2011 a busy year for PETA

MANILA, Philippines - The year 2011 turned out to be a busy one for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) campaign to promote the welfare and rights of animals, even resulting in the arrest of a couple for allegedly producing “crush videos.”

PETA said it scored in their campaign against violence toward animals after concerned citizens provided information that led to the arrest of a couple who reportedly played a crucial role in the making of crush videos.

PETA earlier reported the suspects – identified as Dorma “Chita” Ridon and her husband Vincent – were arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in La Union last August.

The couple was charged with violating Republic Act 8485 or the Child Abuse Law and violation of Animal Welfare Law.

It was earlier reported that crush videos, considered a sexual fetish, show young girls either clad in lingerie or bikini, crushing small animals with their boots or stiletto shoes.

These animals include dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, snakes, frogs or others that buyers of the crush videos would request.

In these videos, young girls are shown kicking dogs to death, stepping on the eyes of dogs with their stiletto heels, attacking dogs with hot flat irons, snipping off the ears of rabbits using a pair of shears before setting them on fire.

PETA’s determination to campaign against keeping animals in captivity paid off when they successfully stopped the transfer of giraffes, elephants and zebras to the Manila Zoo.

The group gained public attention and support as this became a trending topic on Twitter.

“Local and international online community lambasted the aging, decrepit zoo for providing animals with substandard care and poor treatment,” PETA added.

As a result of efforts by individuals and groups such as PETA, plans to import a baby elephant from a sanctuary in Sri Lanka for display at the Manila Zoo were cancelled.

The animal rights group also welcomed singer Geneva Cruz as its latest endorser.

Cruz generated controversy as she agreed to strip down for a print ad of PETA to promote vegetarianism in an effort to spread the message that “going vegan is the best and simplest thing that people can do for animals, the environment, and their own health.”