PETA takes aim at the Toronto Maple Leafs over sponsorship

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TJ Tucker
July 4, 2024 (2:46 PM)

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is calling on Toronto Maple Leafs CEO Keith Pelley to end a sponsorship on the team's jerseys

With everything the Toronto Maple Leafs have to deal with over the summer when it comes to free agency, trades, roster building, etc., the team can add one more thing to the list. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has written a scathing letter to Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment (MLSE) CEO Keith Pelley calling on the team to end one of its sponsorships.

Toronto started a partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario in 2022 that saw an ad for milk on the Maple Leafs jerseys during home games. In its letter to the team, PETA accuses the dairy industry of being a major factor in climate change.

"We hope you can appreciate the irony of an ice-based sports team accepting a sponsorship from the ice cap-melting dairy industry. Dairy farms are a significant contributor to the climate catastrophe. A 2018 study estimates the production of dairy milk to be around three times more intensive in greenhouse gas emissions than the production of plant-based milks. Global warming means more melting icebergs. Oh, and if you're thinking of making a switch to field hockey, cow's milk generally requires the use of nine times more land than any of the vegan alternatives. So that would be out."

PETA went on to allege that cows are mistreated on dairy farms, and called on the Leafs to send their milk sponsorship "to the penalty box."

"And cows suffer when they're treated like milk machines on farms. Mother cows produce milk to nourish their young, but their beloved calves are taken away from them within a day of birth, causing extreme distress for both, so that the milk can be sold for human consumption. It is common for the anguished cries of mother cows calling for their kidnapped calves to be heard for days. Dairy milk is meant for baby cows, not grown hockey players."

It's doubtful this letter will have much impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs partnership with Dairy Farmers of Ontario. In fact, the team has expressed pride in this partnership in the past.