Animals Category Map
Mike the Headless Chicken
Update! See below.
Sometimes you come across a story that really, really seems too weird to be true. Sure we've all heard about chickens who run around the barnyard after getting their heads chopped off. But for over a year? So in an effort to know, for sure, that the news is The Truth, I went looking for evidence that Mike was real. Here's what I found -- and the story from the 26 March 2000 issue of This is True.
April Fool!
First, it's just a fun story. But it was extra fun for me since I know one of the principals involved: Mark Mason, an on-air personality at KEX radio in Portland, Ore. Anytime I'm in Portland, Mark has me on his show, and it's a blast to be there. Anyway, the story, from True's 4 April 2004 issue:
The Truth about PETA
Does PETA protect and nurture the animals placed in its care? Find out -- this story is from True's 17 July 2005 issue. (Letters and more commentary have been added to the very end of this page. Go there.)
"Ethical" Defined
After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster over four weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptacle behind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watched the occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two people in the van and found 18 dead dogs in plastic bags in the dumpster, including puppies; 13 more dead dogs were still in the van. Police say the van is registered to the headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, and Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsy performed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed. Police say PETA has been picking up the animals -- alive -- from North Carolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook and Hinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. In response to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it's against the group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "that for some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option than euthanasia." (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) ...Oops, my mistake: that's "Playing God" Defined.
PETA: Pretend Ethics Totally Abused
I challenged the several PETA defenders who complained about my story and/or editorial (which is on the main PETA story page) to try to justify PETA's actions. Which fact(s) did they dispute? What is their source for "more correct" data? And how can anyone justify throwing dead animals in the garbage? I noted that no one replied with answers to those questions.
Reader Thomas in Pennsylvania took up the challenge. This is the full exchange I had with him, unedited (even if I see typos as I review it now) except of course for HTML coding for display here. Thomas's portion is indented and in blue; my replies are not.
PETA's Reply
An official spokeswoman from PETA headquarters responded to the PETA page, which contains my story, a brief editorial, and some interaction with readers. The response is specifically replying to that page, not simply the story itself, yet she didn't really address the most important points that were brought up on that page. Here it is, unedited and in its entirety. My response follows.
Wed, 10 Aug 2005 10:57:11Dear Mr. Cassingham:
The two individuals mentioned in your editorial The Truth About PETA, (7/17/05) are compassionate people. Ms. Hinkle has helped countless animals, delivering free houses to dogs left out in the cold without shelter, providing free veterinary care, and even helping to build the first cat shelter in Bertie County, N.C.
PETA has no magic wand to place the droves of unwanted animals in loving homes. But we have prevented suffering by providing euthanasia services because before we did so, animals were shot with a .22, gassed in a windowless metal box, and injected with a paralytic agent that left them to suffocate, fully conscious as their organs seized up. We have also found homes for many animals, sterilized others free of charge, cleaned the shelters, sent wardens to training programs, and worked with local veterinarians. At the same time, we have pressed the counties to implement a spay/neuter program and an adoption program, to open during evening hours, and more, but so far this has not happened.
Please, if you would like to help stop animal killings, stay away from pet shops, adopt from your local shelter, spay or neuter, and never abandon animals when they become inconvenient. Readers can visit HelpingAnimals.com to learn how else to help.
Sincerely,
Daphna Nachminovitch, Director
Domestic Animals and Wildlife Rescue & Information
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Here Kitty Kitty!
Another example of a photo really adding to a story. From True's 25 June 2006 issue:
Bearcat
Suzanne Giovanetti of West Milford, N.J., was sitting reading when her husband said there was a bear in their back yard. She grabbed her camera and ran out on her deck to find the bear had been treed -- by the neighbor's tabby cat, Jack. After 10-15 minutes the bear finally jumped out of the tree and ran, with Jack in hot pursuit. It escaped by climbing another tree. "He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Jack's owner said. (Newark Star-Ledger) ...Yeah, but the bear doesn't know Jack.
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