Linkin Park Vocalist Joins PETA Anti-Fur Campaign 

For Immediate Release:
November 20, 2009

Contact:
Amanda Schinke 757-622-7382

Los Angeles -- Chester Bennington isn't shy about exposing the cruelty of the fur industry--or his body. The Linkin Park and Dead by Sunrise frontman has teamed up with PETA for a brand-new "Ink, Not Mink" ad campaign in which he shows off his tattooed physique above the tagline "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and Let Animals Keep Theirs."

Bennington--whose debut album with Dead by Sunrise, Out of Ashes, launched this fall--also sat down for an exclusive PETA interview in which he discussed the fur industry. "What's really important ... for people to understand is the cruelty behind the fur industry," he said. "Electrocuting animals, skinning them while they're alive--these are ... acts of inhumanity." Bennington continued, "Because it's out of sight, it's usually out of mind for most people, and we need to show our respect ... for all creatures of this world."

A "big believer" in animal rights, Bennington is also concerned about dog and cat overpopulation. He encourages potential dog and cat guardians to adopt from an animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder or pet store, and he says that "[m]aking sure that you get your pets spayed and neutered is extremely important." His wife, who worked in an animal shelter, saw the tragedy of animal overpopulation firsthand. Large numbers of animals--about 4 million dogs and cats--are euthanized every year because there aren't enough suitable homes for all of them.

Bennington, a co-owner of Club Tattoo (a chain of tattoo shops that opened its newest location in Las Vegas earlier this year), joins a growing list of celebrities--including Tommy Lee, Steve-O, and Carey Hart--who have starred in PETA's "Ink, Not Mink" anti-fur ads.

For more information and to view the ad, please visit PETA.org or click here.