogs in their efforts to "save" them. Like that big dog show up in MA. A owner brought a bitch and her litter of pups to meet prospective owners. This was an outdoor show so the family of dogs was in an exercise pen together. Members of PETA decided to free the dogs that day. Yep, I don't think that little girl will ever forget the sight of her whole litter of puppies being run down and killed on the road. But like the PETA person said before being arrested, at least they died free. :roll:

:rant: Okay, I will get off my soap box now.

[Blue Pixie]

Umm- these are the people that made the fish kittens- so of course their nuts. They want to help the poor little animals- go to a god damn dog-fight and free them! They want cruelty- dog fighting is horrible- or as already written PUPPY MILLS. :sad: Weird people PETA is!

[Isabelle Warwicke]

I almost never take PETA seriously anymore. Pretty much never, really. They are so far flung from reality, it's hard not to see them as anything but total nutbags.

I'm about to own a champion blood-line pure-bred Chinese Shar-Pei. Oh, and I'm going to take it to shows too. PETA can kiss my shiny pink hiney.

[LdyJhawk]

The guy that said he's going to go buy more fur? I need his address so I can know where to send him his 1 million internets that he won as a prize for awesome

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

I almost never take PETA seriously anymore.

I'm just trying to figure out how it's only "almost".

[webmistress]

1) That commercial has been out for over a year - they're a little slow on the uptake

2) Part of why PETA does this crazy shit is for the free publicity to their causes. They don't expect people to *believe* that KFC is like the KKK, but the publicity gives the issue of factory farming an audience they wouldn't normally have - and if that gets just one more person to look into it further amd make more humane buying decisions, their goals have been met.

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

The guy that said he's going to go buy more fur? I need his address so I can know where to send him his 1 million internets that he won as a prize for awesome

In all fairness, you should split that prize between him and this guy:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/33/politicalpictureskfctorts3.jpg

[Patsy the Loomer]

Dear PETA:
http://steelwhitetable.org/media/images/animated/penn_jillette.gif

Signed, The World
:)

[daBaroness]

Back in the day - I appreciated the goals of PETA. But that was before they turned into a bowl of nuts who just want attention and in the pursuit of same have done some pretty unethical things to people and animals.

I don't pay attention to them anymore. I'm more concerned with the abusers, the puppy mills and the other truly horrible abuse of domesticated animals and pets, as well as endangered species than I am with comparing reputible, responsible breeders to Dr. Mengele.

[Isabelle Warwicke]

I'm just trying to figure out how it's only "almost".

Because:

2) Part of why PETA does this crazy shit is for the free publicity to their causes....- and if that gets just one more person to look into it further amd make more humane buying decisions, their goals have been met.

PETA's goals and ideas are of good basis. Setting puppies free at a dog show is asshattery.

And srsly, anyone ever opens the gate and sets my horse free or causes harm to my dog, no cop will be able to touch them after I've scattered the offender to the four winds.

[webmistress]

Just sayin'. I don't agree with everything they do, but I understand why they do a lot of the media stuff they do. I know a lot of people that work for PETA that aren't whackjobs.

I don't recall hearing about setting puppies free at a dog show or anything like that - they usually stay clear of stuff like that.

[Isabelle Warwicke]

Just sayin'. I don't agree with everything they do, but I understand why they do a lot of the media stuff they do. I know a lot of people that work for PETA that aren't whackjobs.

You are the reason I can almost take them seriously.

I still consider them the Lindsay Lohan of the Animal Cruelty Prevention world. They are famous for stupid acts and they are always in the news for random weirdness, nothing substantial.

[webmistress]

Its a shame they don't make the news about the substantial stuff - but honestly, that stuff is less interesting to reporters. Which do you think will get more news coverage, naked women dressed up in cellophane like meat to protest the factory farms, or years of hard (but unsensational) lobby work to get laws passed?

And if you can only get media coverage on one, would you pick the dry, boring one that people won't actually *listen* to, or the one that's shocking and grabs people's attention?

They have a ton of departments, like any other organization, and only a very small handful of those departments fall into the "doing crazy things to get on the news" category. The department I work with most often, the domestic animal cruelty division (pets & companion animals) is positively overloaded, and the only time they ever make the news is if they're offering a reward for info on an open case.

PETA does a lot of really good work - and they work with other organizations and individuals where no other organization will because of non-profit politics. I have a lot of respect for them for that. The political BS game in this unreal - I was utterly unprepared for it when I started working in the field. PETA is the only one who has always played ball, no matter what, without caring about politics, who got credit for what, etc.

[daBaroness]

Snipe - I hear what you're saying and value your opinion on this matter highly. And I agree - publicity is a fickle mistress because we humans are pretty twisted on groovin' on the sick and sensational rather than the good and "boring."

