PETA, the organization widely known for its over-the-top progressive activism for animals, is refusing to condemn Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after serious animal abuse allegations came to light from his tenure as Detroit’s health director.
Hey @peta, any comment? https://t.co/eNavfMljP3
— Great Lakes HQ (@GreatLakes_HQ) August 14, 2026
A report from the Daily Mail found that El-Sayed was the subject of whistleblower complaints after he ascended to the post of health director in Detroit. Under his watch nearly 4,700 cats and dogs were euthanized, and an untold number died from malnutrition and lack of medical care, all while being subject to unsanitary conditions.
The problem grew so bad that one former employee called the Department of Animal Control under El-Sayed’s reign a “dog slaughterhouse.”
“I was almost embarrassed with myself to be part of a team that played a role of the death of so many dogs in their cages," Detroit Animal Control whistleblower Brittany Roberts told the Daily Mail regarding the neglect. "Every morning, we’d just walk around and see who was alive before we could even feed."
When asked for comment regarding El-Sayed’s shocking actions, PETA told Townhall that the blame shouldn’t be laid at the candidate’s feet.
“Every public official who oversees an animal shelter inherits the same heartbreaking challenge: there are far more homeless dogs and cats than there are good homes for them,” a PETA spokesperson told Townhall. “Animal shelters should be open-admission, meaning they never turn animals away, and shelter workers are often forced to make difficult decisions when animals outnumber available homes.”
“Anyone upset about animals in shelters having to be euthanized should place the blame firmly where it belongs: on breeders and retailers who continue churning out animals, on the people who keep them in business by buying instead of adopting, and on those who fail to have their animals spayed or neutered, fueling the overpopulation crisis,” the spokesperson continued.
Despite the organization’s unwillingness to condemn El-Sayed, the group did state that allegations similar to those leveled at the candidate should warrant an investigation: “Anyone entrusted with overseeing animal sheltering should prioritize aggressive spay/neuter efforts, expand access to affordable veterinary services, support adoption programs, and ensure that every animal receives prompt and appropriate care. If animals are ever denied necessary veterinary treatment or allowed to suffer from neglect while in a shelter's custody, that is a serious matter that warrants a thorough and independent investigation.”
No public investigation into the allegations has been undertaken. However, while the City of Detroit has refused to admit to any wrongdoing, they did award Brittany Roberts $63,000 in a settlement that avoided requiring a judicial ruling over her allegations.
PETA, though unwilling to condemn the apparent systematic abuse perpetuated under El-Sayed’s leadership, regularly engages in political activism with hyper-progressive stances. The organization encourages followers to “combat fishing” in their communities and has labeled hunting as “nothing more than a violent form of entertainment” while calling for a ban on semi-automatic sporting rifles.
Some have suggested that PETA has engaged in similar euthanasia practices to that of El-Sayed’s time as Detroit’s health director. John Simpson, a New York animal rights lawyer, wrote in 2025 that the organization euthanizes cats and dogs at a significantly higher rate as compared to other groups. In 2017, PETA paid a nearly $50,000 settlement after it had abducted a family dog and euthanized it on the same day.
In 2017 alone, El-Sayed’s Detroit animal control euthanized 1,417 cats and dogs, according to the report from the Daily Mail. PETA’s Norfolk, Virginia, site euthanized 1,782 in the same year, according to Simpson.
El-Sayed, armed with his apparent pet-genocidal past, will face off against Republican Mike Rogers for control of the Michigan Senate seat during the midterm elections this November.