I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA

She’s tough. She’s fearless. She’s driven. She’s a brilliant strategist. She’s perhaps the most famous animal rights activist in the world. Get a glimpse inside the daily life of PETA President Ingrid Newkirk—from the moment she wakes up, well before dawn, until the end of a long day spent fighting for the rights of animals.

I watched this special on HBO last night. I don’t really support PETA overall- there are so many facets to the animal rights movement, and PETA has some views, affiliations and tactics I don’t completely agree with; however, I felt moved and understanding at certain points of the documentary. There were a couple of scenes that had me extremely upset, but that has less to do with PETA and more with me just getting upset by seeing animal cruelty. I do recommend this special for viewing, nonetheless.

Awhile back, we had a thread on the boards where I wrote up the next few feelings, which I want to republish now:

I won’t act like I’m some sort of animal rights activist- I’m not vegan, I think PETA is complete bullshit, and I don’t do much to support causes– But if it’s there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s animal cruelty- especially for no reason. I was raised to, at the very least, respect nature. It always seemed like commons sense. There’s a lot of horrible things that happen to animals, and I believe there’s something seriously wrong with people who abuse animals. I mean crazy wrong. Animal testing for science to help humanity- fine. We need to find cures for diseases. Slaughter for food- I can’t stop these things. I try not to think about them. I feel bad about that in a small way. There’s a perception that mistreatment of animals is no big deal, by some, I know; but there’s a line between necessity and inhumanity. Punishments against such actions are not harsh enough.

After watching this documentary, I’m not sure if my opinion about PETA has changed much, even though I want to believe most people following PETA have their hearts in the right place.

I’d like to republish a little bit more from that same thread I mentioned above:

There was a special on HBO a few months ago called Dealing Dogs, about puppy mills- An animal rights group called Last Chance for Animals had a member sign up to work and capture video of the operation. I am not embarrassed to share with you my reaction- tears were streaming down my face for nearly the entire program. I know some people go out of their way to avoid seeing such things, but I believe in knowledge despite how it affects me emotionally.

I know there’s a few people who read my blog and not my boards, and vice versa- so I wanted to post those thoughts again. The inspiration for this write up came from the Newkirk special as mentioned, but that other HBO special in the last quote, Dealing Dogs, was even more moving. We’ve also discussed PETA’s problematic approaches before on the boards, along with the completely opposing view of PETA from Penn & Teller’s Bullshit! episode. (Check that out in full here while it’s still up. Highly recommended.)

I hope some of you get a chance to see some of these programs, and decide how you feel about the animal rights movement. Each year it seems I grow more passionate about making some sort of social change. No, I’m not going vegetarian, nor will I be bombing any medical research labs. Change doesn’t always mean being an extremist or using terrorism tactics. For example, tonight Michelle and I purchased a Christmas ornament that sends proceeds to the Animal Rescue Foundation. In the past, I’ve linked to and promoted a few campaigns sponsored by Last Chance for Animals. We tell people not to purchase dogs from pet stores, and went to the North Shore Animal League (a no kill shelter) to adopt Mickey rather than seek out a breeder. I don’t know if these things actually help, but I’d like to hope so.

I’m curious about how you feel about this. Do any of you feel strongly about a particular animal rights group? Is there something you do that you believe helps change the way animals are treated? Any and all commentary is welcome.

Filed under: Movies, Pets, Society