PETA and pit bulls: Ingrid, answer the question
By Gina Spadafori
December 5, 2007
I love this. The founders of Bay Area Dog-Owners Responsible About Pit Bulls (BADRAP) dropped in with two of their dogs to a little speech and book-signing given in Berkeley, Calif., on behalf of PETA head Ingrid Newkirk.
Since the BADRAP folks knew PETA was raising money to “help” the Vick pit bulls while advocating that they be killed (along with all pit bulls, by the way, because it’s the only way to “help” these often abused dogs), they thought they’d ask Ms. Newkirk a couple of questions:
Tim mentioned that he was from Bad Rap and that it was interesting that Ingrid mentioned the Vick dogs, since she was publicly advocating that all the dogs be killed. He explained that we’ve been rescuing fight bust dogs for years and that some of them have been the best dogs we’ve ever met, and wanted to know how she could advocate that all the dogs be killed when she’d never met them.
Ingrid didn’t really answer Tim’s question. Instead, she began talking about Michael Vick being famous and about him funding the dogs, and said that she felt that the resources going to these dogs would be better spent on spay/neuter programs for all the dogs out there.
This of course made me wonder where PETA’s money raised by mentioning the Vick pit bulls is going, since it’s not going to the dogs. PETA hasn’t been shy about sending out newsletters about the Vick pit bulls and soliciting money, so if PETA’s objection to saving any of the pit bulls is that resources are better spent for spay/neuter, why don’t they use some of their collected resources for this program?
Best quote of the article (among many):
“The short of it: she “fundamentally disagrees” with us on our viewpoint that pit bulls are adoptable pets. She feels that, should a Cocker Spaniel and a pit bull both be competing for resources, that the Cocker should get them because it’s smaller and therefore less likely to do any serious harm if it “goes funny.” “
Now, I might be mistaken, but I do believe that Cocker Spaniels are the breed most likely to bite. And having been bitten by one (pet store mess of a dog owned by my Aunt) I know all about Cocker Rage first hand, second hand, ankle, thigh, and a few attempts at the face.
This little quote from Ingrid is the exact same logic people use to justify BSL. I’m not saying all breeds are the same or breed is irrelevant, but, um, a bite is a bite, infection is probably worse than tissue damage in most cases, and even little pom-pomeranians can kill and the psychological damage of a bite isn’t breed specific either.
Comment by Christopher — December 5, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
Even better quote:
“That a Berkeley bookstore manager was so uncomfortable about an honest exchange of conflicting opinion was somewhat ironic given that: (a) We were in Berkeley, and (b) the person speaking is the head of a group known for throwing paint on people and terrorizing children with fake buckets of dead chickens.”
HAHAHAHA
Comment by Christopher — December 5, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
“Ingrid then said that she felt that the theft risk of the Vick dogs was too great to risk adopting them out.”
lol!~ um, ok. dogs get stolen from shelters too . . . and not just high profile pits.
“whether a pit bull should be taken out of a shelter and given to someone on the street.”
yup, that’s how we adopt out dogs. just pull them from the shelter and give them to someone on the street . . . again, this could apply to any dog, not just pits. not everyone is up to living with a ‘spotty monster’, for example ;) (and i say spotty monster VERY affectionately!)
can they be investigated if they collected money off the Vick dogs? it just makes me sick that certain orgs went out and solicited when they wanted the dogs dead. they should be forced to return the money or give it to the care of the dogs.
maybe someday soon, ingrid will have another dog invited event and a Vick pit bull or 2 will be in attendance ;)
Comment by straybaby — December 5, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
is PETA a 501c3? Where are their headquarters? Maybe we should start a write in campaign to the atty general of that state claiming fraud?
Comment by cheryl — December 5, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
I believe they’re in Virginia.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — December 6, 2007 @ 6:13 am
Who could not love a pit bull dressed like those dogs. Sure beats the teenager who came to the dog park with his pit bull wearing the largest chain link I have ever seen and padlock as a collar. Funny and well written article. I was surprised the head of PETA couldn’t make a more logical argument. Did you notice her book is on dog parties? I saw it on Amazon and most of the reviews look like they are from vegan PETA trolls. BADRAP are my new heros.
Comment by kb — December 6, 2007 @ 8:56 am