Take A Look At The Animals PETA Euthanized; Place Blame for Animal Overpopulation Where it Belongs

Some people are upset, surprised even, that PETA euthanizes animals. That’s understandable; no one likes the idea of euthanasia—least of all the caring rescue workers and shelter technicians who are faced with the heart-wrenching task of ending animals’ lives. But they do it because they care. Because it is the kindest, most realistic thing to do. PETA does everything it can to curb dog and cat overpopulation and stop the cruelty and neglect that is so prevalent in our society, yet it is often criticized for not doing enough to make loving homes magically appear. Unfortunately, no amount of money or wishing can do that. I’ve heard plenty of tsk-tsking at PETA, but I’ve yet to hear anyone propose a humane and viable alternative to euthanasia.

If anyone has one, I’d certainly love to hear it.

But first, please take a look at some of the animals that PETA has euthanized. I’ll warn you, the photos are bloody and graphic. They’ll crush your soul and make you cry. But all you have to do is look at photos–PETA’s rescue workers had to rush to animals’ sides and mercifully put them out of their misery. They stroked their fur and said soothing, loving things while the animals drew their last breaths. Sometimes the only kind word or gentle touch a homeless or neglected animal ever receives is from the person who must end his or her life.

Those who euthanize animals don’t forget about them after their day ends. The images stay with them long after the animals are gone–and long after they’ve fought for justice and worked to prevent other animals from suffering similar fates. It’s a thankless job, but PETA is proud to be a “shelter of last resort,” where animals who have no place to go or who are unwanted or suffering are welcomed with love and open arms. PETA won’t turn any animal away simply because euthanasia is unpopular.

Most of the animals PETA has taken in and euthanized were not adoptable. Many were severely injured, aggressive, or otherwise unadoptable, and we gave them a peaceful release from the world. Some had spent their lives on chains or roaming the streets; never having set foot inside a home. Some were sick and weak, covered with scabs and mange, or riddled with parasites.

Not all of them were as badly off as those in the pictures, of course, but most had a pain-filled life and were homeless. If you do the math, you’ll realize that there just aren’t enough loving homes (or even lonely cages) for the millions of animals who must be euthanized every year. No one who truly cares about animals is willing to stow an animal in a less-than-loving home just so they can say that they “saved” the animal.

Warehousing animals in no-kill shelters, which quickly become so packed and overburdened that they must turn animals away, is not a humane solution—and it certainly isn’t a viable one considering that between six and eight million animals enter shelters every year in the U.S. alone.

Many people, often known as collectors or hoarders, try to “save” animals from euthanasia by taking in so many of them that they can be found cramped in kitchen cabinets, hiding under beds, crawling through basements or attics, and even wedged behind toilets or sinks. Merely keeping animals alive is not a compassionate goal; we don’t need dog and cat “zoos,” we need loving homes where animals can have quality lives.

The bottom line is simple: There are too many animals and not enough good homes.

The solution, as I’ve written before, lies in prevention. By spaying and neutering and boycotting breeders and pet stores, we can reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats. That’s why PETA operates a SNIP (Spay/Neuter Immediately Please) mobile, campaigns against pet stores and puppy mills, places eye-catching billboards, public service announcements, and ads urging people to spay and neuter, and takes many other measures to curb animal overpopulation.

This, of course, is in addition to PETA’s campaigns to help cows, chickens, fish, rats, rabbits, elephants, tigers, and other animals—they matter too. PETA, for those who don’t know, is primarily an educational organization. It relies on attention-grabbing tactics to reach the public and teach them that all animals deserve compassion and mercy. Although PETA doesn’t operate a shelter, it actively campaigns against dog and cat overpopulation. Just this week, PETA encouraged newspapers nationwide to remind people to have their animals spayed or neutered, as the spring and summer months are the prime breeding time for cats and dogs.

But spaying and neutering is a solution that will help for the long-term. Euthanasia is a humane and viable solution to the current dog and cat overpopulation problem. If anyone has another compassionate, pragmatic, and well-researched solution, please share it.

PETA

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jackie D.

