surpriseddoggieThis week, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffee signed a bill into law that clarifies that a private animal shelter is “a facility operated for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive  homes for animals.” While this definition seems obvious to  most of us, the passage of this legislation has really ticked  off the animal liberation organization PETA, whose “animal  shelter” was specifically targeted by this law.

PETA operates an “animal shelter” in Norfolk, Va. that kills over 90% of the animals in its care. Last year, PETA’s shelter euthanized 1,536 cats and 788 dogs. Despite PETA’s desperate lobbying against the legislation, it was apparent to Virginia lawmakers that PETA wasn’t operating a “private animal shelter,” and the law passed overwhelmingly. Yet, PETA is now claiming in light of this new law that it has always been in the business of providing permanent adoptive homes.

After the passage of this legislation, a PETA spokeswoman “told The Huffington Post by email that PETA intends to keep up its work.” O’Brien also told The Huffington Post that most of the animals PETA takes in are, “old, sick, and injured animals.” The implication here is clear, despite the passage of legislation specifically targeting PETA’s facility, PETA plans to flout the law and continue to kill animals. PETA has previously told the media that only half of the animals it kills are adoptable, so no one should believe its latest spin.

One would think that the public outcry against PETA’s kill shelter, as well as bipartisan condemnation by Virginia lawmakers who voted for the passage of the legislation, would make PETA rethink the operation of this facility. The fact that PETA plans to run this facility with a business-as-usual mentality only tells us one thing, PETA will stop at nothing to kill animals.