I THOUGHT I was immune to the increasingly amateur and bizarrely comical PR stunts by PETA as they try to coerce us all into following their obsessive agenda of hate and intolerance.

I really did. After all, there’s only so many times you can laugh at the same joke.

But PETA always manages to tell the same joke in an even dafter way every time they try to climb on the stage.

And like a bad musical hall comic, they think if they shout loud enough, the audience will listen. But the problem is, the louder they scream, the more ridiculous they look.

And the joke ends up becoming PETA themselves.

If they had their way we’d end up in the most miserable Big Brother society imaginable. A killjoy world in which humans are demonised for normal everyday activities like drinking milk and using five pound notes. Even for celebrating Christmas.

We in the fur industry on the other hand, believe it’s all about free choice. We aim for the highest standards of animal welfare and wouldn’t dream of forcing people to buy or wear our products, but that’s not good enough for these obsessive extremists.

Their way is the only way, they say.

But if we are honest, PETA isn’t about animal welfare; they peddle intolerance and hate based on lies and half-truths. And frankly, don’t we have enough of that in the world today already?

For those wondering what I’m referring to, it’s three of their latest PR stunts. The first was when they waded into the Twitter ‘controversy’ regarding the fact that the new £5 note contains beef tallow. Thousands of vegans and vegetarians complained.Whilst we acknowledge there will be those with genuine religious concerns, was there any need for PETA to force its way in by absurdly linking the banknote to greenhouse gases, cruelty and violence? Not only are the notes waterproof and a lot stronger than the old ones, what the protestors conveniently forgot to mention is all the everyday items we depend on that also contain tallow and other animal-derived ingredients: everything from condoms and candles to tyres, soap and computer parts.However it looks like the Bank of England has bowed to pressure and is looking at ways of making the note ‘meat-free.’

Things then took a turn for the disgusting with the campaign called Farmhouse Milk. Launched by PETA to try to force people to stop drinking milk. PETA used the slogan, “Dogs’ milk, cats’ milk, rats’ milk, cows’ milk – what’s the difference?”- and offered people free samples of ‘new milk’. In its milk sampling stunt, PETA activists conned people into believing they had just swallowed dog’s milk (in fact it was later revealed as soya milk). Unsurprisingly, this caused reactions of utter disgust and horror. And PETA’s response? Director Elisa Allen tried to excuse the stunt by offering her absurd philosophy: “When it comes to drinking milk past breast-feeding age, plant-based is best.”

Finally, these hate-filled mini-dictators tried to stop a Cornish Christmas reindeer parade for children and charity. Thankfully event organiser Pam Moss didn’t bow down as the money raised goes to support local charities – and in fact to pay for many of our deer’s free-roaming lifestyle.

It’s beyond belief that these busybodies can’t find better things to do than try and ban harmless Christmas traditions. Next they’ll be trying to protect the elf! Or heaven forbid, Santa and his reindeer-driven sleigh!

The truth is, people who campaign for good animal care and welfare have my total respect, but in recent weeks PETA has lost the plot.

It needs to get back to basics. Campaign on welfare and looking after animals, rather than headline-grabbing stunts – or, as they do in the US, putting down 84% of animals within 24 hours of taking them into their ‘shelters’. Bet you didn’t know that!

Unfortunately, the activists at PETA are obsessed with hate. Hate towards those who don’t share their views. The organisation’s unhealthy approach to debate and life even leads to extremely unpleasant statements such as when Gary Yourofsky,  an extremist who promoted PETA‘s aims by claiming women who wear fur should be raped.

In his own words: “Every woman ensconced in fur should endure a rape so vicious that it scars them forever. While every man entrenched in fur should suffer an anal raping so horrific that they become disembowelled.”

So end these ridiculous campaigns, PETA, and lose the hate. Get back to what you should really be doing. I would suggest you try to feel the festive spirit as well, but I doubt there’s any room for love for your fellow humans in your intolerant, Orwellian hearts.