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PETA has once again found itself on the wrong side of public opinion after sparking a huge backlash from its tweets criticizing the late Steve Irwin, a much-loved TV presenter and wildlife conservationist who passed away in 2006.
The animal rights group decided to go on the attack on what would've been Irwin's 57th birthday after Google chose to honor the wildlife biologists' memory with one of their 'doodles.'
“Today's Google Doodle celebrates Steve Irwin, the legendary Australian wildlife advocate & TV personality whose bravery & passion opened the eyes of millions to the wonders of wildlife," Google tweeted, alongside a sweet tribute picture of the 'crocodile hunter.' People's reactions were overwhelmingly positive, sharing their favorite memories of the lovable larrikin and some saying they were moved to tears.
However, PETA, with their usual smug, contrarian and joy-killing attitude, was having none of it. "Steve Irwin was killed while harassing a ray," they wrote. "He dangled his baby while feeding a crocodile and wrestled wild animals who were minding their own business. Today's Google Doodle sends a dangerous, fawning message. Wild animals are entitled to be left alone in their natural habitats."
Needless to say, people were far from impressed. While there may be a glimmer of a point in PETA's scandalous statement, Irwin did, of course, dramatize his show by getting quite physical with animals at times, his fans were quick to point out the hypocrisy of PETA. Some highlighted the rate at which PETA kills animals in their shelters and their lack of tangible conservation efforts; Irwin and his family founded and maintain a large conservation sanctuary, contributing to the protection and rehabilitation of thousands of animals, while PETA seems to spend more and more time creating divisive and controversial 'awareness' campaigns.
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#1
Aurelia Grey 6 years ago
Steve Irwin many legacies including educating people about all forms of wild life. Peta is pathetic.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
I'd go a step further and just flat-out call PETA evil. Kidnapping people's pets and murdering them, launching a campaign to demonize a breed of dog, taking the money people donate to animals and lining their own pockets, etc, etc... PETA doesn't give a c**p about animals.
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Dinah Afiqah 6 years ago
PETA acts like they're saving animals and that they're the messiah of the animal kningdom and all animala but we, the general public, (except those who support peta and continuously defend them no matter what PETA does) KBOW THE TRUTH AND KNOW PETA FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. I'm sure there are other true animal rights organisations ACTUALLY helping animals.
Janet Wasiuta 6 years ago
He was a great human being with the best intentions and a heart of GOLD WE LOVED STEVE IRWIN ND HIS FAMILY xoxo <3
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
PETA is a bunch of idiots who wouldn't know how to handle a wild animal if it bit them collectively on the a*s. This is the crooked bunch who believe pets 'should be set free to live their lives' contributing to overpopulation, disease and starvation of these animals, never mind road kill, etc. They disgust me, and anyone who supports them is either too stupid to live, or just as venal as the founder.
Kevin Dondrea 6 years ago
Peta is the equivalent of my fellow Christians that think killing an Abortion Doctor is what God wants them to do. :(
Mary Stiles 6 years ago
I HATE PETA THEY ARE SO BIASED AND ACT LIKE ANYTHING WITH ANYTHING ABOUT IS ABSOLUTLEY HORRIBLE!!!! NEXT THING YOU KNOW, HAVING A PET IS HORRIBLE!!!!!😠😠😠😠😒😩😡😡😡😡😡
Elise Hickman 6 years ago
PETA sucks! They’re failing their job and so is the government! THEY’RE SO MEAN TO INSULT A DEAD MAN 😡
Steve Irwin's family run Australia Zoo, which was opened by Steve's parents Bob and Lyn back in 1970. Steve had helped his parents since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. As Steve's TV show grew in popularity and generated extra funds, Steve and his wife Terri put all money raised from filming and merchandise into conservation and building new exhibits.
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#2
Quinn Alexander 6 years ago
Brutus and Pixie is the perfect analogy for this kind of situation.
#3
JustaCatBoy 6 years ago (edited)
Jack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm happy to see he's even defending Steve Irwin's title.
Sooploosh MacSchnibble 3 years ago
This made me almost laugh. I'm supposed to be doing my homework so I had to bite myself to suppress it.
The TV series was called Crocodile Hunter and Steve co-hosted it with his wife Terri. It debuted on Australian TV screens in 1996 and made its way onto North American television the following year. The show soon became successful in the United States, the UK,and over 130 other countries, almost 500 million people came to be familiar with Steve's unique personality. His enthusiastic presenting style, broad Aussie accent, and catchphrases like "Crikey!" became known all over the world. Sir David Attenborough, the iconic British nature presenter, was also a fan of Steve and credited him for introducing many to the natural world. "He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was, he was a born communicator," he said.
