Carrie Symonds Is PETA UK’s 2020 Person of the Year
Carrie Symonds Is PETA UK’s 2020 Person of the Year
London – For speaking up for animals from monkeys to mutts and being a bright light in a tough year, conservationist Carrie Symonds has been named PETA UK’s 2020 Person of the Year. She joins previous winners including Lewis Hamilton, Ricky Gervais, and the late Sir Roger Moore.
In April, she called for a ban on cruel, blood-soaked “wet markets” – saying that we must end the global wildlife trade “once and for all” – amid the coronavirus crisis in order to prevent future pandemics. She also condemned the “horrific” fur trade, rightly stating, “Fur belongs on animals only.” And along with championing animal adoption, she also leads by example – she is guardian to Dilyn, a rescued dog who was discarded by callous puppy factory farmers. As an ocean conservationist, Symonds has long worked to protect the world’s sea life, highlighting the threat of plastic pollution to whales, dolphins, sea birds, and other marine life.
Symonds is a true ally to animals, and her activism get results. After PETA Asia’s investigation into Thailand’s coconut industry revealed that monkeys are kept chained and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts for coconut milk sold by major brands like Chaokoh, she called on retailers to stop selling these cruelly obtained products. And, following her urging, every single UK grocery chain pulled coconut products obtained through monkey labour.
“Carrie Symonds is a fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals,” says PETA Managing Director Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is delighted to honour her for using her platform to encourage people to spare a thought for our fellow animals whom we share this planet with.”
PETA – whose motto reads, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way” – opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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