PETA offers Pakistan cricketers ad for makeover

MUMBAI - The British arm of Animal rights charity People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has offered Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, who are embroiled in a match fixing controversy, to generate public goodwill by starring in a PETA ad.

PETA wants them to promote spaying and neutering of dogs and cats in a new ad.

“Many of us here at PETA are big cricket fans, so we were saddened to hear the allegations regarding match-fixing.

“We would like to offer you an opportunity to generate public goodwill towards your team while helping to take the spotlight off this controversy: star in a PETA ad promoting a different kind of ‘fixing’ - sterilising dogs and cats. No one would call you ‘out’ about that,” Yvonne Taylor, celebrity projects manager of PETA UK, wrote in the letter sent to the cricketers.

“Because of unchecked breeding and a lack of good homes, millions of dogs and cats all over the world languish in animal shelters or are euthanised every year.

“Countless other animals, including many in Pakistan, struggle to survive on the streets - starving and being hit by vehicles and abused by cruel people. ‘Fixing’ dogs and cats by having them spayed or neutered is the key to ending this suffering”, the letter further read.

The cricketers are yet to respond to the letter.