#4
Kjorn 6 years ago (edited)
he was an animal lover. like we were all when we were kids. i didn't have steve Irwin when i was Young. i had National Geographic and the O'maha Mutual
Linda McFarland 6 years ago
you hit the nail on the head dear Steve! I just saw your son Robert on Jimmy Fallon last night, He is so smart and awesome at 15 years old, the image of you! I know you are guiding him from your Heavenly home! I am a 78 year old great granny and my dream is to visit your Awesome zoo and meet your family, but I have to be content with seeing them on TV. Keep up the good work lovely Terri, talented Bindi, winner on DWTS. and Robert the Croc hunter Jr. lOVE YOU.
Cian Thomas McHugh 5 years ago
He actually did something to help animals, unlike a certain organization *cough* Peta *cough*
#5
Alethia Nyx 6 years ago
Simple, and to the point, without being nasty or rude. Spot on Mr Hogg. 100% agree.
SirPatTheCat 6 years ago
Honestly I think (although it I s unnecessary) it would be ok to be rude. Seriously who the f**k do they think they are.
Laura Perkinson 6 years ago
The never will. PETA is the company who tried to put anti-freeze in dogs crates at dogs shows, the treat was so real the dog shows had to hire security, OETA is the company that lets hundreds of Mink out of gages only to watch them kill each other or starve. PETA is a cruel ORG who has one intent. taking your pet away, if they can and killing it!
Steve was incredibly passionate about animals and conservation, and thought that sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people was the best way to promote environmental awareness. He was particularly concerned with the conservation of endangered animals and land clearing, which leads to loss of habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species," he once said.
#6
Lynzi Oliver-Musto 6 years ago
Indeed, we "Poms" would be delighted to assist. It's about time somebody showed these blighters what for!
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Vic 6 years ago
@PETA, you know you are terrible when you anger a Canadian
Load More Replies... #7
HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 6 years ago
This made me tear up a little bit, it's 3am and i feel emotional now.
HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 6 years ago (edited)
Shut the f**k up, do you work for PETA?. I'm a hardline vegan and vegan protester, there is nothing bad to say about Steve Irwin, ideally no animals should be in zoos etc but i have been to Australia Zoo and they are amazing to the animals, they are clearly happy and looked after, no cages only big enclosures. What the Irwin's have done is worthy of respect from any vegan or animal lover.
Load More Replies...Steve founded the 'Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation,' which became an independent charity and was later renamed 'Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.' He also helped found 'International Crocodile Rescue, 'the 'Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund' (named in memory of his mother, who died in an automobile crash in 2000), and the 'Iron Bark Station Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility.'
#8
Sierra Batten 6 years ago
I don't even understand how PETA is even and organization anymore!!!
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
And non-profit,so they aren't even useful for taxes!
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Louise Brigance 6 years ago
It's shame really. An organization that started out with good and noble intentions then they started to believe their own infallibility. Noble and good became righteous and condemning.
#9
Phil Boswell 6 years ago
Indeed, and not all Baptists go to Westboro Church…
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Michèle Gyselinck 6 years ago
Peta doesn't do ANYTHING constructive. All they want is to rain on other people's parade. Spiteful bunch. Kick their asses.
Quinn Alexander 6 years ago
That would assume veganism is to homophobia as PETA is to Westboro.
On the 4th September 2006, Steve was on location at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, Australia, filming the documentary series Ocean's Deadliest. In his spare time, Steve decided to snorkel in shallow waters while being filmed, he wanted to help get some footage for his daughter, Bindi, and her television programme.
While swimming in chest-deep water, Steve approached a short-tail stingray from the rear, so he could film it swimming away.
According to the incident's only witness, “All of a sudden [the stingray] propped on its front and started stabbing wildly with its tail. Hundreds of strikes in a few seconds”. Irwin initially believed he only had a punctured lung. However, the stingray's barb pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death. The stingray's behaviour appeared to have been a defensive response to being boxed in.
#10
Alliy 6 years ago (edited)
I mean, he and his family have only saved thousands of animals from going extinct.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
Point: animals are individually killed; species go extinct...
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Hobbit Girly 6 years ago
The reason why he brought animals to talk shows and stuff was to raise better awareness for the animals. Please shut your mouth, PETA.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
PETA actually had a legitimate sanctuary raided,and officially 'took charge of' I forget how many 'domesticated' wild animals (in other words, those imprinted with man who couldn't be released into the wild, let alone some didn't belong in the US, like tigers.) They took the animals to one of their --ahem!--'shelters' and immediately killed them all.
