Contrary to the implications made by columnist Bryan Stascavage, PETA operates under non-violent principles. We work to help animals by exposing cruelties in the entertainment, food, clothing, and animal-testing industries. Our campaigns are sometimes colorful, but everything we do—including working with law enforcement officials and bringing litigation against animal abusers—is peaceful.

By encouraging people to make compassionate choices—such as choosing veggie burgers instead of artery-clogging beef patties and funding and promoting the development and use of state-of-the-art non-animal research and testing methods—we are helping animals and humans.

There’s nothing wrong with shedding light on the ways that animals are abused in laboratories, and it’s illogical to imagine that progress must come from poisoning dogs, making mice grow tumors as big as their bodies, or infecting monkeys with debilitating diseases that they don’t contract in nature. In fact, relying on animals may be impeding scientific breakthroughs: According to a National Institutes of Health study, the average rate of success converting data from animal experiments to clinical cancer trials is less than 8 percent.

I invite readers to visit peta2.com to learn more about what we do and how they can help make the world a kinder place for animals.

Montville is the Senior College Campaign Strategist for PETA.