PETA’s 2020 Person of the Year Is …

For advocating for all animals – from monkeys to mutts – and being a bright light in a tough year, Carrie Symonds has been named PETA’s 2020 Person of the Year.

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk recognised Symonds’ commitment to animals:

“Carrie Symonds is a fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals. PETA is delighted to honour her for using her influence to encourage people to spare a thought for our fellow animals with whom we share this planet.”

Symonds joins previous winners including Lewis Hamilton, Ricky Gervais, and the late Sir Roger Moore.

Symonds’ Heart for Animals

In April, Symonds 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 and spare animals enormous suffering.

COVID-19 is believed to have originated at such a market, which is no surprise, as a staggering 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans come from other animals.

Symonds also condemned the “horrific” fur trade, rightly stating, “Fur belongs on animals only.”

Over 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year. On fur farms, they spend a miserable life confined to cramped, filthy wire cages before they’re killed by electrocution, neck-breaking, or drowning.

Along with championing animal adoption, Symonds also leads by example as guardian to Dilyn, a rescued dog who was discarded by callous puppy factory farmers.

As an ocean conservationist, she’s 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 gets results. After PETA’s exposé of Thailand’s coconut industry revealed that monkeys are kept chained and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts for coconut milk and other products sold by major brands like Chaokoh, she called on retailers to stop selling these cruelly obtained products, helping to get every UK supermarket chain to commit to pulling coconut products obtained through monkey labour.

What You Can Do

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