Sneaky PETA

The original animal wackos are at it again.

Taking a page out of an old high school yearbook trick, an official with an animal rights organization successfully placed a hidden message in a brick on the grounds of the San Diego Padres new stadium, Petco Park.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had a 12-word statement engraved in an 8-by-8 inch brick -- the commemorative bricks were offered by the Padres as part of a permanent display surrounding the team's new $411 million stadium.

The message reads, "Break Open Your Cold Ones! Toast The Padres! Enjoy This Championship Organization!" The first letter of every word spells "BOYCOTT PETCO."

I'm pretty sure PetCo isn't a seller of cats and dogs but is rather an "adopter," sponsoring events to help shelters get their animals noticed when people are in animal moods. Nothing on the website leads me to believe otherwise.

PETA, which objects to the sale of animals altogether, has targeted PETCO for months, written letters to Padres executives in hopes that they would cancel the naming rights agreement. They have also sent out monthly casualty reports citing animal deaths in PETCO stores to company officials.

PETCO officials contend that they have investigated some of the reports submitted by PETA and most, they say, are mischaracterizations. Since 1965, PETCO has adopted more than one million animals and over the past five years has given a total of $18 million to 1,900 animal shelters, according to Cowan.

Adopted or sold? And what are "mischaracterizations?" When is death not a death? Come on Cowan - be clear! I'll see if I can find more tonight.

hln

Posted by hln at April 19, 2004 12:19 PM | PETA! | TrackBack