PETA Discourages Octo-Mom From Buying a Pet

[Isolder74]

link

PETA Discourages Octo-Mom From Buying a Pet
Us Magazine - April 28, 2009 1:04 PM PDT
celebs:
Nadya Suleman
topics:
Pets

Nadya Suleman aka Octomom sighting at Ralph's on April 22, 2009 in Whittier, California.
Us Magazine
Octo-Mom Nadya Suleman is thinking about buying a pet, but PETA doesn't think a new member of the family is such a good idea for the mother of 14 children.

"In today's uncertain economy -- and with all the demands that come with raising 14 children -- we urge you to reconsider adding two more dependents to your family," PETA's Michelle Cho wrote in a letter to Suleman.

See photos of stars with pets!

The unemployed mother of 14 -- who relies on public assistance to pay for her eight nannies -- said last week that she was considering adding a pet to the mix.

"For a couple of years, the kids have been asking for a dog," Suleman said. "I've actually been looking into a pig, like a little one."

(Suleman's attorney, Jeff Czech, told Usmagazine.com that the pet would be "probably a dog -- probably a Shih Tzu.")

PETA, the world's largest animal rights organization with more than 2 million members, hopes Suleman will reconsider.

"Like children, pigs and dogs are intelligent, social beings with complex needs," Cho wrote in the letter, given exclusively to Us "They require a lot of attention, space, and exercise as well as a huge financial commitment."

Suleman said that if she were to buy a pig, it would wear a diaper and live outside the family's $564,000 La Habra, Calif. home because of its smell.

Meet Nadya Suleman's octuplets.

"Keeping a pig outside and making him or her a playmate for your children -- who do not understand a pig's many needs and will only pay attention to him or her when it suits them -- is not an acceptable way to treat an intelligent animal such as this," Cho wrote.

Instead of new pets, PETA encourages the mom to help her children make friends.

"We hope that your recent move to your new home will allow your children to form fast friendships with kids in your neighborhood with whom they share similar interests," Cho wrote.

Looks like PETA has reached a new low. I understand the concept that someone with as many kids as her shouldn't have a dog and might have trouble feeding the kids and the dog but this is coming from a group that hates the idea of pets period. I'd take something from the Humane Society much more seriously. Their language even implies they are worried more about the animals then they do the kids.

I do not think that the octomom needs two pets.

[FSTargetDrone]

Looks like PETA has reached a new low. I understand the concept that someone with as many kids as her shouldn't have a dog and might have trouble feeding the kids and the dog but this is coming from a group that hates the idea of pets period. I'd take something from the Humane Society much more seriously. Their language even implies they are worried more about the animals then they do the kids.

I do not think that the octomom needs two pets.

A new low? This seems relatively benign. It talks about the children losing interest (which they might) and that they should make friends on their own. That's sensible enough.

That woman doesn't need any more mouths to feed, be they children or pets.

[General Zod]

A new low? This seems relatively benign.

It would be benign, coming from anyone else. But PETA's shenanigans in the past make their actions here as anything but a publicity grabbing stunt suspect. Not that this is really newsworthy.

[FSTargetDrone]

A new low? This seems relatively benign.

It would be benign, coming from anyone else. But PETA's shenanigans in the past make their actions here as anything but a publicity grabbing stunt suspect. Not that this is really newsworthy.

Yeah, but there's nothing in that piece about them acting particularly outrageous. Frankly, PETA needs MORE of this kind of reaction and response on its part.

EDIT:

Incidentally, every time I hear "Octo-Mom" it makes me think of someone with a bizarre condition with 8 limbs or something.

[Isolder74]

A new low? This seems relatively benign.

It would be benign, coming from anyone else. But PETA's shenanigans in the past make their actions here as anything but a publicity grabbing stunt suspect. Not that this is really newsworthy.

That's what I mean they obviously don't really actually care one bit about the dog or the pig and are just showboating.

They don't believe anyone should have pets so why not a whimper when Obama gets a dog but make a fuss now?

[FSTargetDrone]

They don't believe anyone should have pets so why not a whimper when Obama gets a dog but make a fuss now?

Peta did make some noise about the new Obama puppy:

PETA: Obama Puppy Should Be Neutered (But He Already Is)

The Huffington Post | Megan Slack | April 13, 2009 at 06:08 PM

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to the White House today asking President Obama to neuter Bo, the first family's new six-month-old Portuguese Water Dog puppy. In the letter, obtained by U.S. News, the PETA president writes she is sending a "coupon good for one free sterilization at PETA's SNIP clinic."

