PETA & A&M - not seeing eye to eye

[AggieJohn]

Elephant Acts Are Dangerous, Cruel, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
January 26, 2005

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 757-622-7382

College Station, Texas --- After learning about the annual "Elephant Walk" event to be held at Texas A&M University this Friday, PETA has fired off a letter to the school’s president, Dr. Robert Gates, warning him about the dangers of allowing the public to come into contact with elephants and urging him to use costumed characters instead. PETA has offered to donate costumes for the event.

PETA points out that elephants are wild animals who can be dangerous. Since 1990, elephant rampages have resulted in 65 deaths and more than 130 injuries to handlers and members of the public.

It’s no wonder that captive elephants eventually snap. They are forced to perform through intimidation and beatings. Bullhooks—rods with a sharp hook on the end—are ever-present in the hands of elephant handlers, who use them to jab elephants in the sensitive skin behind their ears and on their faces and legs, often causing bloody wounds.

"As an institution of higher learning, Texas A&M should teach students not to exploit animals for entertainment," says PETA’s elephant specialist Nicole Meyer. "For the safety of elephants and the public, it’s high time the ‘Elephant Walk’ was put out to pasture."

PETA’s letter to Dr. Robert Gates follows. A complete list of elephant rampages, as well as video footage showing elephants who are being beaten by trainers, can be found at Circuses.com.

January 26, 2005

Dr. Robert Gates, President
Office of the President
Texas A&M University
1126 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-1126

Dear Dr. Gates,

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is a nonprofit organization with more than 800,000 members and supporters dedicated to animal protection worldwide. It has come to our attention that the Texas A&M Class Council will be hosting its annual "Elephant Walk" on January 28, which includes live elephants for photo opportunities. In the interests of public safety and animal welfare, we ask that you abandon the use of elephants at this event.

Elephants who are forced to perform are trained to do so through domination and painful techniques. Please visit our Web site Circuses.com to view footage of behind-the-scenes elephant training that shows how trainers beat elephants with sharp metal bullhooks and shock them with electric prods. We hope you agree that this systematic abuse of elephants is unacceptable and must be stopped.

Elephants are wild animals, and their use in a public forum poses a significant danger. It is well known that stressed elephants rampage, and when they do, they are nearly impossible to stop without lethal force. Since 1990, rampages by captive elephants have resulted in 65 human deaths and more than 130 human injuries.

While upholding traditions is an important way to boost school spirit, the cruel and dangerous use of animals to support these traditions should be history. PETA would be happy to donate elephant costumes for this year’s "Elephant Walk."

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter. Please feel free to call me directly at 757-622-7382.

Sincerely,

Nicole Meyer, Elephant Specialist
Captive Exotic Animals Department

[Bulldog_12]

WOW!!!! That is hilarious.

[AggieJohn]

yeah..i imagine the batt will have an article on it

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

peta- what a joke!!! i like animals, but c'mon, gimme a break.

[JasperDog94]

I like animals too....right next to the potatoes and gravy.

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
I like animals too....right next to the potatoes and gravy.

ROLFLMAO!!!!!

[ej2525]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
I like animals too....right next to the potatoes and gravy.

Right next to??? Heck I like those taters & gravy on top!!

[sahen]

those poeple have been tryin to take our bears away at baylor for years now...they r full of crap and have no life....they wanted us at one time to release our bears into the wild, the bears here have been in captivity and domisticated since they were born...they would die in the wild, plus they r spoiled rotten here by the students and trainers.....peta and shark r both jokes.....

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

being the "pimp" that i am i kinda wish they would run up to me and throw red paint on my furs. i would drop it on the ground chase the *person* down and beat them til they didnt like animals anymore.

































*represents words we cant use on the d'low*

[Phil C]

Beware of the Howling Bear!

[big daddy russ]

President Gates responded in this letter:

Dear Nicole,

We completely understand your position on cruelty to animals and have decided to take actions to help in your quest to make the world a safer place for all God's creatures. To that end, we spent $2 million and formed a braintrust of some of the most highly respected animal scientists on the planet. Below is a list. Contained in that list are what these world-class minds determined to be the best course of action in taking steps to protect these animals. Remember, these are the tedious results of countless hours of brainstorming by these highly-respected scientists.
1. Move to India...
2. ...and while you're at it, take PETA with you.

Thank you and have a nice day,
Robert Gates

[Holmes_Fans]

PETA needs to rescure those sheep that are being abused.

[NHSRattler60]

Dear PETA,
My name is David Roark and I would like to say I love animals too. Thats why for every animal your organization saves...I shall eat 5.


Hey Jasperdog:

[AggieJohn]

Originally posted by Holmes_Fans
PETA needs to rescure those sheep that are being abused.

rescure?

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

Originally posted by AggieJohn
rescure?

i think he meant "resecure" not rescue. because we all know peta has a thing for animals, PARTICULARLY sheep