Breastfeeding Controversy Prompts PETA’s ‘Breast Is Best’ Billboard

Group Wants to Run ‘Dump Dairy’ Ad Near Mora Pool That Kicked Out Nursing Mothers

For Immediate Release:
July 25, 2018

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

In the wake of an incident in which police were called on two mothers breastfeeding their babies at the Mora Aquatic Center, PETA is moving to place its pro-breastfeeding billboard near the pool in support of all nursing mothers. The ad shows an image of Mary breastfeeding the baby Jesus alongside the words “If It Was Good Enough for Jesus … The Breast Is Best. Dump Dairy.“

“No one should be denied the opportunity to provide nourishment for their babies, and that includes the mother cows whose calves are taken away from them on cruel dairy farms,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s ad would encourage anyone disturbed by this incident of ‘breastfeeding shaming’ to stand up for mothers of all species and kick the cow’s milk–carton to the curb.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes that humans are the only animals who drink the milk of another species and consume it beyond infancy. The harassment of nursing mothers is nothing new in the dairy industry, where cows are repeatedly and forcibly inseminated on what the industry itself has called a “rape rack.” Their beloved babies are taken away from them shortly after birth so that humans can make a pizza topping and drink the milk that was meant for the calves. Mother cows have been heard calling for their stolen babies for days after they’ve been separated. Male calves are often shipped off to be slaughtered for veal, and females face the same fate as their mothers: Their bodies are reduced to their ability to reproduce and be used as milk-producing machines for their entire lives.

PETA offers free vegan starter kits, which are full of delicious dairy-free recipes, on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org.