PETA employees killing their adopted cute puppies and dumping the bodies!

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 04:26 PM

Print Story: PETA workers cleared of animal cruelty on Yahoo! News

PETA workers cleared of animal cruelty

By SAMUEL SPIES, Associated Press WriterSat Feb 3, 12:38 AM ET

A jury cleared two animal rights workers of animal cruelty charges Friday for euthanizing cats and dogs they took from shelters, but both were convicted of littering for dumping the carcasses in a trash bin.

Adria Hinkle and Andrew Cook, two employees of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, were cleared of eight misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Hinkle also was found not guilty on three felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Both received a 10-day suspended jail sentence and a year of supervised probation. Their van will be confiscated by police and each was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines and restitution. They will also each have to serve 50 hours of community service.

As she left the courtroom after the two-week trial, Hinkle said she was relieved. "Justice was served," she said.

"The important thing is the jury recognized they were never guilty of cruelty," PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. "We're relieved, we're happy."

"It's a disgrace," said Andrea Press, a member of Responsible Dog Owners of Eastern States. "PETA preaches to everybody not to hurt and kill animals. And they just proved it's OK for them to do it. They're hypocrites."

The animals were picked up from several shelters in northeast North Carolina. The pair testified that they euthanized the animals in the back of their van to relieve the animals' suffering.

They said they disposed of the bodies in a garbage bin rather than drive them back to PETA offices in Virginia, because the stench from the carcasses was overwhelming.

Hinkle, 28, of Norfolk, Va., and Cook, 26, of Virginia Beach were arrested in June 2005 after police said they saw them dump several bags of dead animals into a trash bin behind a grocery store. Police said they found more dead animals in the pair's van.

Apparently it's customary for PETA employees to adopt animals, kill them and then dump them in garbage cans. Yet they get mad if I eat a cheeseburger or wear a leather belt!

I don't understand the logic here. I also think they should have been convicted of animal cruelty. If I had adopted many cats and dogs for the purpose of killing them I would be charged and they would hire lawyers to make sure it happened. What's with the double standard. Just because they're nutjobs who think they're saving animals doesn't mean they should be held to a lesser standard. These are the laws they petitioned to have on the books. If anyone should be subject to them, it's these morons.

motivez · 02-04-2007, 04:38 PM

PETA sucks, and at least there's a valid criticism here of the organization unlike in certain circumstances in the past, where they were griped at for owning stock of companies that do practice 'cruel' methods of killing.

Anyway, hopefully this hurts their credibility. Even if their intentions are good, their methods are retarded.

Diesel66 · 02-04-2007, 04:42 PM

Just the fact that one of their head people uses insulin made from horses but wants to ban medical testing on animals is more then enough

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 05:02 PM

It's customary because of two employees?

Also, I can't say I entirely disagree with what they are doing, dogs that aren't wanted are put to sleep all the time, they are for the ethical treatment of animals...which would you rather...being locked in a small cage barely able to move for months/years until you die, or taken out of your misery by an overdose that just puts you to sleep and then peacefully shuts you down

I've been knocked out for dental surgery, if I had to pick a way to go, that would be it

Diesel66 · 02-04-2007, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

It's customary because of two employees?

Also, I can't say I entirely disagree with what they are doing, dogs that aren't wanted are put to sleep all the time, they are for the ethical treatment of animals...which would you rather...being locked in a small cage barely able to move for months/years until you die, or taken out of your misery by an overdose that just puts you to sleep and then peacefully shuts you down

I've been knocked out for dental surgery, if I had to pick a way to go, that would be it

Many shelters are changing to non-kill. Do you really think the 1 week to 1 month is enough time for every dog/cat to be adopted before they are killed ?

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

It's customary because of two employees?

It's customary because they have a practice of bringing dead carcasses back to their headquarters and the employees are doing it on the orders and with the consent of their organization.

It's also been exposed that PETA does customarily euthanize animals at their headquarters. It is common practice for PETA to kill animals.

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

It's customary because they have a practice of bringing dead carcasses back to their headquarters and the employees are doing it on the orders and with the consent of their organization.

It's also been exposed that PETA does customarily euthanize animals at their headquarters. It is common practice for PETA to kill animals.

I did not see that in the article

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

I did not see that in the article

The reason they were dumped was because they started smelling too bad before they could get them to the headquarters for disposal.

Also it's been revealed that they euthanize thousands of animals every year at the headquarters.

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

The reason they were dumped was because they started smelling too bad before they could get them to the headquarters for disposal.

Also it's been revealed that they euthanize thousands of animals every year at the headquarters.

I did not see the latter in the article, and bringing in dead animals for a proper disposal shouldn't be questioned at any place that handles dead/dying animals

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

I did not see the latter in the article, and bringing in dead animals for a proper disposal shouldn't be questioned at any place that handles dead/dying animals

Isn't it a bit ironic that their PETA offices would be the place of handling dead/decaying animals?

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Isn't it a bit ironic that their PETA offices would be the place of handling dead/decaying animals?

No, considering they generally want an ethical treatment of the bodies of animals during/after death

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

No, considering they generally want an ethical treatment of the bodies of animals during/after death

.. but they're the ones killing them, while protesting animal shelters that commit euthanasia. See... they lie to the shelters to adopt the animals and then kill them. Then they protest shelters for committing euthanasia. So PETA protests euthanizing animals, but then does it themselves. It makes no sense and shows they're hypocrites.

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

.. but they're the ones killing them, while protesting animal shelters that commit euthanasia. See... they lie to the shelters to adopt the animals and then kill them. Then they protest shelters for committing euthanasia. So PETA protests euthanizing animals, but then does it themselves. It makes no sense and shows they're hypocrites.

Unless there is a split in the group, which would not be uncommon in groups with political messages

Republicans go out everyday talking against abortion, yet some Republicans are pro-choice...are they hypocrits or is there a split of opinion?

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Unless there is a split in the group, which would not be uncommon in groups with political messages

Republicans go out everyday talking against abortion, yet some Republicans are pro-choice...are they hypocrits or is there a split of opinion?

When the headquarters euthanizes in their own building and then sends out their workers to protest shelters from doing it, then they are hypocrites.

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

When the headquarters euthanizes in their own building and then sends out their workers to protest shelters from doing it, then they are hypocrites.

Again, I don't see proof that the entire HQ knew of that going on

If they did, they're hypocrits...which is one of the tamest charges I've heard about them from the right

JaJae · 02-04-2007, 08:01 PM

Shelter officials said they were unaware that PETA planned to euthanize most of the animals, but a PETA representative testified that she told county officials of the policy.

PETA workers cleared of animal cruelty - Yahoo! News

Hinkle testified that she and Cook euthanized the animals in the back of her van. She said they were supposed to bring the carcasses back to PETA's offices in Norfolk, Va., but that the stench in her van had overwhelmed her in the past.

"The smell was so bad that it was hard to drive home," Hinkle testified.

She said she and Cook decided to drop the animal carcasses into a bin behind a grocery store in Hertford County, about 50 miles southwest of Norfolk.

PETA worker apologizes in animal dumping - Yahoo! News

Thorgrim · 02-04-2007, 08:20 PM

There's certainly evidence, but they didn't say it was company wide policy and they could have been saying they were supposed to always bring back bodies they had to the HQ

It's not a great counter-argument, but I am not connected to PETA and they have not officially responded...so in lack of a counter argument I am forced to be skeptical

Kytro · 02-04-2007, 08:34 PM

I believe that Penn & Teller did an episode on PETA, while that isn't authoritative they do raise some good points.

PETA does have an official policy regarding euthanasia, but the problem is the outlook of many of those involved is a form of extremism

motivez · 02-04-2007, 11:13 PM

Penn & Teller's episode was pretty stupid I thought.. and I'm a huge fan of theirs.

They focused a lot on the fact that PETA owns shares of companies that they protest (Like KFC I believe), like it's somehow hypocritical.

On the contrary though, shareholders have rights.. and they used their position as a shareholder to protest the way the company was slaughtering chickens.

I think that's smart, not hypocritical.