Were it not that way. <sigh>

[Lady Anisette]

I don't recall hearing about setting puppies free at a dog show or anything like that - they usually stay clear of stuff like that.

This happened several years ago. PETA was big into making issues at dog shows. The reason one doesn't hear about it much is because of the MA incident and several others (what do you get when you set a whole bunch of dogs loose in a small area? dog fight) security is very tight at shows. Anyone professing to be from PETA is removed, sometimes forcibly, from the premises.

Maybe the original premise of PETA was a good one, but all too often they focus on the outrageous and not things that really need attention. Yes, they get media attention by creating a ruckus but is it good attention. Are they really going to get the message across to the widest range of people possible with foolishness? How many will look at the PETA protest and laugh at them and disregard the group as nothing more than a bunch of nutcases?

People would listen to PETA protesting puppy mills or the plight of Satos in the islands. They should be using their voices for good not the ridiculous.

I worked at the Bronx Zoo when PETA protested the bringing in of Timmy the gorilla. They wanted him set free. Yeah, right. A 35 yo male gorilla can really fend for himself in the jungle after being raised in captivity from birth. It amazed us that a group with that kind of voice and media attention wasn't doing more to focus on stopping the trade in illegal skins, furs and other paraphernalia such as gorilla hand ashtrays.

Can you imagine the power they could harness to stop the senseless slaughter of animals for a small organ or other body part? A steak? While some may find farming horrifying, I find the the poaching of gorillas for their hands only more horrifying. What about disgusting slaughter of black bears for the gall bladder rumored to increase male potency? Elephant leg trash baskets, anyone? Rhino horn powder? What about the harvesting of shark fins? Only the fins, the animal is tossed back into the water alive and bleeding to death after the fin removal. This is still happening in the world.

PETA would get my respect if they focused on issues that were substantial and reduced the suffering of animals globally. Not just locally and not just farm animals. Stopping people from eating steak or breeding show dogs isn't the answer. Their need to focus on the preposterous, outrageous, ridiculous and stupid is what earns them my disdain.

[webmistress]

PETA *does* focus on those issue - all the time - they're just not in the news as much, because again, the news media doesn't find them interesting or relevant, since some of these issues happen abroad, so there are no exciting protests for them to cover.

But setting that aside, you would overlook all of the work they do for domestic animals, small rescues and shelters, spay/neuter and cruelty prevention for the pets in this country if they didn't address bear gall bladders?

Every organization has to draw lines on where its focus will be - no one organization can cover everything that people feel is important. There just isn't enough time and resources to do it all. PETA does a lot of work right here in the US, to help domestic pets that have been horribly abused, to provide resources for under-educated and under-prepared prosecutors, to educate the public about more responsible pet ownership, and so on. I understand that maybe factory farming isn't your passion, but you can't discount the good work they do outside of factory farming.

I would be very surprised if it were a PETA-sanctioned event for them to set dogs free at a dog show. Protest, sure - but not set them free. That goes against their own policies. Perhaps the people doing it claimed to be with PETA - or even were working or volunteering for PETA - but I doubt it was a PETA-sanctioned activity.

[shadowcat546]

Hi
I don't agree with PETAs wild actions. But I do support legitimate organizations that want to help animals.
I snagged a PETA avatar---don't know if it was a joke or not--about a woman painted with the butcher sections, y'know, rump, shoulder, loin...
I'll try to attach it here. I didn't get offended when I saw it as an avatar in a blog page. I thought it was funny. Then thought...hmm, might be how men view women. (lol)
the AKC, and other large events like that most likely do have very, very well taken care of animals. Nothing wrong with dog or cat shows.
--Shannon

[Isabelle Warwicke]

I snagged a PETA avatar---don't know if it was a joke or not--about a woman painted with the butcher sections, y'know, rump, shoulder, loin...


Painting butcher parts on women is objectification. That is my main objection with PETA. They totally minimize women on a regular basis. I enjoyed their original "I'd rather go naked..." campaign, at the time it was tastefully, artfully done. Of course PETA's only choices are Fur or Naked. And the conventionally perfect body as a call to animal rights is the only one that will do. Why not paint men also?

Although my favorite has to be the ABC Striptease they had on their site a while ago:
Hi, I'm Amber, and today, we're going to be going over our ABCs. Here's your first lesson: "ABC" stands for "animal birth control," but it can also stand for "Amber's bored with clothes" if you have the brainpower to answer these 10 quiz questions correctly. There's nothing that gets me hotter than an intelligent person who's also compassionate, so let's see if we can't get me hot enough to remove a few pesky items of clothing--if you're up to the challenge, that is ...

And seriously! with the KKK reference. The KKK is a domestic terrorist group that has been responsible for the torture, rape, killing and humiliation of thousands of people over many decades. PETA really wants to be associated with that in any form? Their many good works are shadowed by the poor actions of a few.