Several people from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (including Bruce Friedrich) showed up at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, this week to protest the planned slaughter of more than 230 sheep. The sheep were confiscated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture based on the suspicion that they may have been exposed to contaminated feed that could put them at risk of developing a form of spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease).
A group of 10 Iowa State University students showed up, in turn, to protest PETA. Calling themselves Americans Who Have a Clue, the students grilled hot dogs outside the USDA office and disputed PETA’s claims about the sheep slaughter.
“I’m here to let the USDA know that they’re doing their job and that there are people supporting them,” Loren Shetler told the Iowa State Daily. “How ethical would it be to let millions of livestock be slaughtered [if there were a major spongiform breakout in the United States]?”
Computer engineering sophomore Kevin Broulette said the group decided to grill hot dogs because, “We thought the protesters might get hungry, so we brought all this out.”
Source:
Iowa State U. students protest PETA at lab. Rebecca Cooper, Iowa State Daily, March 26, 2001.