PETA RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST 1,500 ANIMAL DEATHS LAST YEAR

It would appear that pet ownership is not on the list of acceptable practices for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

On the animal rights group’s annual report which was released by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), it shows that 1,456 cats and dogs were euthanized in 2015 at their Virginia-based shelter. According to The Center for Consumer Freedom, that brings their total since the second half of 1998 to nearly 35,000.

Of the thousands of animals that have reached this shelter over the years, almost 75% of them are put down.

PETA has received a great deal of scrutiny lately over several photos a former employee shared with The Daily Caller News Foundation, which were published on the news outlet’s website. These photos depict images of dead dogs in a walk-in freezer, garbage bags, and other disturbing positions.

PETA has also become infamous in the Norfolk, VA area for its treatment not just of stray animals, but of those belonging to people. They were sued last year by the Zarate family, who were seeking damages for an incident in which two PETA employees were found guilty of kidnapping their pet Chihuahua and illegally euthanizing it.

The lawsuit claims $9.7 million in damages and alleges PETA “altered documents submitted to government authorities in an effort to cover up the incident,” and that the defendants’ actions were “part of an established pattern where PETA representatives “routinely kill companion animals in violation of law, regulation and decency.””

Their actions were believed to have motivated the Virginia legislature to enact legislation which defined “animal shelter” as a facility existing for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for animals.

Senate Bill 1381, its official title, passed overwhelmingly in both the House and the Senate. However, a law such as this is not easily or immediately implemented, and more cats and dogs have been put to death since then.

When questioned by The Daily Caller about this growing number of animal deaths, the organization responded by equating such allegations to "How often do you beat your wife?" P

ETA's official answer to questions about the euthanization of puppies:

“It’s clear from your deliberately false and misleading questions that no matter how we answer, we’re not going to be given a fair shake. These questions are like, ‘How often do you beat your wife?’ Whatever your source, it is wrong. Thus, this is the only response you will receive from us.”