#11
Kaisu Rei 6 years ago
Peta is a garbage organisation and everyone should stop supporting it, the are plenty of animal's rights organizations you can support that actually care about the animals
Bacony 6 years ago
Like the RSPCA! The RSPCA actually do the job of attempting to save animals without Pitbull Holocausts!
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Kim Lorton 6 years ago
Yeah, and good old Pamela Anderson who supported you all, while still wearing leather, and fur coats... oops! Did she miss the memo about not wearing animal skins or fur?
Crouching_Penn_Hidden_Teller@yahoo.com 6 years ago
why bring up the fact that he was married and has kids? most of those Peta idiots breed too. Marriage and breeding does not equal moral superiority.
FortnitePlayerGirl 6 years ago
No human is better off dead unless it's the Power and Profit-Hungry PETA manager.
Edwin Lesperance 6 years ago
Humans are animals, too. Steve Irwin was an animal, Homo Sapiens. Where's your ethical treatment of animals?
Michèle Gyselinck 6 years ago
The more I think about ti, the more I'm convinced that PETA is the animal world's equivalent of Monsanto. To its credit Monsanto doesn't pretend to be holier than thou.
Steve's legacy lives on, through his various conservation organisations and his family, who still own and run Australia Zoo. “We want to make sure that his message of wildlife and conservation continues,” his daughter, Bindi, said. “Because he was the world’s greatest conservationist and we never want that message to die.”
#12
random guy375 5 years ago
I regained some hope in humanity till you said that
Load More Replies... Karen Klinck 6 years ago
I wonder how many people that would dump on the welfare system--they'll never actually WORK for a living! (Not the welfare clients, the PETA people.)
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David Madden 6 years ago
I usually do not condone violence of any kind but I would not be opposed to seeing PETA burned to the ground.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
I want their non-profit status reviewed. Now. Just how many people does that organization support, anyway? The founder lives in a luxury home, on a 'salary' for founding PETA!
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Jilltdcatlady 6 years ago
I fell for the Fake News because it made feel good. And then I went back to 'blergh'.
Nathanael Bundy 6 years ago
I remember the first day I saw this. It was a normal day when my father showed this to me and I cried with the overwhelming joy of the end of PETA. And then I realized something, Irwin was spelled wrong. I then cried tears of sorrow and pain, knowing PETA still existed.
#13
Wings 6 years ago
Her death was unfair and involved breaking the law. I wholeheartedly agree
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#14
Kaisu Rei 6 years ago
Yep, Peta should stop pretending they care about animals, and they should stop using a dead man in order to make people talk about them
Candice Ravel 6 years ago
You mean the invisible shelters? PETA is a terrorist organization that only exists to collect money and murder critters white pretending to help them.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
Don't forget the entire wildlife sanctuary they ruined, and killed the inhabitants...
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#15
Pineapple Queen 6 years ago
https://www.change.org/p/people-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-peta-officialize-peta-as-a-hate-terrorist-group-or-change-peta-back-to-its-original-idea-when-they-use-to-care-about-animals/psf/promote_or_share
SirPatTheCat 6 years ago
The petition numbers are moving literally faster than the thing can announce
Laura Perkinson 6 years ago
When PETA first started, Ingrid ran it just like it is today. It NEVER had animals welfare in mind, never.
Connor Johnson 6 years ago
https://www.change.org/p/people-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals-peta-officialize-peta-as-a-hate-terrorist-group-or-change-peta-back-to-its-original-idea-when-they-use-to-care-about-animals
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#17
#18
#19
Jason Harper 6 years ago (edited)
Great post. I just sent them $$ too. https://wildlifewarriors.org.au/support/united-states?givalanche=2pLFS5l
Ruth Beaty 6 years ago
Well, guess where my charity donation is going this month? PETA, NOT! It's going to Steve's conservation efforts where it will actually do some good.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
I know the Stationary Ark on the Isle of Man is one of the initial wildlife conservation efforts. They too are listed as a zoo, but they also breed animals for release back into their native habitat. So does the Wildlife Park at Longleat,outside Bath, England.
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lakitha tolbert 6 years ago (edited)
Steve Irwin is a perfect example of how you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Enthusiasm, love, and passion, works far better at changing people’s attitudes, than shaming and guilting them. PETA are the ones who should feel shame.
#20
Steve Cruz 6 years ago
PETA lost me when they lost focus on their MISSION. Now it's any complaint and every complaint.
#21
Kaisu Rei 6 years ago
Exactly, focus on doing your good work for the animals and don't spend energy and time replying to the pieces of s**t at Peta
Bacony 6 years ago
Peta is nothing but a Turd Tower that people mindlessly follow because they fell to the propaganda.
