This week The ChickPeeps have an indepth discussion about the world's largest and most formidable animal rights organisation, PETA aka People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Founded in 1980, by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco, PETA made a name for itself with its trademark provocative, headline-grabbing, Animal Rights' campaigns and demonstrations. However, PETA’s bold and controversial tactics often mean that their reputation, depicted in the mainstream media, obscures their tireless efforts to improve the lives of animals. Evy talks to Tylor about what it’s like to work for PETA and then we interview the fiercely passionate, dauntless and unfailingly kind leader of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk to discuss what PETA was like in the early days and to address the myths that shadow the organisation. Also on this episode…

• ‘Peta has a lot of enemies because we’re making it harder to hurt animals.’
• How PETA grew from 5 members in an apartment in Washington D.C. to a worldwide organisation of 6.5 million members.
• Ingrid shares how to overcome personal doubt and fear when staging a public protest
• "We took a leaf out of all those books of other social movements which is ‘Say the truth and say it strong.’"
• ‘It’s not about the messenger’ - Ingrid explains how to handle the backlash from people who want you to stay quiet about animal rights.
• Pets: Is having a pet ethical?
• Why is euthanasia necessary in PETA’s shelters, and the differences between Open Admission and No-Kill shelters.
• The Monkey Selfie Lawsuit: The reasoning behind why PETA invested in legal defence for photography rights for Naruto, the Macaque.
• Ingrid recounts a near death experience that inspired her will, and how her body will continue her work after she’s gone.
• We ask Ingrid how she processes the horrifying things she’s seen: ‘I cry a lot’.
• ‘Dwelling on your own feelings is not that useful’.
• Tips on how to talk to people wearing Canada Goose jackets.
• PETA’s 2018 goals: ‘Let’s close Seaworld in 2018.’
• Sojourner Truth: Ingrid’s heroine and inspiration as an activist

Links:

PETA Myth Debunker

HBO Documentary on Ingrid and PETA

How Canada Goose Jackets are Made

SeaWorld of Hurt

Ingrid's Book Recommendation: Animal Liberation

Ingrid's Heroine: Sojourner Truth

Ingrid's Twitter

Ingrid's Biography

PETA Homepage

Social Media

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Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch