If Orcas Have Constitutional Rights, Don’t the Dogs and Cats PETA Kills, Too?
In reaction to news that a California federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on behalf of five orcas alleging “slavery,” the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) announced it is considering filing a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court. CCF would represent the 25,000-plus dogs and cats that PETA has killed since 1998 whose “rights” have been violated under the 5th and 8th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
“Clearly, being taken in by PETA is cruel and unusual punishment for America’s cats and dogs,” CCF Senior Research Analyst J. Justin Wilson stated. “PETA kills 6 dogs and cats every day without giving them the due process they are entitled to.”
This week, a federal judge in California dismissed a PETA lawsuit on behalf of five orcas at SeaWorld parks, stating that only humans have Constitutional rights. Wilson recognized that the CCF suit might still be viable in a different federal district court.
“Frankly, if PETA is so concerned about the rights of a few killer whales, what about the rights of the pets it routinely kills?” Wilson asked. CCF may appeal for litigation support from former The Price is Right host Bob Barker, a well-known animal rights activist.
A 2010 inspection of 290 PETA animal custody records performed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services discovered that PETA killed 84 percent of the animals it took control of within only 24 hours. Additionally, the inspection discovered that PETA’s animal shelter didn’t meet PETA’s own published guidelines for running a humane shelter.
“Don’t Rover and Fluffy have a right to life—or at least a court hearing, public defender, and an exhaustive appeals process before they get the PETA lethal injection?” Wilson asked. “Let’s not forget that these animals are also entitled to speedy trial and the right to vote when they turn 18—or 3, adjusted for dog years.”
For more information go to www.PETAKillsAnimals.com
