You know what really grinds my gears?

For my Public Relations class, we have to analyze the unethical business practices of a company. In my search for something current and relevant, I found an article on PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). It talks about how PETA spends more money on advertising and marketing than actually saving animal lives. They are faced with a dilemma, I suppose. How do they get the word out if they don't spend money on advertising? Okay. I get it.

However, according to the article, PETA has an annual budget of $32 million, and "has opted to 'put down' 21,339 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens instead of finding homes for them." The hypocrisy is almost unbearable. Just down the road from PETA's head office is Virginia Beach's SPCA, which works on a far smaller "shoestring budget," and finds homes for almost all its animals with the help of dedicated staff members, donations, and volunteers.

One of the most shocking figures was that which states that PETA found homes for just 7 pets in all of 2008. It really makes you wonder what these "animal saviours" are doing with their budget. That doesn't even include the donations given to them by sponsors.

PETA has been the object of public scrutiny for quite some time. I, personally, never really understood it until I delved more deeply into their twisted world. They simply do not practice what they preach. No wonder they are in the unethical business lime light.

I am the last person to ever criticize a company for advocating for animal rights. I am an animal activist to the end, but doesn't this all seem a bit backwards? Doesn't it really grind YOUR gears?