People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an organization committed to ending abusive treatment of animals in business and society and promoting consideration of animal interests in everyday decision making and general policies and practices. Founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco, PETA's objectives have been supported by scholarly work in ethics—most notably, Peter Singer's Animal Liberation, which Newkirk cites as providing the impetus behind PETA's establishment.

PETA's earliest efforts concentrated on exposing the abuse of animals in experimentation, and this area continues to be a focus of its activities. PETA has made efforts to minimize the suffering of animals in laboratory settings by appealing to industries that have traditionally engaged in extensive and invasive animal testing—such as the cosmetics and pharmaceutical ...