People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; /ˈptə/, stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. The nonprofit corporation claims 6.5 million supporters. Its slogan is "Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way."[3]

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
PETA's logo from 2014 to 2018.
FoundedMarch 22, 1980; 41 years ago (1980-03-22)
FounderIngrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco
FocusAnimal rights and animal welfare
Ingrid Newkirk[1]
Senior VP, Campaigns
Dan Mathews[1]
$50.9 million (2019)[2]
389[citation needed]

Founded in March 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and fellow animal rights activist Alex Pacheco, the organization first caught the public's attention in the summer of 1981 during what became known as the Silver Spring monkeys case.[4] Today, it focuses on four core issues—opposition to factory farming, fur farming, animal testing, and the use of animals in entertainment. It also campaigns for a vegan lifestyle and against eating meat, fishing, the killing of animals regarded as pests, the keeping of chained backyard dogs, cock fighting, dog fighting, beekeeping, and bullfighting.[3]