Dear PETA,

I must admit I am an animal lover. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not out to needlessly harm any animal or creature. I believe they all have the right to live a peaceful, dignified life. I was, at one point in my life, a vegetarian. I am no longer, but I try to eat vegetarian at least once a week and generally succeed in several times a week veg. I am a scientist and I work with animals. I can guarantee that we take the best possible care of the animals we have in captivity. Granted, we do need to sacrifice animals. Sacrifice is carried out in the most humane manner. Several independent agencies oversee our work on animals to ensure we are operating under the most stringent and ethical of conditions. I own pets and have taken the best care of them, giving them routine health care, surgeries and proper medication. When my animals feel bad, I feel horrible. When I went to India and saw bears and monkeys chained up and forced to perform for money and entertainment, I cried. I don't believe in zoos or circuses or canned hunts or any of these cruel acts. What I don't understand, PETA, is why you torment me with the most horrible of ads on several websites I regularly read (like the New York Times). These ads depict a dog attacking a bear in a ruthless manner and ask me to donate to your cause. For one, I refuse to donate to a cause that supports the Animal Liberation Front. I don't believe that research animals should be released into the wild. I do not believe research should be thrown away or professors' houses fire-bombed or researcher's lives destroyed. I do not believe most research animals could live outside of captivity. And I would love to meet one person, just ONE person who would be willing to volunteer their life and well-being to test treatments or drugs for effectiveness or efficacy (terminal patients notwithstanding). Are you willing to give untested drugs or treatments to your family, your children? Are you willing to live without medical treatments, without vaccines, without preventative medicine? I doubt that. And by the way, PETA, I eat meat. I think I likely always will. I dislike slaughterhouses and I support work by Temple Grandin and others who try to make the worst possible situation better for animals facing the end of their lives. I think the best case scenario is to make life for these animals as good as it can be for the short time they're here. Realistically, you are not going to convince to entire US to become veg, even with your "too racy for the super bowl, masturbating with vegetables" advertisement. Your agenda is too extreme, your ads are too offensive to ever convince people of the "ethical treatment of animals". I refuse to support your agenda and I am surprised that websites like the New York Times would allow such ridiculous violent animal ads on their website. For most of us, we are doing the best we can with what we can. Get over yourselves PETA, and try to make realistic changes to our society that will have long term benefits. I support the Humane Society and they passed Prop2 in CA! What legislature have you passed lately?