How does Peta compare with other animal advocacy organisations? Merritt Clifton, a former Peta employee who runs Animal People, an independent newspaper covering animal rights issues, is on record as saying that Newkirk runs Peta "like a guru cult". Clifton tells me that there are a number of rival groups which promote similar campaigns. "Each of these organisations appeals to people who care about animals who are otherwise within the mainstream of society," he says. "They attract tens of thousands of former Peta supporters — former because they have grown up, shed their former teenaged alienation, and have learned a great deal more about getting things done in the real day-to-day world." Animal People rarely publishes photographs of Peta demonstrations, Clifton tells me, "because so many are downright offensive." 

Racist imagery can be found in more than one of its campaigns, such as the juxtaposition of a photograph of African-American men accused of raping white women being lynched in the American Deep South with that of a bull being strung up in preparation for butchering. Then there was the UK-based poster campaign which depicted a semi-clad black man as a "wild animal" in a cage. 

What about misogyny? "Animal rights activists that have a problem with humiliating women as part of the direct action strategy are not looked upon favourably within Peta," one female former volunteer from the UK told me. "There is no room for deviation or disagreement of any sort." 

Poorva Joshipura is Vice President of International Operations for Peta UK. I ask her if she accepts the accusation that the organisation exploits women for its campaigns. Like every Peta supporter I have spoken to, she adamantly rejects the accusation.

"Peta staff always say they are feminists.  I certainly am and I do not consider it my business to tell women what to wear. The majority of women around the world do not get worked up about a self-made powerful woman taking her clothes off in order to campaign against animal suffering."

Peta has a number of links to the pornography industry in the US. Ron Jeremy is one of the biggest names in pornography, having performed in more than 2,000 adult films. He is also a passionate supporter of Peta and lends his name to the campaign to have pets spayed and neutered. Sasha Grey, who has defended pornography as a career choice on national TV, is also a Peta advocate. The website pornstarpetsthemovie.com is dedicated to porn actors' pets.