by: Dawnell Harrison
I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I was when Carla Bennett of PETA agreed to do an e-mail interview with me! PETA’s headquarters are located in Norfolk, Virginia and they have offices in several other major cities and countries. PETA was incorporated in 1980 and made national headlines about one year later with the first-ever conviction of an animal experimenter for cruelty to animals, specifically cruelty to monkeys. (What animal would hurt a monkey?!) PETA then began a series of successful campaigns that ended car manufacturers’ use of animals in crash tests, brought about a mainstream rejection of fur, and caused nearly 600 cosmetics companies to eliminate product-testing on animals, among other successful PETA endeavors in the fight to give animals a genuine voice. When I asked Carla what law regarding animals she would most like to see changed, she expressed that she would like factory farms to be abolished and an overall public change toward vegetarianism. (Great answer...three cheers for Carla!) PETA has approximately 750,000 members and supporters worldwide.