What is PETA?

If I were to ask random passers-by on the street, most would tell me that PETA is an animal rights organization which works to attain better treatment for animals. If I were to ask those same passers-by what animal rights is, they would probably tell me something similar...something along the lines of it being the desire to have animals treated well. Neither of those statements is entirely correct. What I'll lay out for you are the facts about what PETA is. I'll take some of these points into more detail in a later entry after I choose which I'd like to elaborate on first and maybe get some feedback from readers.

For the sake of time, I will give very curt definitions but have linked you to a better, more in-depth definition below:
Animal rights advocates are driven by the idea that humans have no right to use animals for any purpose.
Animal welfare advocates are driven by the idea that humans have a right to humanely use animals for various purposes.
For more, see animal rights vs. animal welfare.

So, what is PETA? PETA is an animal rights organization. But what does that mean?

1. PETA is against the use of animals for human consumption
Not only are they against the use of animals for human consumption, but they actively promote a vegan lifestyle.

2. PETA is against the use of animals for testing in labs
No matter whether the testing is being done in humane conditions (sanitary environment, adequate housing, consideration given to their innate needs) or what the testing is being done for (i.e. no matter whether it's for cosmetics or for cancer), PETA is against it. They are also against the use of animals in dissection for educational purposes.

3. PETA is against the use of animals for clothing
This is not just in relation to furs, but also the use of wool and leather for clothing.

4. PETA is against the use of animals for entertainment
This means they are against circuses, Sea World, and even rodeos.

5. PETA supports legislation considered to be anti-pet
PETA advocates for legislation which appears to help animals but that when examined, is considered to be anti-pet by many people. For example:

• PETA is anti-crate (against using crates to contain your dog when you leave the house, or to contain a puppy when you can't watch it)
• PETA supports mandatory spay/neuter laws - not only is this controversial because they take away the owner's right to decide when and whether or not to sterilize their pets, but these laws also completely disregard new research suggesting that the hormones produced by the gonads are essential for the healthy life of the animal (fancy that?). On top of all that, mandatory spay/neuter laws have not been proven to decrease euthanasia rates. In fact, in some cases, euthanasia rates have increased as a result of this type of legislation. See: ASPCA's Position on Mandatory S/N Laws
• PETA has been known to support the idea that our pets should be afforded the right to sue their "guardian" (they don't use the term "owner") in court
• PETA supports controversial breed bans
• PETA is against the idea of no-kill shelters

At first glance some of these stances on the various issues may seem reasonable. But take a moment to think about the implications of legislation which makes any of these five points illegal or at very least, difficult to do legally. What will happen? I'm not going to voice much of my opinion on these points until a later date. For now, this is just a run-down of what PETA is really all about. I've simply taken the points explicitly stated on their website and discussed them here. All of these facts can be verified throughout PETA's website.

Please, if you get a chance to read - post questions and viewpoints. It will help give me some material to work with as I go more in-depth on this topic.