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By carolyn shapiro
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has made a juicy offer to the owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
But Yum Brands Inc., parent company of KFC and Taco Bell, isn't biting.
PETA, which has targeted KFC with one of its vitriolic animal-rights campaigns, saw an unexpected opportunity this month upon learning that Yum wanted to buy its property at 20th Street and Monticello Avenue.
PETA offered to turn over the vacant warehouse, owned by its related Foundation to Support Animal Protection, for free. In exchange, the activist group wanted KFC to implement several improvements to address what PETA calls abusive practices the chain's suppliers use to raise and slaughter 850 million chickens a year.
"I guess it was a karmically good twist of fate," said Matt Prescott, PETA's manager of Factory Farming Campaigns.
Two weeks ago, before Yum knew who the owner of the property was, its real estate manager responded to a broker's listing for the former Price's Appliance store and warehouse at 201 E. 20th St. The fast-food giant bid $1 million for the building, which was listed for $1.6 million, Prescott said.
The nonprofit group sent a letter to Yum outlining its deal to give away the warehouse, despite paying just more than $1 million for it in June 2005, Prescott said. PETA, based in Norfolk, refused to accept any money from the company.
"We said, 'We don't want your million dollars,' because Yum Brands is such a callous and stubborn company when it comes to animal-rights issues," Prescott said. Better treatment of the birds "is worth far more to us than a warehouse."
Yum flatly declined the offer. The company, based in Louisville, Ky., withdrew its bid after learning of PETA's ownership.
"We have let them know that we are no longer interested in that property," said Laurie Schalow, a KFC spokeswoman. "We don't do business with corporate terrorists, so we don't have an interest in engaging with PETA."
Yum has scouted sites in Norfolk to relocate an older Taco Bell restaurant, Schalow said. A Taco Bell now stands across Monticello from the PETA site.
The Foundation to Support Animal Protection operates as a separate nonprofit organization from PETA but serves as its real estate arm. According to the Norfolk assessor's office, it owns PETA's headquarters at 501 Front St., as well as six other city properties, including the 20th Street site and a couple of apartment buildings in the West Ghent neighborhood.
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Peta More Ethical Than KFC
Which is more ethical - selling meat from hundreds of millions of chickens forced to live in cages so small that they can't stand or spread their wings, with their beaks painfully seared off, and languishing in their own excrement; or humanely euthanizing a large number of unwanted cats and dogs? Animal shelters across the nation euthanize untold numbers of cats and dogs everyday. Peta was just doing the work none of us want to think about - dealing with the extreme overpopulation of cats and dogs that is a direct result of people refusing to spay and neuter their pets.
PETA is not a peaceful organization
The person who said PETA is a peaceful organization doesn't seem to know much about PETA. They terrorize and illegally harrass people, sometimes inciting violence all to further what "could" be a good agenda. Who doesn't want better treatment for animals. But PETA'S approach hurts everyone. There is no way that KFC would enter into an agreement with PETA because of the way PETA is. Like they said, they don't do business with corporate terrorists. Personally, I eat free-range chickens and would like more humane treatment of animals. But maybe PETA needs to start acting more humane to humans first and then maybe more people will listen.
I love chickens too (with gravy)
I travel a lot and I can tell you Peta is a laughing-stock in most of the country and an embarrassment to Virginia and especially Hampton Roads. This just points it out. I'd like to see one more vacant building in Ghent.
PETA offer
Why does it seem like this society that we are living in today is so critical and negative towards any group/person/ organization that is trying to make a difference in the world? We are all trying to make it..so why don't we all try to make it peacefully? Any living thing (whether it be human, animal, insect) deserves to be treated with humanity. No, KFC will never stop serving chicken, but why won't they at least allow those chickens time to live without pain and suffering before they slaughter them? Why not take PETA up on the deal...
Something smells fishy
Anyone else wonder if maybe PETA was setting up the YUM Corp? Like maybe theres a unmarked pet cemetary on that property, now wouldn't that look good on the local news. "Yum guilty of animal cruelty, burying animals on property given to them by PETA..." Can ya just see the headlines? Wouldn't surprise me one bit, specially after that little fiasco down in North Carolina.