"...Money alone, unless you pour in as much as the Iraq war has cost us, cannot 'fix' the overpopulation problem.Please show that you understand this by making the first dog the last dog of his line and having Bo neutered. Sex in the White House has been the topic of past scandals, but with a simple 'snip,' the first dog can set a new tone and a great example."

However, according to U.S. News, the puppy is already fixed.

An entry in PETA's blog says the organization is "disappointed" the Obamas accepted the purebred puppy from the Kennedys over a rescue or shelter dog, and worries that not all Portuguese Water Dogs adopted from breeders will have the opportunity to be "re-homed," like the Obama dog, ending up in shelters instead.

Let us be clear: The new first dog, Bo, is not a rescue. While he was returned to the breeder by his first owners, that subtle point is missing from or buried in most news reports and is no doubt lost on the masses of people who will be lining up at pet shops and demanding "Obama puppies." These puppies will eventually lose their appeal, once people get tired of taking care of them, but because most pet shops and many breeders don't take "returns," guess where those unwanted "Obama puppies" are going to end up? At extremely crowded, overworked shelters like D.C.'s Washington Humane Society.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

I think it's a case of a broken clock being right twice a day. I'm not going to jump on PETA this once for actually making a valid point, even if the motives are suspect. It's not like there aren't mountains of other material to hang PETA by.

[FSTargetDrone]

I think it's a case of a broken clock being right twice a day. I'm not going to jump on PETA this once for actually making a valid point, even if the motives are suspect. It's not like there aren't mountains of other material to hang PETA by.

Yeah, see above. THAT was pretty low-class. The thing in the OP is reasonable and measured. The nonsense above isn't. We should encourage more of the former.

[General Zod]

I think it's a case of a broken clock being right twice a day. I'm not going to jump on PETA this once for actually making a valid point, even if the motives are suspect. It's not like there aren't mountains of other material to hang PETA by.

Yeah, see above. THAT was pretty low-class. The thing in the OP is reasonable and measured. The nonsense above isn't. We should encourage more of the former.

Of course if PETA started being reasonable nobody would pay attention to them anymore.

[Isolder74]

They don't believe anyone should have pets so why not a whimper when Obama gets a dog but make a fuss now?

Peta did make some noise

-snip-

Wow I missed that. I guess it didn't get that much press.

[salm]

It really depends on. If a family has the means and will to provide for an animal it´s ok for them to get one. If not, well, then it´s not ok and PETA has a point.
Since 14 kids are a lot of work it is questionable if these people have enough time to look after a pet. I don´t see how PETAs demands are necessarily unreasonable let alone outragous or a "new low".
Of course it´s possible that they would make a perfect example of excelent pet owners. But with 14 kids this seems unlikely.

[Isolder74]

The truth of the matter is they are focusing on this simply for the headline factor of the stupid Octo-mom who I'd frankly rather nobody mention ever again. it's shameless for them both in my view hence why it is rather low to me.

First Octo-mom had to announce I'm getting a pet because she's an attention whore and PETA jumps on the bandwagon to hell just for the fact they know it will get them press.

I want octo to just get overherself and go away frankly.

[neoolong]

"For a couple of years, the kids have been asking for a dog," Suleman said. "I've actually been looking into a pig, like a little one."

So, is a pig supposed to be better than a dog? Or did she want a pig, and totally doesn't care that her kids wanted a dog.

[AMT]

I don't even see how anyone would let her have a child, let alone a pet.

Is there a reason child services haven't taken those kids away from this fame whoring cum mentally ill person yet?

[salm]

The truth of the matter is they are focusing on this simply for the headline factor of the stupid Octo-mom who I'd frankly rather nobody mention ever again. it's shameless for them both in my view hence why it is rather low to me.

First Octo-mom had to announce I'm getting a pet because she's an attention whore and PETA jumps on the bandwagon to hell just for the fact they know it will get them press.

I want octo to just get overherself and go away frankly.

Yes, attention whoring is the PR strategy of PETA. I doubt that they´d be as successful as they are if they didn´t use these tactics. However, even if this is attention whoring they´re not really wrong in this case. The people mentioned in the opening post are probably not qualified to handle a pet, let alone all these kids.
Is it particularly shameless to focus on something like this? I don´t know. Politicians, advertisers in general and PR experts focus on ridiculous headlines all the time. This forum focuses on stupid headlines all the time. If people who should be ignored like O´Riley or this ultra conservative radio freak scream out some new hate filled crap you can be sure to find a thread on sd.net.

It´s interesting that every time a PETA thread comes up here it seems that people are attacking them for the wrong reasons. I´m starting to wonder if PETA is really as bad as they´re allways made out ot be on this message board.

