Controversial Anti-Leather Plea Lands at Wyoming Airport After PETA’s Free Speech Lawsuit Win

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Rock Springs, Wyo. –

Air travelers in the heart of “cattle country” are being asked to consider who was killed for their carry-ons, courtesy of a moo-ving new PETA message now appearing inside the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (SWRA) terminal for the next five months.

The SWRA Board agreed, as part of a mediated settlement, to run the anti-leather ad on the same terms offered to other advertisers following a lawsuit filed by PETA alleging that SWRA had unconstitutionally rejected the ad under a vague and inherently viewpoint-discriminatory “advertising policy.” As part of the settlement, SWRA agreed to treat PETA advertising the same as other advertisers in the future and has paid PETA $35,000 in legal fees.

*PETA’s anti-leather ad inside the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. Credit: PETA*

“The public deserves to know that every leather bag represents a lifetime of suffering for cows who felt pain and fear before they were killed,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging everyone to keep cruelty out of their carry-ons by opting for animal-friendly vegan luggage that no one had to die for.”

Cows have friends, hold grudges against other cows, and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. Cows raised for their skin may be dismembered and skinned while still conscious—having already endured castration, branding, or tail-docking often without painkillers. Sustainable vegan leather made from a range of innovative materials is widely available.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.