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Noah Gibson-fowlkes 5 years ago
don't waste your time getting mad at PETA, that's what the internets for
#22
Bacony 6 years ago
&*$# OFF TO OUTER SPACE SEE WHO SUPPORTS YOU AND YOUR BAND OF CRONIES WHEN YOU'RE NEXT TO A BUNCH OF ANGRY FLORANS EH?
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#23
Master Markus 6 years ago
Would've been more beautiful if they corrected the word to "attack" because it took me too long to understand what that was meant to mean.
Naomi Armitage 6 years ago (edited)
I wouldn't want to attach PETA to anything, except maybe a flaming pile of garbage being hurled into the sun. Now *attacking them is a different story...
Michèle Gyselinck 6 years ago
Wrong, calling PETA an animal is insulting to animals. No animal would do or say what that organization does.
Bacony 6 years ago
Actually it's a brick. PETA is a brick full of garbage, lice, ticks, pre-peeled bananas in plastic wrappers, faecal matter, mosquitoes, slavery, plastic peanuts, and global warming.
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#24
#25
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 6 years ago
Just the millions they slaughter every year, but not ALL animals.
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#26
#27
#28
JessG 6 years ago
Because when you comment on PETA's tweet, or on their website, the PETA "bot" automatically sends a request for a donation.
Load More Replies... #29
Axanthron Myre 6 years ago
They settled for $49,000 and donated $2,000 to the SPCA in 'honor' of the puppy. They were also fined $500 for euthanising the puppy within the 5-day grace period (shelters must wait 5 days before euthanising any animal, Peta euthanised this puppy the same day that they siezed it)
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Klaudiia Sherbatzky 6 years ago
ufff this dogs face breaks my heart I have a chihuahua and it would kill me if someone would harm him
OI Loi 6 years ago
I'm not a big fan of Chihuahuas, but I would never hurt, or even kill one. That's just messed up
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Cian Thomas McHugh 5 years ago
I read up on this, and apparently before the lawsuit PETA gave them a fruit basket and a notice saying their dog had been killed.
Caitlyn Marquez 6 years ago
I was reading about it, and that doggo was a Christmas present for a nine year old girl.
Tammy Allen 6 years ago
MagNat they did it because PETA believes animals should be killed rather than kept as pets.
MagNat 6 years ago
Well, then they should be delegalized, just like any other terrorist group.
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Rose 6 years ago
link to above article 😿 😿 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/17/peta-sorry-for-taking-girls-dog-putting-it-down
Christian Bradshaw 5 years ago
I just read the article. Unrelated note, where can I find the nearest shotgun, and where is PETA headquarters? Asking for a friend
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Aria Elizabeth 6 years ago
Angela Williams you are wrong! He died because the sting ray was just fine swimming with him until the sting ray got spooked by something and Steve was just in the wrong spot.
Kim Heckman Beasley 6 years ago
So glad PETA made this ridiculous, disrespectful comment. Now more people will be educated to their not-so-friendly animal work......like killing over 80% of the dogs they "rescue" and supporting breed-specific-legislation. DON'T SUPPORT PETA.
Foxyloxylou 6 years ago
creator of Spongebob Squarepants. Died in November 2018, unfortunatley,
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Kesyra 6 years ago (edited)
I just wish people would stop donating any money to PETA so they would die out. Unfortunately there are still people who agree with them.
Katinka Min 6 years ago
Well.... they are not ENTIRELY wrong - it is better to just leave wildlife alone, instead of mandhandling it, but, Jeez, bashing Steve Irwing? There are SO MANY aquariums, circusses, zoos, tourist rip-offs where wild animals are kept and tortured for human entertainment, why on earth would you bash on a conservationist whose mission in life was protect wildlife?? PETA is insane.
Carol Emory 6 years ago
Love the comment that PETA is the Westboro Baptist Church of the Vegan world. They really are. And while I give props to the people that go undercover to reveal animal abuse in farming, I also see them as full of c**p. When my husband went vegan, I looked at PETA's list of accidentally vegan food items. Oreos is on the list. I contacted PETA about the sugar in Oreos asking how they verified that it was vegan friendly (most granulated sugar is filtered through cow bone char.) Their response was "We cannot verify that it is not vegan so, therefore, we assume that it is." Excuse me? When the majority of the sugar in the world is non-vegan, you're going to go with the minimal possibility that it's vegan? That's when I realized PETA is made up of a bunch of hypocrites. Send your donations to the Australian Zoo Wildlife Conservation efforts. At least their efforts at animal conservation isn't PETA's equivalent of the Walmart employee that does the minimum to avoid getting fired.
