Claudine Erlandson—compassionate, longtime PETA member and dedicated champion for animals—has passed away.

PETA is honoring her with an engraved leaf on the Tree of Life memorial sculpture at our U.S. headquarters, the Sam Simon Center, in Norfolk, Virginia, that reads:

In Loving Memory of

Claudine Erlandson

An Angel for Animals

Claudine first joined PETA in 1988 and became one of our most dedicated supporters. She never missed an opportunity to help animals, a passion that earned her a PETA “Hero to Animals” Award in 2014. She was a regular at our Ringling Bros. circus demonstrations before its cruel spectacle shut down in 2017, and she even held her own weekly demonstrations outside KFC and McDonald’s as part of PETA’s campaigns to get these fast-food giants to stop scalding chickens to death.

Claudine frequently wrote letters to the editor and made online comments in behalf of animals, and she met regularly with the committee that oversees animal experiments at the University of Washington to plead for the animals’ freedom. She was a generous member of our Vanguard Society and Augustus Club, donating proceeds from garage sales, her former thrift store, and even the sale of property on eBay to strengthen PETA’s vital work.

As if all that weren’t enough to showcase Claudine’s commitment to animals, she also kept our offices stocked with gift bags and handmade catnip balls for rescued cats—and her arm was adorned with a beautiful PETA tattoo! She’d never be caught without PETA literature in hand and a PETA bag on her arm.

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk has these words to share: “Claudine was brave and humorous until the end. Rest in peace, our dear friend.”

Ingrid has also sent personal condolences to Claudine’s children, Anne and Marc. May they take comfort in knowing that their mother’s compassionate actions made a tremendous difference in the lives of animals.

Thank you, Claudine, for everything that you’ve done to make the world a kinder place for all sentient beings.