[Isolder74]

my problem is that the nature of how they do things makes people less likely to take this seriously. I'd rather have something put out by the ASPCA or the Humane Society objecting to this.

That would at least make people think it was worth paying attention too.

[salm]

my problem is that the nature of how they do things makes people less likely to take this seriously. I'd rather have something put out by the ASPCA or the Humane Society objecting to this.

That would at least make people think it was worth paying attention too.

The thing is that the opposite is true. PETA have been following their populistic approach to advertisment for as long as i know them and they are the most popular animal rights organisation world wide. While they might not make people like you more likely to pay attention and even hate them they make a signifcant number of other poeple pay attention to them.

The funny thing is that often times when PETA is the topic of a thread they´re not slamed for their practices (some of them are, indeed, bad) but for their advertisment. My approach is that PETA do some good stuff and some bad stuff. I´d like to see PETA be critisized for their bad stuff but also talked good of for their good stuff. And by stuff i mean actions, not irrelevant advertisment.

[Isolder74]

This falls under the same reason that a story exists called, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."

PETA spends so much time show boating that when something they say that is worth listening to, for once, gets the response....oh it's just silly PETA........and it isn't taken seriously.

I found this is what almost amounts to the humor section of a news sight.

[Samuel]

A new low? This seems relatively benign.

It would be benign, coming from anyone else. But PETA's shenanigans in the past make their actions here as anything but a publicity grabbing stunt suspect. Not that this is really newsworthy.

Yeah, but there's nothing in that piece about them acting particularly outrageous. Frankly, PETA needs MORE of this kind of reaction and response on its part.

EDIT:

Incidentally, every time I hear "Octo-Mom" it makes me think of someone with a bizarre condition with 8 limbs or something.

It's the villian from The Spirit! Run! Did the article mention how she was raising the kids or is this all being provided by other people?

[Covenant]

It's the villian from The Spirit! Run! Did the article mention how she was raising the kids or is this all being provided by other people?

It was mentioned in the article:

The unemployed mother of 14 -- who relies on public assistance to pay for her eight nannies -- said last week that she was considering adding a pet to the mix.

[General Zod]

The funny thing is that often times when PETA is the topic of a thread they´re not slamed for their practices (some of them are, indeed, bad) but for their advertisment. My approach is that PETA do some good stuff and some bad stuff. I´d like to see PETA be critisized for their bad stuff but also talked good of for their good stuff. And by stuff i mean actions, not irrelevant advertisment.

Considering a number of these irrelevant advertisements are sprinkled with lies, distortions and other such dishonesty PETA's main problem is credibility. The article in this thread is pretty harmless (I'd go as far as saying not newsworthy at all), but as much as they hyper-ventilate over non-issues it's hard to take them seriously whatsoever.

[salm]

This falls under the same reason that a story exists called, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."

PETA spends so much time show boating that when something they say that is worth listening to, for once, gets the response....oh it's just silly PETA........and it isn't taken seriously.

I found this is what almost amounts to the humor section of a news sight.

Ok, i´ll repeat myself. That is simply not true. People do take them seriously. Many probably presicely because of their populist advertisments. They are the largest animals rights organisation world wide with the largest supporter base world wide. If that´s not proof for being taken seriously, then what is?

[Aaron]

"For a couple of years, the kids have been asking for a dog," Suleman said. "I've actually been looking into a pig, like a little one."

So, is a pig supposed to be better than a dog? Or did she want a pig, and totally doesn't care that her kids wanted a dog.

Pigs apparently make really good pets (the pot-bellied kind IIRC) and can be trained similar to a dog but if the kids want a dog their going to be disappointed when Piglet shows up and starts rooting up the yard. As for it wearing a diaper, well if you think a human diaper is bad, wait till she has to change Piglets.

[Coyote]

Ok, i´ll repeat myself. That is simply not true. People do take them seriously. Many probably presicely because of their populist advertisments. They are the largest animals rights organisation world wide with the largest supporter base world wide. If that´s not proof for being taken seriously, then what is?

IIRC, they also believe that having pets is "enslaving" them. They run shelters that kill pets on grand scale to "free" them.

[General Zod]

Ok, i´ll repeat myself. That is simply not true. People do take them seriously. Many probably presicely because of their populist advertisments. They are the largest animals rights organisation world wide with the largest supporter base world wide. If that´s not proof for being taken seriously, then what is?

Let's put it another way. How many but the hard-core base are actually implementing PETA's bizarre ideas? It's one thing to say they have a large base, but the real measure of whether they're being taken seriously is how many people actually go through with their recommendations. As for size, the Humane Society claims to have the backing of more than ten-million, compared to PETA's claim of 2 million, but they don't go for the same style of attention-grabbing nonsense.