A vet and a vegan activist are set to do battle after the latter accused the business of using birds for “animal slavery”.
Activist Tash Peterson, also known as Vegan Booty, took a trip to visit the Bicton Vet Clinic in Perth, Western Australia a few months ago, and made her feelings about to cockatiels in a cage at in the reception area of the premises well known.
Ms Peterson, 28, alongside partner Jack Higgs, then filmed the the encounter and posted it on her Facebook page.
In the video, she told a member of staff that she was guilty of animal slavery.
The staff member hit back: “It’s not animal slavery, and I appreciate your opinion, and that’s your opinion, but I’d like to ask you leave our premises, you are not welcome here.
“I know who you are and I don’t want any trouble.”
It was made clear that the birds have lived in the cage for such a long time that they would be unable to cope on their own in the outside world – as is the case with the vast majority of domesticated animals.
However, the conversation took a strange turn when Ms Peterson asked if the staff member eats the animals she cares for – which was obviously denied.
But, Ms Peterson was not done yet.
She said: “I don’t appreciate you enslaving animals and forcing them into murder factories. What if they were dogs?” Ms Peterson replied.
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The staff member responded: “I have a dog in a cage out the back at the moment receiving treatment. Am I enslaving it?”
Vet owners Kay and Andrew McIntosh have launched legal proceedings against Ms Peterson for defamation, but local news outlets have been unable to get comments from Ms Peterson on that.
She did, however, post on Facebook that local police turned up at her home just 30 minutes after the incident, and she was issued with a banning notice, preventing her from entering the clinic again.
Earlier this year, Ms Peterson claimed that she had also been served a banning noticed from every licensed premises in Western Australia, and would be given a £6,000 fine if she stepped foot into one again.
She said the ban was in response to her May protest in which she accosted diners at a Bathers Beach seafood restaurant accusing them of being complicit in a “fish holocaust”, according to PerthNow.com.au.
She also claimed that the ban was being used as a tool to “silence” her.
She said although she wasn't planning to stop her activism, she might be leaving the Western Australia area due to the ban.
“Guess what WA I’m getting the f**k out of here anyway so I can continue to do my protesting in other states in places that sell alcohol,” she claimed, in a video.
"I’m probably going to be over east in one month’s time and I’m flying out on Monday.”
She is also banned from Aussie supermarket Coles and shop Woolworths, too.
However, given the incident at the vets, it seems she has yet to leave.
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