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Policy on euthanasia

Before founding PETA, Newkirk was chief of animal-disease control and director of the animal shelter in the District of Columbia.[56] She has said that she was shocked by the way the animals were treated in the shelter, and by the methods used to euthanize them.[57]
PETA is against the no kill movement and euthanizes most of the animals surrendered to them.[58] It recommends euthanasia for certain breeds of animals, such as pit bull terriers, and in certain situations for unwanted animals in shelters: for example, for those living for long periods in cramped cages.[59][60][61] It takes in feral cat colonies with diseases such as feline AIDS and leukemia, stray dogs, litters of parvo-infected puppies, and backyard dogs, and as such it would be unrealistic to operate a no-kill policy.[62] Newkirk has said: "It is a totally rotten business, but sometimes the only kind option for some animals is to put them to sleep forever."[63] PETA euthanized 1,946 companion animals in Virginia in 2005, out of 2,138 animals surrendered to them or picked up as strays.[64]
[edit] Criminal proceedings

PETA was criticized in 2005 when police discovered that over the course of a month, at least 80 animals had been euthanized and left in area dumpsters. Two PETA employees were seen approaching a dumpster in a van registered to PETA and leaving behind 18 dead animals; 13 more were found inside the van. The animals had been euthanized by the PETA employees immediately after taking them from shelters in Northampton and Bertie counties.[65] The group said it began euthanizing animals in some rural North Carolina shelters after it found the shelters were killing animals in ways PETA considered inhumane.[66] Police charged the two employees with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty and eight misdemeanor counts of illegal disposal of dead animals.[67] They were acquitted of all charges by April 2008.[68]