International Eat An Animal For PETA Day

What the day is

International Eat an Animal for PETA Day is observed on March 15. It is an informal, unofficial counter-observance, created by people who disagree with the animal rights organization PETA, and its aim is to celebrate eating meat and animal products as a way of answering the group's campaigns. No organization sponsors it, and PETA is not involved.

It is best understood as part of a long-running public argument about food, animals and advocacy. People on both sides feel strongly, and the day reflects one side of it.

Origin and background

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco, and it promotes vegetarian and vegan diets, opposes animal testing and fur, and is well known for provocative advertising. Some of its campaigns have drawn sharp criticism, including from groups who felt that particular comparisons were offensive. The counter-observance grew out of that sort of backlash and appears to date from the 2000s, though its exact beginnings are not documented.

The day is not a statement about animal welfare in general. Many people who object to some of PETA's tactics care about how animals are treated, and many farmers and consumers pay attention to how their food is raised. Third-party labels such as Certified Humane and Global Animal Partnership exist to give shoppers information about farm conditions.

It is also a different kind of day from Great American Meat Out Day on March 20, which encourages people to try a meatless diet for a day. The two sit a few days apart on the calendar.

However you feel about the debate, food safety applies to everyone. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meats to 160, and whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb to 145 followed by a rest.

How to take part

• Cook a meal you enjoy, such as a roast chicken with vegetables, and share it with family or friends.
• Look for meat from local farms, where you can ask how the animals were raised.
• Read the labels and certifications on meat and eggs, and learn what they do and do not guarantee.
• Have a respectful conversation with someone who sees food differently, and listen as much as you talk.
• Keep it good-natured, since a meal is a poor place for a quarrel.