People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals brought its milk parody campaign, \Got Beer,"" to Madison Thursday night, photographing UW-Madison students with beer mustaches at the Angelic Brewing Company, 322 W. Johnson St.
The ""Got Beer"" campaign was originally launched by PETA two years ago. It aims to draw attention to the way animals are raised in the dairy industry and proposes beer as a more nutritious alternative to milk.
Andrew Butler, PETA's international lecturer, described the methods of the dairy industry as cruel. For instance, a typical cow was worn down by the intensive cycle of milking after only five years, Butler said, although the same cow would normally have a life span of 25 years.
David Combs, associate professor of dairy science at UW-Madison, disagrees with the stance PETA has taken on the dairy industry.
""Frankly, the accusations [PETA] makes are largely unfounded and quite simply aren't true. Most of the more reputable scientific organizations simply don't come to the same conclusions,"" he said.
Susan Crowley, a UW-Madison faculty member at University Health Services and Project Director of PACE, criticized a different aspect of the campaign.
""It trivializes the issue of high-risk drinking,"" said Crowley.
The ""Got Beer"" campaign was recently at a standstill in response to a request from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. PETA decided to renew the campaign when it received encouragement from college students, according to Butler.
The photo shoot at Angelic is part of PETA's ""Week of Action,"" which occurs from April 21 through April 25 in Madison.
According to PETA, UW Madison's focus on agriculture, as well as its large primate facility, make it fertile ground for Butler's visit.
Combs advised students who want to learn more about these issues to take Animal Science 101. ""PETA preys on people's ignorance, quite frankly,"" Combs said. ""If people want to make decisions, there are great opportunities to learn the other side of the story.""
Butler, a native of South Africa, became a vegan after he visited a slaughterhouse for pigs as a child. Butler said that the dairy and veal industries were closely intertwined.
""Most people are appalled by the veal industry,"" Butler said. ""Many people won't eat veal on ethical grounds, but if you drink milk you are supporting the veal industry. Veal calves are unwanted byproducts of the dairy industry.""
Combs compared Butler to The National Enquirer. ""He can make all the accusations he wants,"" Combs said. ""The National Enquirer makes accusations every day. That doesn't necessarily mean they're true.\
