# PETA kills almost 1600 cats and dogs



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

This headline is pretty sad, but what are they to do? Assuming they are telling the truth that the animals were unadoptable what should become of them besides humane euthanisia? I am not a PETA supporter - but I can sympathize with having so many unadoptable cats and dogs. Until the American public opens their hearts and starts adopting more this tragic outcome is a fact of life.....or death.

PETA killed more than 1,600 cats and dogs at its Virginia headquarters last year - almost 90% of the animals handed over to the charity's American shelter | Mail Online


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

While I can't disagree that a pet that is incurably ill or too aggressive to be placed in a home is better off humanely euthanized, I'm having trouble making PETA's numbers plausible in my head.

The quote from PETA claims that the reason for their zero adoption rate is that they send adoptable animals to other shelters, which on the surface is a very reasonable way to consolidate adoption efforts - except that the report lists the numbers for that scenario. They sent a total of 130 animals to another shelter, according to the USDA numbers. They euthanized 1,647.

Even if you assume that all the animals who were transferred to another shelter were actually adopted, that would still mean a claim that _more than ten times_ the number of unadoptable pets versus adoptable pets were taken in. 

Personally, I find that almost impossible to believe.

Mind you, if every pet is judged on their condition at the door, it may be true - but that would suggest that they're putting no effort or money into rehabilitation, which defeats the whole purpose of animal rescue. Of course the animals aren't in great shape, that's why they needed to be rescued in the first place.

I would find this kill rate easier to swallow - still sad, but easier - if they had placed, say, 2,000 pets in new homes. But in reality, _only 130_ were possibly adopted after being transferred.

Maybe I'm seeing the world through rose coloured glasses, but it's hard for me to believe that they knew for certain that all those pets couldn't have been rehabilitated.

My issue with this isn't even the high euthanization numbers - it's the extremely low number of pets saved by comparison. They aren't just a high volume kill shelter, they're a shelter that seems to do almost nothing else, so to me it seems like a misrepresentation for PETA to call it animal rescue.


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

PETA. They call themselves a rescue organization but I think they're more of a cult full of fanatics who are more about being seen than saving lives. (Just my 2 cents!) I agree with Blakeney, 130 POSSIBLE adoptions out of hundreds? Simply not an acceptable number. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## AaronR1074 (Dec 11, 2012)

Makes me sad. Even if I only get 2 months (I hope I get more than 15 years but really I'm JS) of love from Pipin at lease he had a better home than the shelter and lived happy and free. Dr Kavorkian got alot of slack for assisted suicide.. how is this any different? At lease keep them in a large building someplace where people can monitor and feed. I mean I don't know the logistics behind such a thing but there had to have been some other way. I'm sure there are plenty of people who need jobs that are willing to train basic vet skills for $10/hr


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

I should add by way of comparison that I adopted Zephyr from a no-turn-away shelter that puts pets to sleep on a daily basis because of lack of space. Their euthanization numbers were almost twice the euthanization numbers PETA reported - _but_ they also managed to _save_ over 1/3 of the pets they took in even while admitting openly that they were putting adoptable animals to sleep.

So that's the part I'm not buying about what PETA says. Their kill rate is not unusual. Their extremely low save percentage is mind boggling for me, though.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

PETA is a bunch of crap, imo. To me they are the Westboro Baptist Church in the animal world. A bunch of idealistic hypocrites who do more harm than they ever will good.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

AaronR1074 said:


> Makes me sad. Even if I only get 2 months (I hope I get more than 15 years but really I'm JS) of love from Pipin at lease he had a better home than the shelter and lived happy and free. Dr Kavorkian got alot of slack for assisted suicide.. how is this any different? At lease keep them in a large building someplace where people can monitor and feed. I mean I don't know the logistics behind such a thing but there had to have been some other way. I'm sure there are plenty of people who need jobs that are willing to train basic vet skills for $10/hr


That's the way I felt when I adopted Winnie - she was 15 when owner died and the daughter took Winnie to Animal Control - a kill shelter. My 9 months with this senior baby was so much better than that tiny cage at Petsmart. I burst out crying when I saw her there - 15 years old!! WHO would not want to take mom's senior cat in for the few months or year she has left? What kind of person does this?


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

MowMow said:


> PETA is a bunch of crap, imo. To me they are the Westboro Baptist Church in the animal world. A bunch of idealistic hypocrites who do more harm than they ever will good.


 MowMow - I couldn't agree more. They have a super prime waterfront location here in downtown Norfolk. Top dollar is paid for this site, I'm sure and they do so little that is worth while.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Marcia said:


> WHO would not want to take mom's senior cat in for the few months or year she has left? What kind of person does this?