P E T A ( People eating tasty animals )
I personally own a dog cat birds fish. Love animals. Spend alot to keep them happy and healthy. However I also love to eat animals, i. e fied chicken. also like it baked or bbq. I understand PETA concern with annimals however. They are like the ACLU. A good idea gone over the top. I think that PETA should close.. The SPCA does a much better job and is in touch with most of america .. meat eaters.
I just dont know how we can be but so humane when we slaughter these animals for food. I'm on my way to eat a whooper, tomorrow is KFC. I hate to see all the folks from PETA blocking traffic at the 5 points KFC in Norfolk. Get out of street. Get a life.
I HATE PETA......
Sorry, I know that sounds harsh. But its always something with them. Why not use one of their properties to help out over crowded city animal shelters?
Not a veggin!
Honestly, if PETA had their way, we'd all be eating grass and tofu. For those of us that aren't veggins, meat is a staple in our diets. Chickens, just like cows, pigs, etc...are raised to be used as food. PETA is not concerned with how the chickens are slaughtered, their objective is that they aren't slaughtered at all. Why don't they concentrate on the animals in circus's that are being abused or the one's being used for cosmetic experiments...
peta
why does the writer characterize peta's campaign as vitriolic. it is simply aggressive and straightforward.
Peta?
Oh yes, I remember Peta...that outfit thats all for the ethical treatment of animals but went to NC and killed/dumped dogs they "liberated" from county pens. KFC is smart to avoid these "compasionate" people.
check the zoning!!!!!!!
peta wanted 2 put a thrift store at this location...they purchased the property.....most people check the zoning before they buy property...peta did not...not zoned 4 a thrift store..there is no parking......try and give away a $1 million property....good 2 be rich....
Stubborn
YUM and KFC seem awfully stubborn--passing on a chance to save a million only to somehow "save face" and not "cave-in" to what seem like basic requests to improve the lives and deaths of animals. I'm not a vegetarian myself, probably never will be, but I do think we should show some grace (toward animals we eat) and not just say it (as we eat them).
Peolpe Eating Tasty Animals...
They need to be given a taste of their own corporate terrorist tatics. How about a slaughter house company flys over and drops blood all over their pretty white building in downtown Norfolk and then KFC can come by and throw feathers on it.
I wouldn't either.....
Believe me if "Yum" (KFC) took over that building there would be a PETA group picketing everyday, I used to support PETA until their North Carolina employee's were caught dumping cats and dogs in a dumpster.
PETA's offer of free land to KFC owner is declined
Smart move for Yum. I totally agree that it would be corporate suicide for Yum to enter into any agreement with PETA. PETA would most certainly use this in their attack against the Yum Brands Company. How dare PETA assume that they can manipulate a company to change its policies and procedures to further their agenda. PETA has a reputation of "going too far", and this is just another example of just that. I understand that certain practices of Yum's (or their subcontractor) employees are deplorable in the way they have treated animals, but just like the couple employed by PETA that was dumping puppies in the trash, they should be reprimanded individually, and not used as a representation of the company. Personally, I love KFC Chicken. Lets face it, you have to kill um to eat um.
Talk about irresponsible corporate officers
You would think that Yum already had enough bad publicity with its recent E. coli outbreaks at its Taco Bells.
Let alone, losing a court case in 2003 for lying to the public about animal abuse and having their own panel of independent researchers quit when their proposed Recommended Animal Welfare Program was short sightedly rejected by their Board.
I'm just lucky I'm not a stockholder of a company that is obviously happy making a quick buck peddling its 3-piece 15 grams of trans fat chicken servings and ecoli burrito's but isn't sophisticated enough to understand the benefit of long term economic planning and the financial asset of "corporate goodwill".
"Hey, here's a free 1.5 million dollars, just implement your own company's recommendations"... "no thanks we're too busy enjoying all our recent bad publicity".
All in all, it sounds like cutting off your own beak to spite your face.
PETA : Nonprofit?
$1,000,000 paid by PETA for a vacant building in Norfolk last year. Hmmm. And then they are willing to give it away for free??? Sounds like they are not the non-profit agency that they claim to be. What they own at least 6 other properties, including an apartment complex?
Sounds like their real business is the real estate business and are funding it through charitable donations.
I'd like to audit their books.
This isn't news
why do you continue to give these fruitcakes legitimacy?