Why is there a cow on a billboard near the Charlotte airport?
A strange message board just popped up outside the Charlotte airport.
At first glance, some might think it’s downright weird or scary.
“Was she killed to make your carry-on?” clearly reads the message for drivers heading towards Charlotte Douglas International Airport. “Cruelty does not steal. Choose vegan.
The billboard at 4560 Billy Graham Parkway includes an image of a cow, its body transformed into a tan leather carry-on.
The name “PETA” appears at the bottom of the message, revealing the intent of the mysterious message.
The animal rights group hopes flyers and everyone else choose “cruelty-free and eco-friendly travel accessories,” Lauren Kent, spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in an email. email containing a statement from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. touting vegan luggage.
“Vegan luggage is just the ticket to sustainable style that spares the cows and reduces our carbon footprint,” Newkirk said in the release.
“PETA hopes travelers will choose wisely to save all of our skins by embracing innovative vegan leather made from everything from fruits and mushrooms to kombucha and cactus,” Newkirk said.
In response to questions from The Charlotte Observer, Kent said CLT is one of only three airports where the ad appeared.
PETA chose Charlotte Douglas because the airport is the sixth busiest in the world, she said.
The airport saw 43 million travelers last year, up 59% from 27 million passengers in 2020, Kent said, citing a January 31 Observer report.
The message also runs through July on three billboards at Morgantown Municipal Airport in West Virginia, “a state that has been named a top travel destination for 2022 by Lonely Planet and Condé Nast Traveler.” Kent said.
In December, PETA placed the ad at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, “the busiest airport in Montana, the state that ranks 6th in beef cattle,” Kent said.
The announcement also appeared in last month’s issue of Business Traveler magazine, according to Kent.
“We plan to place it in many more cities, to continue letting people know that buying leather means paying people to torment and slaughter animals, while destroying the planet,” Kent said in the e- mail.
A PETA video expose from the world’s largest leather producer revealed what the organization called the cruelty involved in the killing of cows and bulls for their hides.