Schumacher Furs Loses Frivolous Lawsuit
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Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon dismissed a bunch of claims against PETA in a lawsuit brought by some fur-pushers called Gregg and Linda Schumacher on behalf of their business in Portland.
In a fantastic victory for animals, Schumacher Furs suffered quite a blow last year when the downtown Portland store decided to close after years of protests by concerned Portland residents. But, much as I’d love to take credit for the great protests, PETA really didn’t have an awful lot to do with them—a fact which had our lawyers more baffled than concerned when ol’ Gregg and Linda filed suit against us for more than $2 million in damages. Fortunately for everyone (and as Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher learned the hard way this week), being really sad and grumpy because your unethical business got shut down isn’t enough by itself to convince a court of law that someone owes you over $2 million. The claims against PETA were thrown out as being frivolous earlier this week, and Schumacher Furs will, more than likely, be paying PETA’s legal fees. As PETA Counsel Bonnie Robson puts it:
“The court’s decision is a victory for the First Amendment—and for animals, who must rely on human voices to protest their torture and slaughter for fur. The court did not give in to the fur industry’s desire to keep the public in the dark about how animals are turned into fur coats and collars.”
Well guys, now that you’ve failed at making your living through hurting animals and suing charities, what’s next on the agenda? I’m not sure I even really want to know.
