caption website birth_place citizenship image_size birth_date alt residence spouse image article_title name occupation
ingrid chihuahua , during an interview for wikinews in 2007 . newkirk with little man , her photographer 's http://www.ingridnewkirk.com surrey , england british and american 250px 11 june 1949 photograph virginia , united states steve newkirk -lrb- divorced 1980 -rrb- ingrid newkirk by david shankbone.jpg ingrid newkirk
 ingrid newkirk president of people for the ethical treatment of animals
ingrid newkirk

ingrid newkirk -lrb- born june 11 , 1949 -rrb- is an english-born british-american animal rights activist and the president of people for the ethical treatment of animals -lrb- peta -rrb- , the world 's largest animal rights organization .
she is the author of several books , including `` making kind choices '' -lrb- 2005 -rrb- and `` the peta practical guide to animal rights : simple acts of kindness to help animals in trouble '' -lrb- 2009 -rrb- .
newkirk has worked for the animal-protection movement since 1972 .
under her leadership in the 1970s as the district of columbia 's first female poundmaster , legislation was passed to create the first spay/neuter clinic in washington , d.c. , as well as an adoption program and the public funding of veterinary services , leading her to be among those chosen in 1980 as washingtonians of the year .
newkirk founded peta in march 1980 with fellow animal rights activist alex pacheco .
they came to public attention in 1981 , during what became known as the silver spring monkeys case , when pacheco photographed 17 macaque monkeys being experimented on inside the institute of behavioral research in silver spring , maryland .
the case led to the first police raid in the united states on an animal research laboratory and to an amendment in 1985 to the animal welfare act .
since then , newkirk has led campaigns to stop the use of animals in crash tests , convinced companies to stop testing cosmetics on animals , pressed for higher welfare standards from the meat industry , and organized undercover investigations that have led to government sanctions against companies , universities , and entertainers who use animals .
she is known , in particular , for the media stunts that she organizes to draw attention to animal-protection issues .
in her will , for example , she has asked that her skin be turned into wallets , her feet into umbrella stands , and her flesh into `` newkirk nuggets , '' then grilled on a barbecue .
`` we are complete press sluts '' , she told `` the new yorker '' in 2003 .
`` it is our obligation .
we would be worthless if we were just polite and did n't make any waves . ''
although peta takes a gradualist approach to improving animal welfare , newkirk remains committed to ending animal use and the idea that , as peta 's slogan says , `` animals are not ours to eat , wear , experiment on , or use for entertainment . ''
some animal rights abolitionists , most notably gary francione , have criticized peta , calling it and other groups `` the new welfarists . ''
some members of the animal advocacy movement have responded that francione 's position is unnecessarily divisive .
newkirk has also been criticized for her support of actions carried out in the name of the animal liberation front .
newkirk 's position is that the animal rights movement is a revolutionary one and that `` may prepare revolutions , but bandits must carry them out . ''
peta itself , however , `` maintains a creed of nonviolence and does not advocate actions in which anyone , human or nonhuman , is injured . ''
newkirk and peta have also been criticized for euthanizing many of the animals taken into peta 's shelters , and peta has responded to this line of criticism .
