Elisa Allen (vegan) – PETA UK’s Advocate for a Compassionate World, Part 1 of 2

At the forefront of this mission is Elisa Allen (vegan), vice president of PETA UK, officially the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation. “What we do at PETA is to challenge industries that abuse animals. We encourage establishments to add vegan options. We inform people about what’s going on behind the scenes in laboratories, factory farms, the animal skins industries, circuses, and elsewhere.” “I’ll give you a very recent victory that I’m really proud to share: we have all but ended the Forced Swim Test in the UK. And, more recently, we actually persuaded the UK government to stop licensing this test for depression research. That was a huge victory for us that it means that countless rats, mice, and other animals will be spared from these tests, which exposed them to the fear of near drowning.”

“Another big victory that we had has to do with the work that we have done to help rabbits who are farmed for their fleeces. A few years ago, PETA Asia went undercover to document the angora industry. But as a word of warning, it is the stuff of nightmares. They grab them, they strap the rabbits to a table, and then they yank out the rabbits’ hair by the fistful.” “So, within a few short weeks, we had secured commitments from these huge fashion giants like H&M and ASOS and Zara and others, and they had all said that they will stop sourcing angora wool right then and there. Today, if you go to the British high street, just like fur, you won’t be able to find angora wool anywhere. I like giving those examples because the industries that we are up against, they’re huge, and they have a lot of money. And I think that’s something that Ingrid has instilled in us from day one. And that’s when we have a campaign target. We sink our teeth into that, and we do not let go. I think a lot of companies know that now.”