PETA to Obama: Melting Pot Deserves a National Mutt

Published by PETA.
britannica / CC
Barack Obama

America is a mishmash of races and proud of it. Whoever denies that fact obviously slept through American history class. To put it simply, we are a nation of mutts!

So PETA President Ingrid Newkirk has sent a letter to Sen. Barack Obama and his family stressing this very point—and urging them to adopt a “pound pup,” or Great American Mutt, rather than buy a dog from a breeder or a pet store.

In her letter, Ingrid says, “Senator, no one needs to tell you that this country is proud to be a melting pot and that there is something deeply wrong and elitist about wanting only a purebred dog. Millions of Great American Mutts—the dog that should be our national dog—are set to die in our nation’s extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes. When you are ready, please adopt a homeless pound puppy—a grateful refugee from a society that has not always treated the true “underdog” kindly—rather than cater to special interests who do not have dogs’ interests at heart.”

Let me break it down for you: Mutts want to live in a good home, eat good food, and live with responsible, loving, patient caretakers just as much as any purebred dog does. It doesn’t take a genius to see that if we as Americans were treated the same way that we treat mutts—essentially, ourselves in the dog world—then we’d all be locked up, wasting away in cages, and hoping for someone to take us for “walkies.” If we can’t be true to mutts, then we can’t be true to ourselves.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Note: PETA supports animal rights and opposes animal neglect and educates the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

Get PETA Updates

Stay up to date on the latest vegan trends and get breaking animal rights news delivered straight to your inbox!

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind

Close

Monkeys don’t belong in laboratory cages.

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

Close

Monkeys don’t belong in laboratory cages.

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.