South Fire Prompts Urgent ‘Never Leave Animals Behind’ PETA Ad

For Immediate Release:
August 27, 2021

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

As the South fire spreads across more than 900 acres and evacuations are underway, PETA is placing a billboard in the area urging residents to make sure their evacuation plans include all animals, from hamsters to horses.

“When disaster strikes, getting animals to safety requires forethought or quick but careful actions, whether you need to evacuate any size or species of vulnerable living, feeling being,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “The climate crisis has made a protracted, more intense fire season the new norm, and PETA urges everyone to make an evacuation plan now and stay ready to flee the flames with the whole family.”

PETA offers the following urgent reminders for wildfire season:

• Animals should never be left behind to fend for themselves during evacuations. They aren’t any better equipped to survive a disaster than humans are, and anyone who evacuates and intentionally abandons animals to fend for themselves may be prosecuted.
• Be prepared. Put together an animal emergency kit in advance, with food, water, carriers, leashes, veterinary records, and anything else you need to keep your animal safe and comfortable during an evacuation. Make sure your animals are wearing collars or harnesses with identification.
• Trapped horses and other animals can’t outrun wildfires. They should never be locked in their stalls or confined in any way so that they’re unable to flee. Anyone who sees animals in distress and is unable to help should note their locations and alert authorities immediately.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information about PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.