Banned Within Hours: PETA Ad Hightlighting Raoul Moat’S History Of Cruelty To Animals

For Immediate Release:
25 August 2010

Contact:
Alice Barnett +44 (0) 20 7357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]

Wallsend – Yesterday, PETA’s efforts to prevent the kind of violence perpetrated by Raoul Moat, who killed one person and left two others seriously injured, were thwarted when an ad at the Forum shopping centre in Wallsend was taken down within hours of its posting. Featuring an image of a dog, the ad read, “Raoul Moat: Animal Abuser & Murderer. Animal Abusers Rarely Stop There”, and encouraged the public to report cruelty to animals immediately. Acting on behalf of the North Tyneside Council, Towns Centre Management decided to remove the poster after some people complained. As a child, Moat reportedly killed a friend’s cat by throwing the animal off a banister, breaking the cat’s back. As an adult, Moat reportedly beat his family’s dog to death with a baseball bat, leaving the dead body for his children to view.

“The horrific violence committed by Raoul Moat shows just how vital it is for people to understand the importance of intervening whenever anyone at any age commits a sadistic or violent act towards an animal”, says PETA Foundation Manager Mimi Bekhechi. “Animal abusers are generally cowards who enjoy the feeling of power that they get when they victimise defenceless living beings, and they must be stopped before they expand to other targets. PETA will continue to seek other placement for our important ad campaign.”

The American Psychiatric Association identifies cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders, and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation uses reports of crimes against animals in analysing the threat potential of suspected and known criminals. Violent criminal Steven Barker, child-killers Mary Bell, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables and serial murderers Ian Huntley, Thomas Hamilton (Dunblane massacre), Fred West, Ian Brady and Jeffrey Dahmer all started out by deliberately harming animals.

PETA now plans to place the poster in other towns nationwide as part of the group’s efforts to stop violence.

A copy of the poster is attached. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.