Groups like P.E.T.A, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) affecting a peaceful revolution in animal cruelty, from exposing the hidden trade of endangered species, their fur, ivory and other “commodities” from the far reaching corners, to publicizing totally unnecessary cruelty in some of the western world’s biggest fast food chains and other capitalist ventures. Of late P.E.T.A has adopted a two-tong approach to fighting animal cruelty.

Naming and shaming: announcing global cruelty atrocities and campaigns as loudly as possible by whatever means (media) possible, but mainly over the Internet. Naming who, or what company is responsible, and backing up their claims by hard evidence, including if possible shocking video footage (shaming), or in the case of cats and dogs skinned alive in the Chinese fur trade, publicizing celebrity Heather Mills-McCartney’s support for the campaign in a television documentary.

Alongside naming and shaming P.E.T.A lobby parliament, governments and frequent many courts around the globe both as claimant and defendant in an attempt to make a real difference. To re-use the Chinese dog and cat fur trade example, alongside the television documentary with shocking video evidence of appalling cruelty, P.E.T.A and Heather Mills-McCartney are currently lobbying politicians in Britain and Europe for a ban on real fur in Britain and throughout Europe if possible, or if not at least for all fur to be clearly labeled Real or Fake.

This is only one of P.E.T.A’s noble and important missions, among the others are: Publicizing K.F.C’s inhumane treatment of its chickens, i.e. their beaks ripped off while still alive. Petitioning HRH Queen Elizabeth to stop using bear pelts to make headgear for the five guard’s regiments, and showing the world Covance’ appalling treatment of monkeys, after beating Covance in the courts when they tried to suppress the shocking truth.

Part of the reason P.E.T.A’s naming and shaming campaigns work so well is the high level of publicity their campaigns get from their long list of celebrity supporters/members. Including: Pink, Pamela Anderson, Heather-Mills McCartney and Traci Bingham to name but a few, and given the massive rise of the glossy magazine, celebrity backing for campaigns such as these can make as much difference as any of the other steps put together. For instance, you or I writing a letter to the queen asking her to stop using bear pelts wouldn’t get that much publicity, none probably. But news getting out of a high profile celebrity writing the same letter will be doing the rounds of glossy magazines for months, if necessary years to come, and with declining support for maintaining the Royal family at an all time low the last thing they need is a pile of bad publicity. Or a bunch of naked people, which is exactly what they got, increasing bad publicity against them further when as another P.E.T.A protest hundreds of activists stripped to their bare-skins to campaign against the use of bearskins by the Queen’s guard regiments.

It is these excellently managed, always peaceful demonstrations that, by gaining support from animal loving celebrities make P.E.T.A’s peaceful revolution not only possible, but extremely effective in helping to stop the most serious animal cruelty atrocities world wide.