Ticks for Texas! Will Abbott Embrace Meat Allergy–Inducing Lone Star Tick as State Arachnid?

For Immediate Release:
June 7, 2024

Contact:
Reed Bolonyi 202-483-7382

Today, PETA sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urging him to name the lone star tick the state arachnid of the Lone Star State, noting that female lone star ticks have one star-shaped spot on their back—just as the Texas flag has one star—and that the tick’s bite could actually help Texans by causing an allergic reaction to red meat and dairy, which would steer them toward nutritious vegan foods that save animals’ lives and the planet. The group also sent Abbott a copy of its Lone Star Tick Cookbook to inspire him to try vegan recipes without encountering the potential state arachnid.

“Just one bite from the lone star tick can move meaty mouths toward vibrant vegan vittles,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges Gov. Abbott tolatch onto a good idea and celebrate this minuscule mite with a big title.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. The group also offers a free vegan starter kit. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Abbott follows.

June 7, 2024

The Honorable Greg Abbott
Governor of Texas

Dear Governor Abbott:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally, including hundreds of thousands in Texas—with a suggestion to make your state even bigger and better: Would you please name the lone star tick the state arachnid? Allow me to explain.

Just as the Texas flag has one star, female lone star ticks have one star-shaped spot on their back. What’s special about them is that their bite can lead to alpha-gal syndrome, causing an allergic reaction to red meat and dairy products. Even though getting bitten really sucks, steering clear of nonvegan foods has significant health benefits, such as preventing clogged arteries, which can lead to heart disease—the leading cause of death in Texas and the rest of the nation—as well as protecting against certain types of cancer, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. In addition, it obviously helps animals and the planet, as animal agriculture is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, ocean dead zones, water pollution, species extinction, and habitat destruction.

Since several Texas cities, including Austin, rank high on the list of the best U.S. locations for vegans, many residents are likely already aware of the nightmare that animals exploited for food experience. On factory farms, their horns, testicles, and tails are gouged, cut, or ripped from their bodies, and in slaughterhouses, they’re petrified to hear the screams of the animals in front of them struggling to keep from being strung up so that their throats can be slit. In 2024, no one should still be clinging to that dirty old meat-eating habit, and anyone ticked off by the way the meat industry treats animals and destroys the environment should go vegan.

To encourage you to see how only a lunatic would continue to eat meat when its effects are so all-round deleterious and delicious vegan foods are readily available, we’ll be sending you a copy of our Lone Star Tick Cookbook and some vegan starter kits. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk
President