Tae Mae 6 years ago (edited)
PETA are hypocrites. Everyone knows their b******t tactics of grabbing attention for themselves. It's quite well-known that they too do things they claim to oppose like setting kill shelters and s**t because they "can't handle the number of animals rescued" (so they claim. google it. you'll know what i mean.). PETA is nothing but a greedy organization that will do anything to get people to donate and their so-called "causes" to glorify their own names. As an animal-lover myself, I think that PETA is a disgrace to all the other good and legitimate animal protection non-profits out there. PETA is nothing more than a scam and their sweet "lip-service" are nothing more than mere lies about their real goals, which is to just get their name out there and get money from folks foolish enough to fall for their little acts.
Claire Shamgochian 6 years ago
I just want to say that PETA doesn't represent all vegans. I am vegan and I hate them as much if not more than you all. I also hate that people think they are representing my beliefs when they aren't.
The Girl on Fire 6 years ago
PETA doesn't even meet their own standards for running an animal shelter. That's how hypocritical they are.
Patrick Millet 6 years ago
I ca't tell you how much I hate PETA and can't wait for the organization to croak. They choose the dumbest hills to die on, don't even practice what they preach, and are just trash all around
Cassie 6 years ago
I transcribe images for the blind on Reddit (/r/TranscribersOfReddit) and so many of them this weekend were PETA vs Steve Irwin conversations this weekend. Pretty big of them to pick on a guy who can't defend himself. I wonder if they realize how much credibility they lose doing this sort of thing. You're not helping animals if your taking a heaping dump on the very people who do dedicate their lives to actually helping animals.
Kesyra 6 years ago (edited)
I just wish people would stop donating any money to PETA so they would die out. Unfortunately there are still people who agree with them.
Katinka Min 6 years ago
Well.... they are not ENTIRELY wrong - it is better to just leave wildlife alone, instead of mandhandling it, but, Jeez, bashing Steve Irwing? There are SO MANY aquariums, circusses, zoos, tourist rip-offs where wild animals are kept and tortured for human entertainment, why on earth would you bash on a conservationist whose mission in life was protect wildlife?? PETA is insane.
Carol Emory 6 years ago
Love the comment that PETA is the Westboro Baptist Church of the Vegan world. They really are. And while I give props to the people that go undercover to reveal animal abuse in farming, I also see them as full of c**p. When my husband went vegan, I looked at PETA's list of accidentally vegan food items. Oreos is on the list. I contacted PETA about the sugar in Oreos asking how they verified that it was vegan friendly (most granulated sugar is filtered through cow bone char.) Their response was "We cannot verify that it is not vegan so, therefore, we assume that it is." Excuse me? When the majority of the sugar in the world is non-vegan, you're going to go with the minimal possibility that it's vegan? That's when I realized PETA is made up of a bunch of hypocrites. Send your donations to the Australian Zoo Wildlife Conservation efforts. At least their efforts at animal conservation isn't PETA's equivalent of the Walmart employee that does the minimum to avoid getting fired.
Tae Mae 6 years ago (edited)
PETA are hypocrites. Everyone knows their b******t tactics of grabbing attention for themselves. It's quite well-known that they too do things they claim to oppose like setting kill shelters and s**t because they "can't handle the number of animals rescued" (so they claim. google it. you'll know what i mean.). PETA is nothing but a greedy organization that will do anything to get people to donate and their so-called "causes" to glorify their own names. As an animal-lover myself, I think that PETA is a disgrace to all the other good and legitimate animal protection non-profits out there. PETA is nothing more than a scam and their sweet "lip-service" are nothing more than mere lies about their real goals, which is to just get their name out there and get money from folks foolish enough to fall for their little acts.
Claire Shamgochian 6 years ago
I just want to say that PETA doesn't represent all vegans. I am vegan and I hate them as much if not more than you all. I also hate that people think they are representing my beliefs when they aren't.
The Girl on Fire 6 years ago
PETA doesn't even meet their own standards for running an animal shelter. That's how hypocritical they are.
Patrick Millet 6 years ago
I ca't tell you how much I hate PETA and can't wait for the organization to croak. They choose the dumbest hills to die on, don't even practice what they preach, and are just trash all around
Cassie 6 years ago
I transcribe images for the blind on Reddit (/r/TranscribersOfReddit) and so many of them this weekend were PETA vs Steve Irwin conversations this weekend. Pretty big of them to pick on a guy who can't defend himself. I wonder if they realize how much credibility they lose doing this sort of thing. You're not helping animals if your taking a heaping dump on the very people who do dedicate their lives to actually helping animals.
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