'Shame on you for exploiting my daughter': Cork farmer demands apology from PETA

Cork farmer, Peter Hynes, has hit out at animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) UK after they shared a video of his six-year-old daughter without his permission.

Peter and his wife Paula regularly share video footage of life on their dairy farm in Aherla and on Sunday, posted a video of their youngest daughter Georgina reading a story to two calves.

"The video was originally posted in good faith as our Minister for Health, Simon Harris asked us to show him what we were doing to stay safe and isolate," Peter said. "He actually replied and said it brightened up his day."

Later that day Peter was alerted to that same video shared on the PETA UK Twitter Page without his permission. 

The organisation posted the video of Georgina with the message:

"How adorable! Cows are social animals, like us they recognise their friends and grieve when their family members die. Sadly, most cows on dairy farms are slaughtered when they’re 5 or 6. 

"We hope that these babies will be spared the horrors of the abattoir."

The father of three has now issued a video message addressing PETA UK, demanding that the organisation take down the video and issue a public apology. 

"You have absolutely no authority to use that video. I have not been contacted. 

"I'm demanding that you remove that video straight away. 

"I do not agree with it in any way, nor have you any permission to use it. 

"I'm also demanding a full public apology for myself, my family and especially my daughter," he said. 

"You constantly discuss about things being exploited. You're exploiting my daughter today. 

"Shame on you for exploiting my daughter to promote your own ways," Peter continued. 

In a time of great anxiety for most people, Peter has said PETA's actions has caused himself and his family additional stress, but that he's determined to fight his corner and see the video taken down and a full apology issued.

"Both myself and Paula firmly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but you have to show respect and what PETA has done is wholly unacceptable.

"They have used footage of a minor, without permission and posted it to promote their own message," Peter told The Echo.

Whilst a number of people have suggested to Peter that he could take the original video down, Peter has no intention of doing so.

"If I take down the original video it just sends the message that people can be rude and disrespectful on social media without any consequences and I firmly believe that should not be the case," he said.

"I fully intend on pushing this forward."

In response, PETA insisted it was in full compliance with Twitter's terms of service, adding: "It's ironic that a dairy farmer is expressing concern about consent – something he certainly doesn't have from the cows whose bodies he exploits. 

"The milk they produce is for their babies, whom they love just as much as he does his..."