Sam Neill’s red meat ads infuriates PETA

WELLINGTON - Kiwi actor Sam Neill has been slammed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for promoting red meat in a new ad.

The PETA officials have dubbed the ‘Dean Spanley’ star “pimp for an industry” that kills animals as well as people.

Neill is making advertisements with an orang-utan promoting red meat for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

In the ads, the actor is seen telling an orang-utan, named Dennis, that red meat is “brain food” and improves intelligence.

Peta campaigner Ashley Fruno has written to Neill saying perhaps in “your dotage” the work was needed to pay bills.

“Some of the most accomplished and brilliant thinkers in history were vegetarian - including Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Plato, Pythagoras, Mahatma Gandhi and Isaac Newton,” the NZPA quoted Fruno as saying.

“Studies published in the British Medical Journal have shown that people with a higher IQ are more likely to go vegetarian - yes, it really is the smart choice.

“Meat was also killing the environment, producing more greenhouse gas emissions that vehicles,” he added. (ANI)