On November 16, 2001 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activists Dan Shannon and Jay Kelly hit a deer while traveling in an automobile owned by PETA. PETA’s legal counsel, Matthew Penzer, last week faxed a notice to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife declaring their intent to sue the state of New Jersey for contributing to the accident through their deer management practices.
In a press release, PETA outlined its legal strategy,
PETA argues that by placing the interests of hunters, who amount to barely more than 1 percent of New Jersey’s population, above the safety of the more than 8 million New Jersey residents and countless out-of-state travelers who use the roads, wildlife agencies are violating the state’s constitutional mandate to provide protection and security to its people. PETA also opposes the fear, the disruption of herd members’ relationships, and the bloodshed suffered by deer on grounds of cruelty to animals.
In a letter to Bob McDowell, director of New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, Penzer wrote that,
. . . shortly before 1 o’clock in the morning on that date [Nov. 16, 2001], while driving a Honda Civic belonging to PETA (and while returning from a PETA campaigning tour) southbond on the New Jersey Turnpike, a deer darted out in front of the car and a collision resulted. . . . Damage to the car was severe, resulting in a repair bill that exceeded $6,000.00 and loss of use of the car for nearly two months. The total amount of damages is, as yet, unkown.
The best way to describe this is frivolous.
Source:
<a href="<a href="http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685">PETA">http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685">PETA”>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685″>PETA“>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685">PETA</a>”>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685">PETA”>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685″>PETA“>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685″>PETA“>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685">PETA”>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685″>PETA“>PETA”>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685″>PETA“>http:/www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685“>PETA Vehicle Collides with deer, PETA to sue state game agency. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Press Release, February 14, 2002.