Barbecue dog stunt in Pitt St Mall disgusts shoppers

Shoppers in Sydney’s busy Pitt St Mall have reacted with disgust to a PETA stunt involving the fake barbecuing of a dog. The controversial protest took place in clear view of pedestrians, including many children on school holidays. WARNING: CONFRONTING IMAGES

Shoppers in Sydney’s busy Pitt St Mall have reacted with disgust to a PETA (People For The Ethical Treament of Animals) stunt involving the fake barbecuing of a dog.

The controversial protest took place in clear view of pedestrians, which included a large number of children still on school holidays.

The animal rights group said the display was an attempt to stop people eating meat this Australia Day.

It involved using a lifelike model of a dog to make the point that dogs were “no different to lamb, cows or chicken”.

Shoppers heading through Pitt Street Mall saw a barbecued ‘dog’. Picture: Mick Tsikas

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A PETA activist stood in the middle of the mall from 10am under a banner that reads “If You Wouldn’t Eat a Dog, Why Eat a Lamb? Go Vegan!”

PETA’s Emily Rice said the barbecued dog was fake, made by a British prop designer, but the organisation was adamant it would still send a strong message.

“We’ll have a barbecue chef there running through the motions of barbecuing a dog. It’s staged but I can tell you, the dog isn’t pretty,” Ms Rice said.

While shoppers didn’t have to worry about blood or the demonstration being gory, Ms Rice said was “thought-provoking”.

The barbecue was fake but lifelike enough to make passers-by concerned.

“He’s a dog and he’s charred-looking. It’s not gruesome but it’s no different to when you’d walk past a Peking duck hanging in a shop window or a pig on a spit at a wedding,” she said.

@peta stopping to new lows with their stunt in Martin Place today - terrifying children on school holiday outings by barbecuing a (very lifelike) dog. I saw some visibly upset kids #Disgraceful #stunt #PETA pic.twitter.com/iaRpDXrCDc

— Cøckrøach (@cockroachBLUE) January 23, 2019

On occasion, PETA has been forced to defend itself for its demonstrations, however Ms Rice said the organisation was used to mixed reactions.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

“It’s always mixed, it can be confronting to challenge what people think of as normal and it will be an emotionally charged day but if we manage to plant some seeds and start a conversation about speciesism then that’s a good thing,” she said.

“We want people to think about why they’re happy to love one animal but eat another.”

Ms Rice said she understood people who reacted with anger.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

Pedestrians react.

“Nobody ever likes to peak behind the curtain of what they turn a blind eye to but meat eating and its relationship with climate change is something we need to be talking about now,” she said.

“When it comes to the capacity to suffer and feel pain and fear, a dog is no different from a lamb, a pig, a chicken, or a cow.

“PETA is urging anyone who’s repulsed by the prospect of showing down on dog meat to extend that compassion to all other animals and go vegan.”

PETA’s barbecue dog display in Pitt St Mall.

PETA activists in the mall.