PETA’s in-your-face campaigns get people talking, listening and, ultimately, giving.

By Melissa Busch

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA. Its approach to getting people’s attention is bold, ballsy, bewitching — and often includes ads that feature celebrities in their birthday suits.

In the name of protecting every animal’s health and well-being, PETA investigates and exposes gruesome practices at slaughterhouses and animal-testing facilities, goes after fast-food meccas like McDonald’s and KFC, and protests any fashionista who thinks wearing fur is chic.

PETA

501 Front St.
Norfolk, VA 23510

Phone: 757.622.7382

Web: www.peta.org

Annual operating budget: $30.9 million for FY 2006-07

Contributions: $28.5 million for FY 2006-07

Gross merchandise sales: Roughly $1 million

Mission (from peta.org): PETA is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing and defending the rights of all animals. PETA educates the public about animal abuse and promotes kind treatment of animals.

About PETA (from peta.org): Founded in 1980, PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment. PETA’s animal-protection work brings together members of the scientific, judicial and legislative communities to stop abusive practices. Aided by thorough investigative work, congressional involvement, consumer boycotts and international media coverage, PETA achieves long-term changes that improve the quality of life for, and prevent the deaths of, countless animals.

PETA has affiliates in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, India and the Asia-Pacific Region.

PETA’s history: The organization was founded by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco in 1980. Newkirk, PETA’s president, had given no thought to animal rights or vegetarianism until 1970 when she decided to take some abandoned kittens to an animal shelter. It changed her life and led to her first job working on behalf of animals.

She met Pacheco, an animal-rights activist, who was a volunteer at the animal shelter where she was working. Pacheco gave her a copy of Peter Singer’s book “Animal Liberation.” The book and her work with animals led to the pair starting the organization in her home in suburban Maryland. At the time, their goal was to influence as many people as possible about animal suffering.

Today the organization has 2 million supporters.