Chicago -- To needy families, Oprah's Angel Network may
seem more like the grinch who stole Christmas. The network, founded by
talk show host Oprah Winfrey, has rejected more than $100,000 worth of
brand-new shoes -- 2,200 pairs in all-donated to it by animal rights
group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and online
retailer Aesop, Inc., which specializes in leather-free footwear and
accessories and sells under the trade name AESOP: The Leather
Alternative. Oprah's Angel Network backed out hours before the shoes
were set to be shipped over fears that the public would learn that the
donation came from PETA.
"We love Oprah. I've been on her show, and she's a kind
person," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. "It was a chance to help
animals and people at the same time." Massachusetts-based Aesop and PETA
instead donated the boots, sneakers, loafers, and other shoes to the
Salvation Army.
PETA and Aesop urge consumers to choose pleather, not
leather, because of the extreme suffering animals endure in today's skin
trade.
PETA has previously donated tofu "turkeys" to soup
kitchens and unwanted fur coats to the homeless. For more information
about PETA's Skins Campaign, please visit www.CowsAreCool.com. To learn
about Aesop, please visit www.AesopInc.com.
Go on to A
Thanksgiving Vigil for Turkeys from franklin@upc-online.org
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