Here's a weird one for you: an animal rights group has urged Pet Shop Boys to change their name to Rescue Shelter Boys.
The request from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) came because the organization wanted the pop duo to "help raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the pet trade." However, since Pet Shop Boys have been using the name since 1981 - making them only one year younger than PETA - they have politely declined, even though they admit it "raises an issue worth thinking about."
PETA's letter, which Pet Shop Boys have posted on their website, reads:
You have many loyal fans of the Pet Shop Boys here at PETA. We have a request that may at first seem bizarre, but we hope that after considering the following facts, you will understand why we are asking this of you: will you please consider changing your name from the Pet Shop Boys to the Rescue Shelter Boys?
Most cats and dogs sold in pet shops are sourced from profit-hungry breeders who may have bred them in cramped, filthy conditions. With an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, unmonitored and genetic defects and personality disorders pass from one generation of puppies and kittens to the next. Many animals end up with abnormalities that result in both heartbreak and high veterinary bills for the unsuspecting people who buy them.
By agreeing to change your name to the Rescue Shelter Boys, you would help raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the pet trade and encourage your millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter. So, what do you say?
The duo were originally called West End but shortly after forming changed their name to Pet Shop Boys because of "some friends who worked in a pet shop, in Ealing," according to Wikipedia.
The request from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) came because the organization wanted the pop duo to "help raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the pet trade." However, since Pet Shop Boys have been using the name since 1981 - making them only one year younger than PETA - they have politely declined, even though they admit it "raises an issue worth thinking about."
PETA's letter, which Pet Shop Boys have posted on their website, reads:
You have many loyal fans of the Pet Shop Boys here at PETA. We have a request that may at first seem bizarre, but we hope that after considering the following facts, you will understand why we are asking this of you: will you please consider changing your name from the Pet Shop Boys to the Rescue Shelter Boys?
Most cats and dogs sold in pet shops are sourced from profit-hungry breeders who may have bred them in cramped, filthy conditions. With an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, unmonitored and genetic defects and personality disorders pass from one generation of puppies and kittens to the next. Many animals end up with abnormalities that result in both heartbreak and high veterinary bills for the unsuspecting people who buy them.
By agreeing to change your name to the Rescue Shelter Boys, you would help raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the pet trade and encourage your millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter. So, what do you say?
The duo were originally called West End but shortly after forming changed their name to Pet Shop Boys because of "some friends who worked in a pet shop, in Ealing," according to Wikipedia.