Don’t Tread on Him! PETA’s Twist on Gadsden Flag Asks People to Say ‘No’ to Snakeskin
For Immediate Release:
June 22, 2026
Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382
In time for Carolina Day, PETA is honoring the state’s heritage with a striking new message reminding people that all South Carolinians have the right to life, liberty, and self-determination—including the scaly ones. The unmissable sign—which appears within slithering distance of several stores that sell items made from snakes’ skin—puts a twist on the iconic Gadsden flag to urge viewers to respect reptiles and other animals by wearing vegan. More photos are available here.
“Snakes value their freedom and independence as much as any human, and they don’t want to be sliced to pieces for a boot or belt,” says PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA encourages everyone to shop vegan and let snakes keep the skins they were born with.”
Snake mothers fiercely protect their eggs, and some species care for their babies for weeks after they’re born and even “babysit” other mothers’ snakelets. Many snakes are social, living in large communities where they make friends and form cliques. Multiple PETA entities’ investigations into the reptile skins industry have found that snakes are bashed with hammers, impaled on hooks, inflated with compressed air, and cut open with razor blades—often while they’re still conscious.
Billboard location: near the entrance to The Promenade at Northwoods, next to the indoor Northwoods Mall.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a snake is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
