Chicken and Cow’s Holiday Message to Utica: ‘I’m ME, Not MEAT’
PETA Billboards Urge People to Go Vegan in 2019
For Immediate Release:
December 20, 2018
Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382
With the holiday season in full swing and the new year right around the corner, PETA has placed two billboards in Utica that show a chicken or a cow next to the words “I’m ME, Not MEAT. See the Individual. Go Vegan” in order to encourage passersby to opt for delicious, animal-free meals over the holidays and all year round.
The billboards are located on New York State Route 5S, 0.4 miles west of Dyke Road (chicken), and at 1706 1/2 Oriskany St. W. (cow). They’ll be in place for four weeks.
“These billboards challenge people to consider who cows and chickens really are: sensitive, intelligent individuals who feel pain and don’t deserve to be exploited or killed for a fleeting taste,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages everyone to ring in 2019 by going vegan.”
Chickens killed for their flesh are bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. On egg farms, workers cut off a portion of hens’ beaks with a burning-hot blade and male chicks (who are considered worthless to the egg industry) are suffocated or thrown—still alive—into grinders. Cows in the dairy industry are sexually violated by repeated forced insemination, and their calves are taken away soon after birth so that humans can drink the milk that was meant for them. When their bodies break down and the cows can no longer produce milk, they’re slaughtered for cheap meat.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that going vegan is the perfect New Year’s resolution. Each person who ditches meat, eggs, and dairy “products” not only saves the lives of nearly 200 animals every year but also helps to combat climate change and lowers their risk of suffering from obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and numerous other health concerns.
PETA offers free holiday recipes and vegan starter kits on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
