PETA Kills Animals Hoax Debunked
Does PETA kill animals? According to a website that is filled with disturbing images of dead pets, this is very much a fact. With plenty of statistics to support their facts, including that over 97% of the pets in PETA’s care are killed every year, there is a slick, responsive website that looks to make a very convincing argument that people who want to treat animals ethically are actually trying to kill them.
It is true that PETA does euthanize animals. It is done for the same reasons that households have their pets euthanized every day around the world: to end the suffering of the animal.
Is Euthanasia an Ethical Practice For Animals?
The problem that animal shelters have is a lack of resources. It is a general statement, but many communities have higher priorities than stray or abandoned animals. Sewer systems need to be maintained, roads need to be built, and homes need to have electricity. At the end of the day, animal shelters get the scraps that are left. This means even no-kill animal shelters are stretched to their resources.
The animals that PETA cares for and wind up being euthanized are because their injuries are so severe that there is no hope for a recovery. Pitbulls have come to PETA with their jaws missing and facial lacerations so severe that they can no longer see. Skulls have caved in on some animals because of advanced cancer that has been left untreated. Tumors have grown so much that animals can’t walk or eat because of the pain they are in.
PETA takes pride in the fact that they are considered a shelter of last resort. Where some see PETA killing animals in their care, the organization sees something different going on: a final, loving final place where a suffering animal can finally find rest.
Euthanasia Doesn’t Mean Treatments Aren’t Attempted
What is remarkable about the PETA shelter program is that even if all the statistics on the Peta Kills Animals website are true, nearly 3% of the animals that come to it can be successfully treated with modern veterinary care. With wounds, diseases, and even abuse issues so severe that the natural reaction is to just end the pet’s suffering, PETA has been able to turn a discarded life into one that can experience love and compassion once again.
The easiest way to prevent this situation from occurring is to make sure your pets are spayed or neutered. It is estimated that there are 70 million stray pets on American streets right now simply because no one wants the animal. Only 2% of cats that enter an animal shelter will be reclaimed by their owners. Some may choose to criticize PETA for their compassion, which is their right to do, but all of the facts must be looked at to see the full picture.
PETA isn’t purposely killing animals. They are doing their very best to ethically treat animals, give them a loving home, and give them a final peace if that is the only way to end their suffering.