12:52AM PDT on Apr 18, 2012

Not everyone is duped by pathetic attacks on PETA. PETA are being targeted because they are successful at what they do..ie expose companies and industries who use and abuse animals...including Nestle Tea, the livestock industry, circuses, the horse racing industry, McDonalds, Canadian seal hunters, GoDaddy etc etc.. The Washington, D.C.-based hired gun Richard Berman is paid by these corporations to set up grass roots organisations which spreads lies and distortions via places like Care2 where lots of animal lovers hang out. Berman was behind the attack on the Humane Society at the Oscars so there's no reason to doubt his involvement in these attacks on PETA .

send a green star

colleen p.

4:12AM PDT on Apr 17, 2012

http://www.negotiationisover.net/2012/03/16/my-disturbing-encounter-with-the-mind-of-peta/ aww yaeh

Ellen G.

10:14AM PDT on Mar 21, 2012

For anyone standing behind what PETA does and saying that they still do more good than harm - have you gone and looked at their own numbers reported to the VA Dept. of Ag Consumer Services? This is available to the public. Once again, they have a 98% kill rate of all the animals they took in...98%!!! The only ones lucky to have made it out of there alive were either transferred to another facility, which we still don't know if they were adopted or killed, or adopted out of their facility. They DO NOT do more good than harm and are the worst kind of deceitful organization by taking the public's money with false advertising. Their ultimate agenda is to rid you of your companion animal rights and to make the pit bull breeds extinct. Ingrid Newkirk is a lunatic. Laws do not get changed or created by extremist actions or terrorism. Please support your local shelters.

Elaine W.

10:16AM PST on Mar 4, 2012

Dont be a PETA basher..........they still do more good than harm & at the end of the day it should be the dog breeders that you should get angry with. It is them to blame & them alone.

Taylor H.

9:11AM PST on Mar 2, 2012

putting down healthy animals is disgusting, but peta shouldnt be blamed for their overpopulation issues when they are making a bigger effort to protect animals than most other people.. im sick of governments getting away with whatever they want to but something that peta is doing because they have to (and im shure they really dont want to do) causes such outrage. whats more outrageous is citizens taxes being spent on the slaughtering of animals or environmental destruction while the governments contribute nothing to the welfare of animals. at least peta is doing some good, what good do ur governments do? fund tar sands, poisonous energy and the destruction of ur planet. they are the ones people should be pressuring the change. if the governments policies changed and they cared more about funding for the protection of animals, theres a chance peta wouldnt have to be killing their unwanted animals. plus a large amount of the blame for these killings is on the poeple who arent adopting (more loving homes equals less unwanted pets) , the people who are breeding (more bred dofs equals less dogs adopted from kill shelters) , and the people who have real power to change this (your government who only does what makes it money).. corporations and governments are getting away with many more evils we should all be focusing our time and energy on the issues that are causing these inhumane killings.

Sarah G.

4:31PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

Killing a perfectly healthy dog or cat is not "euthanasia". Peta squanders untold amounts of money on ridiculous ads and idiotic publicity stunts, and I am sure their executives are very hadsomely compensated; these funds could be used to actually save the lives of the very animals they claim to be concerned about. I completely agree with Mark W.; well said, sir!

Nimue P.

4:28PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think this is it.

Mark W.

4:22PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

I have talked to fellow rescuers who made sworn statements- PETA kills healthy pets. They MURDER 98.9% of all animals they "rescue." THIEVES, LIARS AND MURDERERS.

Sally J.

7:28PM PDT on Aug 3, 2011

I don't believe in Euthanasia WHY is it that hard for all these rehoming services WORLDWIDE including PETA to stop over breeding, puppy factories, chicken's in cages, animal cruelty, SURELY this can be made illegal and a very heavy penalty if caught same as what they would get for human cruelty. There is no different humans and animals all feel love, pain, hunger so why is the punishment different for an animal. IT'S BULLSHIT, this cruelty can be stopped maybe these people are making too much money in donations to stop cruelty.

6:14PM PDT on Jul 30, 2011

Isn't it about time that Care 2 took this down. Considering the lack of evidence to support their claims they could end up with a lawsuit on their hands.