Key Difference: PETA is an animal rights organization, based in Virginia. HSUS is an animal rights advocating group based in Washington D.C.

PETA and HSUS are both animal rights group/animal activists group, which means both of them fight for the rights animals. This is mostly where the confusion stems from, since both of them fall the same category, then they must serve the same purpose. However, it is not true. The agenda of both groups are different. Let’s look at them separately first.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights organization, based in Virginia. PETA believes that animals deserve the same rights as humans and fights all injustice against animals. PETA states that animals should be free and in the long run, it aims to abolish even keeping pets. PETA believes that animals should not be used for any purposes or in any industry, including the food industry, chemical testing industry, clothing industry and even as pets. They fight for rights such as liberation and for bad treatment of animals. PETA mostly earns from private funding and from donations by huge corporations. PETA members are mostly vegans and do not believe in even consuming animals. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Virginia. PETA has fought and won fights against many companies that abuse and misuse animals and also has multiple celebrity sponsors all over the world.

The Humane Society of United States (HSUS) is an animal rights advocating group that fights for animals rights by demanding a change in policies and laws related to animal treatment. The organization’s does not oppose all use of animals and only opposes the treatment of certain animals. They fight to abolish the mistreatment of animals; however, they do believe that pets can be kept as pets and can also be used in industries as long as they are not made to suffer. The organization works on a broad range of animal protection issues, including those affecting companion animals, wildlife, farm animals, horses and other equines, and animals used in research, testing and education. HSUS does not run local shelters or oversee local animal care and control agencies, but promotes best practice and provides assistance to shelters and sheltering programs and it has allotted 1% of its budget for local shelters. The organization was established in 1954 in Washington D.C.

The main difference between the two is the belief of how animals should be treated. While PETA believes that animals should not be used at all for any purposes, HSUS believes that even if animals are used they should not be mistreated or made to suffer. PETA believes that animals should have the same rights as humans and should be free, while HSUS acknowledges that animals cannot fully survive in the wild but their living alongside the humans should not result in their suffering. Both, PETA and HSUS fight to change policies and are termed as animal rights group.

Comparison between PETA and HSUS:

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