Gov. Kay Ivey Receives Faux-Alligator Purse From PETA

Group Congratulates New Alabama Governor With Humane Gift

For Immediate Release:
April 14, 2017

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Following her swearing-in ceremony on Monday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is getting a special present, courtesy of PETA: a stylish vegan alligator purse. In a letter to the governor, the group—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—encourages her to choose fashionable, animal-friendly clothing and accessories during her time in (and out) of the public eye.

PETA points out that alligators are sometimes hunted in Alabama and often confined in other parts of the country to filthy pits on factory farms before being violently killed.

“Just like us, alligator citizens of the state are made of flesh and blood, and they suffer immensely when they’re hacked apart and skinned for belts, bags, and shoes,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “With this clutch, Governor Ivey will look professional, stylish, and put together, achieving a look that doesn’t literally cost an arm and a leg.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Gov. Ivey follows.

April 14, 2017

The Honorable Kay Ivey

Governor of Alabama

Dear Governor Ivey,

On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide—including many in Alabama who believe in animal protection—congratulations on becoming the state’s first female Republican governor. To wish you well, we’ll be sending you a fabulous faux-alligator purse. Your new bag will be made from animal-friendly materials instead of the skin of alligators—who are sometimes hunted in Alabama and often confined in other parts of the country to filthy pits before enduring a violent death, as you can see in this PETA investigation. We want you to look good and feel good, knowing that nobody was killed for your handbag.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
PETA