There can be a lot of extenuating circumstances with a loved one passes, other pets in the home that won't do well with an addition, not enough time, allergies, expenses of owning an animal, etc. ... so I don't hold it against the person unless I know more details, and it work out for the kitty because you adopted her! 

As far as PETA goes, they're disgusting, preaching animal rights and then killing them once they're "rescued". They're against no-kill.

Nathan Winograd vs. PETA

I realise some animals are too far gone, but surely not that percentage.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I find that that you who rescue animals commendable. The reason I wouldn't take on a 15 year old cat is the vet bills that will eventually ensue. It is hard to be the one to say put them down because of money. Luckily I haven't had to do it but I was younger and had the ability to make more money.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

cat owner again said:


> I find that that you who rescue animals commendable. The reason I wouldn't take on a 15 year old cat is the vet bills that will eventually ensue. It is hard to be the one to say put them down because of money. Luckily I haven't had to do it but I was younger and had the ability to make more money.


I am blessed with a husband that makes good money and I have my own military retirement pension. He knows I have a heart for animals but at the same time will put limits on it. He is the one that took one look at my tears and said "what's one more - go ahead and adopt her". He saw the sadness in the situation just as I had. When you are blessed with the financial resources, why not save another life? It brings us joy, it helps the animals and frankly, we like bringing joy and love to an abandoned animal. For many, many years I was not financially able to do this. Now knocking at the door of 60 years old, I can - so I do. I wouldn't have it any other way!!


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

PETA doesn't have a good reputation. Most radicals don't.


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## Josine (Dec 7, 2012)

Most smaller organizations have an adoption rate of at least 70%. Usually, the truly impossible cats end up TNR into feral colonies. Healthy cats are never euthanized, at least with the places we've worked with.

I don't see PETA's model as acceptable at all.


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

yet another reason I think PETA is a huge waste. 
I can't stand them and believe NOTHING they tout.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Here's another article along the same lines:
*Warning: There are sad and disturbing pictures of abused and neglected animals in the following news article.
* Nathan J. Winograd: Shocking Photos: PETA's Secret Slaughter of Kittens, Puppies

This part struck me as particularly insane:









I live in a city with over a million people in it, and out shelter hasn't euthanized an animal to "make space" since 2008. A combination of owner education, colony support, and licensing/leash laws, as well as compassionate paid workers and bylaw officers makes it totally doable - in fact, Animal services here turns a _profit_. It's not costing anybody anything to be no kill and it makes me sick that PETA only knows how to intimidate and scare people.

I saw a documentary a few years back, where PETA went into a trailer park and told a kid that he was too poor to give his dog proper care and love. The kid's bawling his eyes out and says PETA can take his dog away to a happier life. And they bundle the dog up, take it back to HQ, and euthanize it. Better life my butt.:cussing


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I didn't know this. I am glad I found out. It's disgusting and inhuman.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

Peta also does not support TNR programs for feral cats, there is an article about it on their website. They don't say what they think should be done instead, but the implication is that feral cats should be killed. 

I am staunchly in the Nathan Winograd camp on this one.


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## Jakiepoo (Jan 5, 2013)

Yeah, I've never been a fan of PETA. I mean, I know there is a lot of animal abuse going on in the world, and animals rights aren't being taken into account in many places, but I also know we've taken a lot of steps in the right direction. It'll never be perfect, but it's better than it was, and PETA preaching about all of these slaughterhouses, and posting videos all the time disgusts me because I bet you half of these people eat meat on a regular basis.

I dunno, it's horrible, and that's a horrible adopting rate vs euthanization rate.


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## Briii (Oct 18, 2012)

PETA is full of it and they are lying. They could have rescued plenty of those animals. The truth is PETA doesn't believe humans should be allowed pets. They think it's wrong, animals should have the right to be "free" where they will most likely die of disease, being eaten alive, and spend their entire lives stressing over food. However short their lives may be.

Even though these animals have been domesticated for thousands and thousands of years and do better with people than feral. Are your animals unhappy? Well yes, some people abuse their animals or don't give them enough outside time to exercise, etc. But don't punish everyone for the mistakes of a few! Especially the animals they are supposedly trying to protect!!

My problem with PETA is that they pretend to be for animal welfare. Treating animals humanely. But they are NOT. They are for animal RIGHTS. Leaving animals completely alone and not using them for anything from companions to meat. Which is fine. But they dupe millions into supporting them with donations by saying they are for welfare too, when that money could have gone to actual welfare causes instead. If you are pro animal RIGHTS, including not having animals even as pets, support PETA. Otherwise, please look into supporting people who will use the money wisely!!!

PETA threw hundreds of millions at those Superbowl commercials for vegans. Imagine what your local shelter could have done with that money!


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## bobbiemama (Apr 8, 2013)

The numbers don't add up. PETA sensationalizes.


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