(Image source: PETA)

BY EVAN BUSH

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

PETA is aiming its Thanksgiving message at kids this year -- and it has some parents riled.

The ad shows a dog’s head superimposed on the body of a turkey and reads: “Kids: If you wouldn’t eat your dog, why eat a turkey? Go Vegan.”

WDIV summarizes some parents’ response.

“Parents say that it sends the wrong message to children who are too young to tell the difference between animals considered pets and animals considered food.”

And on WTVJ, the anchors were in agreement -- PETA went too far this time around.

ANCHOR 1: “You know -- sometimes they just go too far -- I get you do want the ethical treatment of animals, you don’t want animals abused or anything. But they think you having your turkey on Thanksgiving is abuse to animals.”
ANCHOR 2: “But you know to target kids like you were saying -- You know, parents are the parents, you know, don’t go directing it at kids.”

Fox News’ Neil Cavuto gave PETA an opportunity to explain the billboards -- though he didn’t hold back his feelings on the subject.

Neil Cavuto: “You cannot be serious about this campaign. Can you not be?”
PETA Representative: “Well, from our standpoint Thanksgiving should be a time for celebration with our families and not a time for animal abuse. And turkeys may not be as familiar to us as the dogs and cat share our homes with but they have the same capacity to suffer and to experience pain and we think that is something that kids understand.”

But a writer for the Washington Post says it brings up an interesting point -- and it might have just as important an effect on adults as it does children.

“The billboard plays on their innocence and curiosity. It wants kids to turn to us, and ask us to explain. It wants to prompt uncomfortable questions and, by extension, force us adult meat-eaters to examine our choices. Is it fair to involve young kids? Or is all fair in vegan promotion?”