# PETA - Pesople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to change name to PUKA - People f **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732 "2005-06-17T18:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/1 "2005-06-17T18:46:19Z")
According to [this story,](http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/0617/animalcruelty_ap.html) perhaps PETA needs to. :wally ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/2 "2005-06-17T18:52:41Z")
And **ouryL** should give us the rest of the title of the thread. 😛 [Personally, I prefer this PETA](http://mtd.com/tasty/) ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/3 "2005-06-17T18:53:43Z")
Wow, finally an OP that is both stupid _and_ incoherent! Well done. Tips for next time: 1. Read the article you link to. 2. Write an actual OP. 3. Proofread said OP before submitting. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/4 "2005-06-17T18:59:18Z")
That’s almost as good as seeing (the hypothetical never posted not written by any actual mod) > [@](#): > > **Mod Note** : > > You’re an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/5 "2005-06-17T19:29:18Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Wow, finally an OP that is both stupid _and_ incoherent! Well done. > > Tips for next time: > > 1. Read the article you link to. > 2. Write an actual OP. > 3. Proofread said OP before submitting. you forgot: 1. Profit! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/6 "2005-06-17T19:38:19Z")
Okay, these guys may end up being the Jeffrey Dahmers of the animal world, but I’m not seeing it in the article. Since when did improper disposal of an animal’s corpse amount to animal cruelty? If these folks properly euthanized the animals and then improperly disposed of the bodies, that sounds like a pollution problem, or a public sanitation problem, or something like that. For there to be animal cruelty, something more needs to be happening. I halfway wonder whether a cop, thrilled with the potential irony, overcharged this duo. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/7 "2005-06-17T19:40:07Z")
I read the article, and it’s not clear to me how PETA committed cruelty to animals. Are they being accused of euthanizing the animals themselves without authorization? Why would they do this? Because they don’t believe domesticated dogs and cats should even exist? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/8 "2005-06-17T19:44:19Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > According to [this story,](http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/0617/animalcruelty_ap.html) perhaps PETA needs to. :wally 1. What is “PUKA”? 2. What does “People f” mean? 3. What are you trying to say? 4. Are you nuts? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/9 "2005-06-17T19:46:06Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > I read the article, and it’s not clear to me how PETA committed cruelty to animals. Are they being accused of euthanizing the animals themselves without authorization? > > Why would they do this? Because they don’t believe domesticated dogs and cats should even exist? That’s definitely not what PETA believes (at least not officially as an organization; I won’t vouch for any individual idiot in the organization). My best guess from the very limited info we have right now is that the local shelters whence they obtained the animals use an inhumane form of euthanasia, such as gunshot, ether, or (most likely) carbon monoxide poisoning, and that PETA has agreed to take animals from them in order to provide the more humane euthanasia of sodium pentobarbitol. But we’ll need to see how the story unfolds. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/10 "2005-06-17T21:09:20Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Since when did improper disposal of an animal’s corpse amount to animal cruelty? The story I read this morning reported they were taking animals _for the purpose of adoption_ and euthanizing them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/11 "2005-06-17T21:19:15Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The story I read this morning reported they were taking animals _for the purpose of adoption_ and euthanizing them. Buh–? That’s bizarre. Like I said, they may well be loonies, and I don’t want to defend them; I just want to find out what was going on. Does the paper where you read this story have a website? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/12 "2005-06-17T21:27:32Z")
My bet : PUKA People for the unethical killing of animals. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/13 "2005-06-17T21:48:10Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The story I read this morning reported they were taking animals _for the purpose of adoption_ and euthanizing them. Which makes this yet another example of bad journalism. Dumping dead animals could not be considered cruelty to animals and this article doesn’t even \*make a guess \* as to how these animals died. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/14 "2005-06-17T22:01:31Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > That’s definitely not what PETA believes (at least not officially as an organization; I won’t vouch for any individual idiot in the organization). Uh… By “any individual idiot in the organization” do you mean Ingrid Newkirk, the founder and president? > [@Ingrid Newkirk](#): > > "I don’t use the word “pet.” I think it’s speciesist language. I prefer “companion animal.” For one thing, we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds. There would be no pet shops. If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets. You would have a protective relationship with them just as you would with an orphaned child. But as the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, **eventually companion animals would be phased out** , and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship – enjoyment at a distance. I thought it was a fairly well known fact that PETA would like to see pets die out? ---
**Author:** ![kaiwik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaiwik/32/3978_2.png) [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/15 "2005-06-18T00:06:39Z")
Here is a link to the story with more information: [http://www.wavy.com/global/story.asp?s=3482974&ClientType=Printable](http://www.wavy.com/global/story.asp?s=3482974&ClientType=Printable) “Veterinarians and animal control officers said the PETA workers had promised to find homes for the animals rather than euthanize them, according to police.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/16 "2005-06-18T00:16:34Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Does the paper where you read this story have a website? It was the Google news page at Seven Ante Meridian with coffee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/17 "2005-06-18T00:22:39Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > I thought it was a fairly well known fact that PETA would like to see pets die out? Mrs. Plant believes that. The PETA guy who snookered our City Board of Directors bragged about what a wonderfull _Pure Bred_ dog he got at the shelter. Upon consultation Mrs. Plant mentions that Peta has been killing potential adopties for years. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/18 "2005-06-18T00:51:42Z")
From what I read, these people were supposed to be picking up animals and bringing them to PUKA HQ to be either adopted out or properly euthanized. Somewhere along the way they ended up dead & improperly dumped. So, how did they get dead? Were these two driving around with the “proper” euthanasia tools & chemicals? Why the need to improperly dump them? Really, no one noticed these two going out to collect animals and bring them back for humane treatment, yet they never actually come back with anything? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/19 "2005-06-18T03:04:15Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Really, no one noticed these two going out to collect animals and bring them back for humane treatment, yet they never actually come back with anything? [Apparently not](http://www.wavy.com/global/story.asp?s=3482974&ClientType=Printable): > [@](#): > > Neither police nor PETA offered any theory on why the animals might have been dumped. Newkirk said no one from PETA noticed that over several weeks Hinkle was returning from her weekly trips to North Carolina without animals to be euthanized. Look at what an abysmal adoption rate PETA has: > [@](#): > > PETA has euthanized animals for years. In Virginia last year, the activist group euthanized 2,278 animals, sterilized 7,641 and found homes for 361. Googling around, I found, for example, that the [New Haven, Connecticut Animal Shelter](http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/CT74.html) has a 75 percent adoption rate for cats and dogs. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732/20 "2005-06-18T03:30:28Z")
I’m thinking now someone needs to check on those 361 pets that PETA “found” homes for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-pesople-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-to-change-name-to-puka-people-f/308732.md?page=2)