Editor's Note:
Walking Horse Report Online is posting this article, with
permission, as it appeared on www.townhall.com.

    Shocking news from rural North Carolina late last week -- the story of two People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) employees caught killing  and dumping 31 dogs and cats -- has left animal-rights activists from coast to coast scratching their heads.
    While PETA lectures Americans about the ³evils² of eating meat, wearing wool, taking children to the circus, and using lab rats to help cure cancer, the group puts to death most of the actual flesh-and-blood animals entrusted to it by the public. And judging  from the 62 felony charges handed down last week, the manner in which some of these animals were executed and disposed of appears to be anything but ³ethical.²
    As we¹re finding out from the North Carolina case, PETA picks up dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from shelters and veterinarians, often with assurances that new homes will be found for them. But in 2003, PETA killed mover 85 percent of the animals it took in.
    In North Carolina, the animals -- including at least seven puppies and two kittens -- were dead less than an hour after two PETA employees picked them up. All 31 were killed in a windowless cage-lined van, apparently with drugs the PETA pair were not legally authorized to dispense. And authorities say the self-proclaimed more-ethical-than-thou PETA discarded their bodies mingloriously (and illegally) in a strip-mall dumpster.
    If anyone else were responsible for these animals¹ deaths, PETA would
hold a press conference to condemn them. Instead, it¹s desperately
scrambling to preserve what¹s left of its public image.
    PETA has acknowledged killing over 10,000 animals between 1998 and 2003; recent reporting suggests PETA added 2,200 more to its body count in 2004. All while presiding over a fundraising operation that brought in nearly $29 million last year.
    With that kind of money, PETA could afford to care for every single one of the animals it picks up -- if it weren¹t spending millions turning
children into vegetarians, demonizing people who don¹t have an all-polyester wardrobe, and misleading Americans about the medical breakthroughs that have only come about through the use of research animals. PETA even pays for the bail and legal expenses of animals activists who -- like this week¹s unintentional celebrities -- run afoul of the law.
    It¹s time for Americans who want to help animals to stop sending money to PETA, and start supporting their local animal shelters instead. You can help. Visit www.PetaKillsAnimals.com to learn the whole story. If you know any PETA members, tell them about their group¹s disgraceful behavior. Consider making a small donation to help the Center for Consumer Freedom tell Congress, the media, and ordinary Americans that PETA¹s warm-and-fuzzy image is a deadly sham.