'Don't Dissect Anyone!' Says Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries Star in New PETA Campaign
For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2013
Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382
Los Angeles -- As students across the country head back to school, Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries star Torrey DeVitto is teaming up with PETA to tackle a tough subject: animal dissection. In a brand-new ad, DeVitto appears hugging a feline friend next to the words "You Wouldn't Dissect Her, So Don't Dissect Anyone!" The ad, available here, was shot by top celebrity photographer Robert Sebree.
In a PETA interview, DeVitto explains how she let fear of disappointing her teachers push her into dissecting when she was in school—and how she still regrets it. "I didn't think I had an option," she says. "Kids need to know they have the option—they don't need to be subjected to this. … You can do virtual dissection, which gives them just as much information as dissecting a real cat or frog." In the interview, DeVitto goes on to encourage students to refuse to dissect, saying, "You'll feel so much more proud of yourself if you do stand up for what you believe … there's nothing more valuable than your voice and your own opinions."
Every year, more than 10 million animals—including cats, frogs, rats, mice, and fetal pigs—are dissected in secondary-school and college science classes. Most of them come from biological supply houses that sell cats obtained from animal shelters, fetal pigs cut from the wombs of female pigs killed at slaughterhouses, and frogs who are taken from their homes in the wild—a practice that wreaks havoc on local ecosystems. Studies have repeatedly shown that virtual dissection is more effective for teaching biology than cutting up dead animals.
DeVitto is part of a long list of celebrities—including Justin Bieber, Lea Michele, Sarah Hyland, Kellan Lutz, Megan Park, and Pink—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness toward animals.
A broadcast-quality version of DeVitto's video interview can be downloaded here. For more information, please visit PETA.org.