onal nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, VA. It was founded in 1980 and simply operates under the principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment. PETA informs policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promotes an understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect.
             PETA has been responsible for the closure of the largest horse slaughterhouse in the United States, the closure of a military laboratory in which animals were shot, and stopping the use of cats and dogs in all wound laboratories. Many other things they accomplished that influenced government policy were as follows:
              PETA cofounder Alex Pacheco first uncovered the abuse of animals in experiments in 1981, launching the precedent-setting Silver Spring monkeys case. This resulted in the first arrest and conviction of an animal experimenter in the United States on charges of cruelty to animals, the first confiscation of abused laboratory animals, and the first U.S. Supreme Court victory for animals in laboratories.
              PETA released 70 hours of videotape documenting the appalling treatment of primates at the University of Pennsylvania head injury laboratory, resulting in government fines and the end of primate use there.
              PETA's undercover investigation of a huge contract testing laboratory in Philadelphia and our subsequent campaign led to Benetton's permanent ban on animal tests--a first for a major cosmetics company. Other leading companies, such as Avon, Revlon, and Estée Lauder, followed suit. L'Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics manufacturer, yielded after PETA's four-year international campaign. Gillette announced a moratorium on animal tests after PETA's 10-year campaign. PETA now lists more than 550 cosmetics companies that do not test products on animals.
              PETA was victorious over the General Motors Corporation, which for more than a ...