People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) founder Ingrid Newkirk has always been pretty much a radical kook. Remember her favorite saying, “a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy?” If you ever had any doubts about how bizarre she and her organization are, all you have to do is read her last will and testament, which is available online.

In part, here’s what is says.

Upon my death, it is my wish that my body be used in a manner that draws attention to needless animal suffering and exploitation. To accomplish this, I direct that my body be donated to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to be used in whatever manner it chooses in order to accomplish the specified purpose, with the hope that most of my body will be put to use in the United States, with parts also dispatched to awaken the public consciousness of governments and citizens in the United Kingdom, where I was born, in India, my beloved childhood home, and in Canada, Germany and France.

• That the “meat” of my body, or a portion thereof, be used for a human barbecue, to remind the world that the meat of a corpse is all flesh, regardless of whether it comes from a human being or another animal, and that flesh foods are not needed;
• That my skin, or a portion thereof, be removed and made into leather products, such as purses, to remind the world that human skin and the skin of other animals is the same and that neither is “fabric” nor needed, and that some skin be tacked up outside the Indian Leather Fair each year;
• That my feet be removed and umbrella stands or other ornamentation be made from them, as a reminder of the depravity of killing innocent animals, such as elephants, in order that we might use their body parts for household items and decorations;
• That one of my eyes be removed, mounted, and delivered to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a reminder that PETA will continue to be watching the agency until it stops poisoning and torturing animals in useless and cruel experiments;
• That my pointing finger be delivered to Kenneth Feld, owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, or to a circus museum to stand as the “Greatest Accusation on Earth” on behalf of the countless elephants, lions, tigers, bears and other animals who have been kidnapped from their families and removed from their homelands and forced into involuntary servitude for the sake of cheap entertainment;
• That my liver be vacuum-packed and shipped, in whole or in part, to France, to there be used in a public appeal to persuade shoppers not to support the vile practice of force-feeding geese and ducks for foie gras;
• That one of my ears be removed, mounted and sent to the Canadian Parliament to assist them in hearing, for the first time perhaps, the screams of the seals, bears, raccoons, foxes and minks bludgeoned, trapped and sometimes skinned alive for their pelts; that the other ear be removed, preserved and displayed outside the Deonar abattoir in Mumbai;
•  That one of my thumbs be removed, mounted upwards on a plaque, and sent to the person or institution that, in the year of my death or thereabouts, PETA decides has done the most to promote alternatives to the use and abuse of animals in any area of their exploitation;
• That one of my thumbs be mounted in a downward position and sent to the person or institution that, in the year of my death or thereabouts, has gone against the changing tide of societal opinion and frightened and hurt animals in some egregious manner;
• That anything else be done with my body that PETA believes will serve to draw attention to and so abate the plight of exploited animals.

PETA is one of the smallest, yet most vocal, of the animal rights groups fighting fanatically against hunters, anglers, ranchers and others who use animals for the benefit of humans. In fiscal year 2017, while Newkirk earned $39,247, the average compensation for all employees was $116,848, according to www.comparably.com. During this period they received contributions totaling $46,349,951, had gross merchandise sales of $491,974 and earned $1,626,587 in interest, dividends, royalties and other income for total revenues of $48,468,512.

In contrast, during fiscal year 2017 the largest animal rights’ group, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) had gross revenues of $231.6 million, including $168.1 million in contributions and grants, and another $30.1 million in bequests. Former CEO Wayne Pacelle — who resigned in early 2018 after allegations of sexual harassment against him prompted an uprising from staff and donors — earned over $4 million from 1994-2015.

Never forget that the animal rightists are filled with both fanatical nut jobs like PETA and Ingrid Newkirk and hustlers like Wayne Pacelle and HSUS, which received a two-star rating from watchdog group Charity Navigator. HSUS, which spends a whopping 22.9 percent of its revenues for fundraising, spends virtually nothing in direct support for animal welfare.

Bob Robb grew up in a small farm town in southern California, where his love of the outdoors was instilled at an early age by his father and grandfather. The former college basketball and baseball player has been a full-time outdoor writer since 1978 and a contributor — and editor —to several prominent hunting magazines down through the years. He’s hunted on five continents with both guns and bows, and  also lived 15 years in Alaska, where he held an assistant hunting guide license. 

Featured Photo: Vegans and vegetarians animal rights activists are "cooking" humans during a protest against killing animals for meat or clothing, June 2016. (iStock)