Ingrid Newkirk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ingrid Newkirk
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Ingrid Newkirk with Little Man, her photographer's chihuahua, during an interview for Wikinews in 2007.
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| Born |
Ingrid Elizabeth Ward
June 11, 1949 Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England
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| Citizenship | British-American |
| Occupation | Founder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals |
| Spouse(s) |
Steve Newkirk
(m. 1968; div. 1980) |
Ingrid Newkirk (born June 11, 1949) is a British-American animal activist and author. She is best known as the president and co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world.
Newkirk started PETA in March 1980 with Alex Pacheco. They became well-known in 1981 because of the Silver Spring monkeys case. In this case, Pacheco took photos of monkeys being experimented on. This led to the first police raid on an animal research lab in the United States. It also helped change the Animal Welfare Act in 1985. Since then, Newkirk has led many campaigns. These campaigns work to stop using animals in crash tests and to convince companies to stop testing cosmetics on animals. She has also organized investigations that led to actions against companies and universities that use animals.
Contents
About Ingrid Newkirk
Her Early Life
Ingrid Newkirk was born in England in 1949. She was the only child of Noel and Mary Ward. As a young girl, she lived in Scotland and then in Hertfordshire, England. When she was seven, her family moved to New Delhi, India. Her father worked for the government there. Her mother volunteered with Mother Teresa, helping people in need.
Ingrid went to a boarding school in the Himalayas. She helped her mother at the leper colony. She packed pills, rolled bandages, and fed stray animals. These experiences taught her that anyone suffering, including animals, deserves help. She remembers a time in New Delhi when she tried to save a dog. People had tied the dog's legs and put it in a muddy ditch. She tried to help it, but the dog died in her arms. She has said this moment was a turning point for her.
When she was 18, her family moved to Florida, USA. There, she met Steve Newkirk. They married in 1968 and later divorced in 1980.
How She Started Helping Animals
Ingrid Newkirk didn't think much about animal rights until she was 21. In 1970, she moved to Maryland. A neighbor left some kittens behind, and Ingrid took them to an animal shelter. She then took a job at the shelter's kennels. There, she saw animals being treated badly. She learned a lot about animal care and behavior.
Newkirk reported the problems at the shelter. She then became an animal-protection officer. First, she worked for Montgomery County, Maryland. Later, she worked for the District of Columbia. She became D.C.'s first female "poundmaster," which means she was in charge of the animal shelter. She helped the city get money for vet services and start adoption programs. She also created a department to investigate animal cruelty. By 1976, she was leading the animal-disease-control division in D.C.
Ingrid Newkirk and PETA
Starting PETA
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In 1980, Newkirk met Alex Pacheco at an animal shelter. Pacheco introduced her to the idea of animal rights. He gave her a book called Animal Liberation by Peter Singer. Newkirk felt that the book put into words what she had always felt about animals.
At that time, the idea of animal rights was new in the U.S. In March 1980, Newkirk and Pacheco decided to start a group. Their goal was to teach Americans about animal rights. At first, it was just a small group of friends.
The Silver Spring Monkeys Case
The case of the Silver Spring monkeys made PETA famous around the world. In 1981, Alex Pacheco got a job as a volunteer at a research center in Maryland. He wanted to learn firsthand about how animals were used in research. A psychologist named Edward Taub was working with 17 monkeys there. He had cut nerves in their arms and legs. Then, he tried to make them use those limbs.
Pacheco secretly went into the lab at night. He took photos and brought scientists to see the conditions. Newkirk helped him by watching outside and warning him if anyone came. The photos showed disturbing conditions for the monkeys. Newkirk and Pacheco told the police. The police raided the lab and took the monkeys. Taub was charged with animal cruelty. He was found guilty of some charges, but these were later overturned.
This was the first time police raided an animal research facility in the U.S. The images of the monkeys were published in newspapers. This case led to changes in the Animal Welfare Act in 1985. It also made PETA a well-known animal rights group, with Ingrid Newkirk as its leader.
Newkirk has also talked about actions taken by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). This group takes strong actions to help animals.
Awards and Books
Ingrid Newkirk has received several awards for her work:
- Washingtonian of the Year, 1980
- Courage of Conscience Award, 1995
- Shining World Compassion Award, 2007
- Ahimsa Award, 2014
- Peter Singer Prize for Strategies to Reduce the Suffering of Animals, 2016
She has also written many books about animals and animal rights, including:
- Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion (2020)
- The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights - Simple Acts of Kindness to Help Animals in Trouble (2009)
- 50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals (2006)
- Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal-Friendly Living (2005)
- Free the Animals: The Story of the Animal Liberation Front (2000)
- You Can Save the Animals: 251 Simple Ways to Stop Thoughtless Cruelty (1999)
- Kids Can Save the Animals: 101 Easy Things to Do (1991)
See also
In Spanish: Ingrid Newkirk para niños
- Women and animal advocacy
- List of animal rights advocates
