I grew up in rural West Virginia. Our dog, a Dalmatian who lived a long and joyful life, was a revered part of our family. She would walk with me a half mile to my school bus stop every morning and then, miraculously, I thought, come back to wait for me every afternoon when the bus dropped me off. I credit her with opening my eyes to the intelligence, skills, and rich emotional lives of animals, which started me on my way to PETA.
After a 5-year stint at a human rights organization, I wanted to broaden that perspective (yes, we are all animals), so, in my early thirties, I found my way to PETA when there were only four of us on staff. I came to this wonderful organization with the goal of helping to find the financial resources needed to help animals. PETA was founded in 1980, and this year marks our 45th anniversary, and my own 40th working at PETA. In those early days in the 1980s, the idea of animal rights was still very new and very controversial. There were also no computers, cell phones, or ZOOM calls. And no internet! Only walkie-talkies, landlines, fax machines, and, if you were lucky, as I was, an IBM Selectric typewriter with a 50-page memory.
There was little national, let alone global awareness of animals as sentient beings. The public, even most environmentalists and conservationists, let alone governmental and corporate leaders, were clueless. And there was rampant criminal as well as legally justified abuse of animals for the “sake” of our species.
Forty years on, I am proud to see countless precedent-setting victories against our Goliaths, some of whom include global fashion brands, billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies, well-known consumer product companies, and even government policy makers. Many of these former foes have now become our allies.
Our team of scientists working to stop vivisection around the world are recognized as game changers by other scientists from the corporate and government regulatory world who attend their workshops to learn about non-animal alternatives that are more accurate and less costly than the useless and immoral use of animals in experimentation. Our legal team has repeatedly fought and won battles in courtrooms against enormous, vested interests who want to lessen what little protections animals have on factory farms and slaughterhouses. We’re even pushing for animals to gain legal status as individuals rather than property.
Our undercover investigations and campaigns have led to the demise of the biggest animal-abusing circuses like Ringling Brothers. Zoos, once shameful places, are now adopting new, enlightened, sanctuary-like practices to take in rescued exotic animals for lifelong care. Not only are there more vegans thanks to our vegan campaigns, but there is an explosion of vegan food options in supermarkets and restaurants, which I only dreamt about once. Our award-winning legal team has pushed back against and won victories to ensure our ability to uncover animal abuse behind closed doors, including those at factory farms and slaughterhouses, as well as notorious breeding operations for exotic animals used for “entertainment,” where we have, time and time again, found unspeakable terror, abuse, and death. PETA’s social media team has been recognized as the leading non-profit on social media for any activist organization in the U.S. — not just those involved in animal rights or animal welfare. Our humane education teaching materials, which focus on “the golden rule,” are now in millions of schools around the planet. And we are making more progress and winning more victories for animals nearly every day.
Many have tried to stop us, and many will continue to do so. There is too much money to be made from the suffering and killing of animals. Yes, we still face enormous obstacles in our battle to save animals, but PETA is now taken seriously, as seriously, I would argue, as any other social justice movement.
We are opening eyes, hearts, and minds as never before, fostering empathy, unlocking hidden secrets, exposing the truth, and ending animal suffering. There is not a single day that goes by when I do not feel prouder than ever before to be a part of PETA’s global campaigns to raise awareness of animals and our 24/7 work to save their lives and end their abuse. Nor have I ever felt more hopeful than I do today for a better tomorrow for animals.
My own work will continue for as long as possible. Our four rescue cats are grateful for that, I hope, although one of my biggest regrets is that I cannot speak “cat” as well as they speak “human.” I trust that my legacy will be continued by others whose own skills and passion are even greater than my own.
I also want my legacy to include as generous a gift to PETA as I can muster. The animals deserve nothing less as does our work to end their suffering. I hope you will do the same if you have not already done so. Thank you!
And please remember, inside every animal there is someone.
