PETA Now Standing Up For Rat Rights

Last month, I wrote an article titled “Politicians Are Not The Only Dangerous Rats In New York City.” The article discussed how, according to a CBS News report, the number of diseases caused by rats in the city reached its highest annual rate last year. The rodents have become increasingly common in urban areas, threatening public health.

A major fear is a disease known as leptospirosis, which is caused by bacteria found in rat urine. The disease usually causes flu-like symptoms such as aches, chills, diarrhea, jaundice, and rash. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if left untreated, the disease can lead to kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage, and respiratory distress.

The major cause of the infestation is the garbage and filth that can be found in the city. The Mayor, Eric Adams, is a far-left extremist who, despite massive problems, continues to support New York being a sanctuary city. The influx of illegal immigrants has led to an increase in crime as well as homelessness and all the negatives that go along with that population.

According to a CBS News report, Adams and city health officials have been devising ways to contain the spread of the disease and control the rat population. This includes sterilizing the animals since rat poison has been outlawed, although many residents still use it, and encouraging citizens to use gloves when handling garbage or food waste.

A single pair of rats can produce 15,000 offspring in a year, so implementing the city’s garbage containment plan is expected to take at least two and a half years. Therefore, it’s fair to say that New Yorkers’ rat-related issues are far from being resolved.

According to Orkin, New York ranks third in rodent infestation nationwide, trailing only Chicago and Los Angeles. When Mayor Adams discovered that his city would be hosting the National Urban Rat Summit, he stated, “he hates rats.”

That comment apparently triggered the PETA people. Remember, these are the same people who, as far back as 1988, were making outrageous comments. PETA’s co-founder Ingrid Newkirk said then in an interview with Newsweek that she didn’t like people having pets.

“In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether.”

She expanded on that thought in 1993 when she told Animals magazine that:

“If people want toys, they should buy inanimate objects. If they want companionship, they should seek it with their own kind.”

PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Like any activist group, they have brought positive attention to some causes. However, like all leftist groups they also very often go off the rails and try to enforce ridiculous woke concepts and rules on people.

In this instance, upon hearing Adams denounce these disease-carrying rodents, PETA released a scathing article criticizing the Mayor of New York City. PETA condemned Adams for “demonizing” rats.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said:

“Instead of trash-talking rats, Mayor Adams should focus on clearing New York’s streets of the massive heaps of garbage attracting them in the first place. PETA is calling on Adams to stop villainizing rats for a problem created by humans and to address this issue with respect and understanding.”

Reiman isn’t wrong to point out that garbage buildup is one of the root causes of the problem. Still, we are talking about rats here. Vermin, another word often used to describe rats, originally came from the Anglo-French word of the same spelling, meaning “noxious animals.”

PETA then took things to a bizarre level by delivering what they call an “Empathy Kit” to Adam’s office. The kit included a pamphlet about PETA, a flier to “end speciesism,” and a “rats have rights” mug. 

Someone remind Reiman that they are not saving whales or dolphins here. These are disease-carrying rodents that have the capability to endanger human lives. Cruelty does not need to be part of the elimination process, but empathy kits and “rats have rights” coffee mugs are definitely not necessary.