The Charity Commission is reviewing a complaint concerning Peta, the outspoken animal rights organisation that has criticised the Prince and Princess of Wales over their dog having puppies and asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to remove beeswax from church use.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has also urged organisers of the World Black Pudding Championships to switch to vegan alternatives and suggested that a Welsh mackerel festival replace its fish with cabbage.
The formal complaint was submitted by Peta Watch, a group that monitors the organisation. Its members argue that Peta’s highly publicised campaigns and political stunts may conflict with the requirements of charitable status.
Charity Commission guidance states that political campaigning must not be the central purpose for which a charity exists.
Peta Watch alleges that Peta “is more concerned with gaining publicity and attention than it is for advancing animal welfare”.
The complaint adds: “Peta operates no animal centres, no rescue facilities, no rehoming facilities, and no veterinary or sanctuary provision anywhere in England and Wales.”
Peta Watch described the absence of such facilities as “a remarkable omission” for an organisation established to prevent or ease animal suffering. Peta, however, maintains that concern and compassion for animals underpin all of its work.
The organisation reported £7.7 million in donations last year. Its accounts also show that the salaries of its three highest-paid executives rose by almost 40 per cent, while staff costs accounted for nearly half of its income in 2025.
Prince William was photographed with his dog Orla and three of her puppies in an image taken by Kate and released by Kensington Palace in 2025
Eighteen-year-old Harry Ogden won last year’s black pudding throwing contest after knocking six Yorkshire puddings from a 20ft-high plinth
Peta’s call to replace fish with cabbage at the annual mackerel festival is among the campaigns now highlighted in the complaint to the Charity Commission
Peta’s recent campaigns have extended into religious practice. Last year, it called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to prohibit beeswax candles, leather Bibles and woollen clothing in churches.
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The group’s founder also wrote to King Charles asking him to reject the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, arguing that the breed had been developed cruelly to achieve a particular appearance. Peta later provoked a backlash by attacking the Prince and Princess of Wales after their dog had puppies, accusing them of being “staggeringly out of touch” for producing a litter while animal shelters were overcrowded.
Two months ago, Peta activists turned their attention to the World Black Pudding Championships, held annually in the village of Ramsbottom in Bury, and called for vegan substitutes to be used in the traditional throwing event.
The campaigners argued that pigs’ “blood and fat” should not be thrown at a target for entertainment. The unusual tradition is said to have originated during the Wars of the Roses, when opposing forces reportedly threw food at one another after running out of ammunition.
Peta also criticised the annual mackerel fiesta in the Welsh seaside village of Aberaeron, proposing that the event be renamed and centred on cabbage instead.
The organisation has faced repeated criticism from people who regard it as a political protest movement operating under the protection of charitable status.
In the complaint, Peta Watch communications adviser Brian Monteith, a former Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament, wrote: “Instead of advancing animal welfare, Peta instead chooses to execute a wide range of publicity stunts.”
Mr Monteith asked the regulator to investigate whether “political campaigning has become the reason for Peta’s existence”, pointing to Charity Commission guidance which says that “a charity cannot have a political purpose”.
The Charity Commission confirmed that the complaint would be assessed. It said chief executive David Holdsworth and chairwoman Dame Julia Unwin had asked for the matter to be sent to the relevant team for “review and consideration”.
Peta’s vice president of programmes Elisa Allen claimed Peta Watch had ‘no credibility’ and said: ‘Peta’s aim is, and always has been, to reduce animal suffering, and people are glad to receive information from our investigations and other resources that give them the ability to make compassionate decisions.
‘As a UK-registered charity for nearly 30 years, we have convinced hundreds of designers and retailers to drop fur, angora, and wild-animal skins, helped stop experimentation on animals in Europe for cosmetics, seen wild-animal circus bans, and many other ground-breaking victories for animals.
‘Despite, or rather because of, these achievements, there are those – mostly made up of industries that profit from animal exploitation – who seek to undermine our work via fake news smear campaigns, because it threatens their bottom line.’