Dina Kourda's Latest Animal Rights Campaign Sure is Fishy

By Matt Coker Wed., Oct. 31 2012 at 3:59 PM

Dina Kourda has turned up on this site extolling the virtues of a plant-free diet, warning of the negative environmental consequences of factory farming and damning a local restaurant that served foie gras. But the latest campaign by the board member of Orange County People for Animals, the Animal Protection & Rescue League and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is arguably the most unique she has ever undertaken.

See also:

Behold Animal Liberation, Veneration at Long Beach State, Chapman University
Foie Gras Lovers, Haters, Fought for Foie Last Night at Haven Gastropub Foie Dinner
SLIDESHOW: Chefs Serve Large Foie Gras Dinner; Animal Rights Activists Protest

Photo by Matt Oliver/OC Weekly

Dina Kourda (right) with a fellow foie gras foe outside Haven Gastropub on May 12.

Kourda, on behalf of PETA, sent a letter to the city of Irvine's street maintenance superintendent asking him to install the following sign:

Courtesy of PETA

"This spot" is the intersection of Yale and Walnut avenues, the site of a crash involving a truck that spilled its payload of 1,600 pounds of live saltwater bass bound for market.

The city says erecting the sign on public property is unlikely. Then again, it is an election year . . .

It's believed the proposed fish sign was inspired by an Illinois animal group's unsuccessful attempt to get memorial postings along a highway honoring cattle killed in two separate truck accidents there.

By the way, Kourda's other claim to near-fame is being a huge fan of the band Duran Duran. She calls herself a "Vegan Duranie" on her @ocvegan Twitter page, which features this profile photo:

Twitter.com/ocvegan

Dina Kourda with Bon ... Simon Le Bon.

Who covered "Hungry Like a Wolf" on the 1997 Duran Duran tribute album? Reel Big Fish, of course. It all comes full circle, baby!

Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!

Tags:

Animal Protection & Rescue League, City of Irvine, Dina Kourda, Duran Duran, Orange County People for Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Reel Big Fish, saltwater bass, Twitter

We Recommend

In_vino_verite

"Plant-free diet"? What's left? Oxygen?

andy94103

It's wonderful that some people like Ms. Kourda are speaking up on behalf of fish. I don't get why many people fail to recognize or admit that they experience pain and suffering the same as any other animal with a highly-developed central nervous system - it's just common sense and basic biology. Perhaps it's because we don't have the same interactions with them as we do other animals, and they can't verbally express their emotions to us, or to try to protect ourselves from feeling guilt? Finding cruelty to those who are different or who we don't understand socially acceptable is very problematic - it's what 'justifies" our abuse of certain groups of humans, as well as non-humans.

jerry275

Kudos to Ms. Kourda. I deeply respect your commitment to protect all sentient animals, even fish. People who think they don't suffer have missed practical experience and all the scientific articles explaining how they do... starting with Darwin himself. Keep up the great work!