Tash Peterson, Australia’s infamous vegan activist known for her headline-grabbing protests, has been ordered to pay a whopping $180,000 (AUD 280,000) in damages to a Perth-based veterinarian she accused of “eating [her] own patients.”

The judgement was handed down to Tash on Monday, November 25, after a judge ruled that she and her partner Jack Higgs used “provocative and inflammatory” language towards Dr. Kay McIntosh and her husband Andrew.

Tash is known for her “disruptive” internet campaigns, and her main source of income comes from sharing content on an adult streaming platform where she made almost $250,000 in 2021-22, according to the court.

Tash Peterson and her partner, Jack Higgs, were ordered to pay $180,000 in damages for defamatory claims against Perth vet Dr. Kay McIntosh

Image credits: Tash Peterson

Image credits: The Mega Agency

The events that led to the defamation case began in 2021 at the Bicton Veterinary Clinic.

Tash and Jack were at a cafe next to the clinic on September 23, 2021, when they spotted two cockatiels—Bruce and Gandalf—outside the clinic in a cage that was nearly 2 feet wide and 4.3 feet tall.

The birds were inherited by clinic owner Dr. Kay in 2020 and were a hit with local children in the area.

Bruce and Gandalf, referred to as a “local attraction,” were often allowed to roam freely inside the practice. However, Tash took issue with seeing them in the cage and branded it “slavery.” She also accused Dr. Kay of hypocrisy as a vet.

The saga began when Tash accused Dr. Kay of “hypocrisy” for keeping cockatiels Bruce and Gandalf in a cage, calling it “slavery”

Image credits: bicton.vet

Image credits: tashpeterson

The notorious vegan campaigner went to the receptionist that day with her complaints but was told they were well cared for. But Tash left the clinic unsatisfied.

She returned to the clinic the next day, armed with a camera and inflammatory rhetoric, asking Dr. Kay if she “eats her own patients.”

The confrontation was filmed and later uploaded to Facebook with the title “Exposing Vets for Being Hypocrites.”

“Birds should not be bred to spend their entire lives in enslavement living in a cage,” Tash’s followers read in her caption. “Seeing birds in a cage is so normalized, many find it difficult to see how immoral it is.”

The clip racked up nearly 80,000 views and included allegations that Dr. Kay “eats” her patients.

“You can take all of our money, but you will NEVER take away our voice for non-human people,” Tash said after the judgement

Image credits: Tash Peterson

 

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A post shared by Tash Peterson (@tashpeterson)

Following the trial, Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan deemed Tash and Jack’s accusations as defamatory claims that “deeply affected” the vet.

They were ordered to pay about $180,000 in damages.

It was reportedly in 2017 when Tash turned vegan after watching a documentary called Food Choices. She went on to meet fellow animal rights activist Jack in 2019.

Over the years, she has engaged in “disruptive” protests that include going topless in supermarkets and dressing up in a cow costume to slam fast food restaurants.

She has had numerous run-ins with the police and was slapped with several fines for her semi-nude demonstrations and protests in restaurants, stores, and supermarkets.

Being no stranger to controversy, Tash’s history of legal confrontations has led to her being dubbed as “Australia’s biggest pest” by local policymakers and cops.

Dr. Kay, a vet with over 20 years of experience, runs the Bicton Veterinary Clinic in Perth

Image credits: bicton.vet

“Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higgs engage in what they describe as ‘disruptive protests’, which are designed to bring widespread attention to their views concerning animal exploitation,” read the recent judgement.

“Those disruptive protests use both confronting imagery (such as blood and a pig’s head) and overt sexuality (Ms. Peterson often protests semi-naked or wearing only lingerie),” the judgement said.

“Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higgs also use strong, graphic, and anthropomorphic language to describe humans’ treatment of animals: ‘murder,’ ‘slavery,’ ‘rape,’ and ‘torture.’”

“As a means of attracting attention to their cause, Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higgs’ disruptive protests have evidently been very successful.”

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Currently, her main source of income is reportedly through an adult-content sharing platform.

Meanwhile, the judgement said Dr. Kay is a vet with over two decades of experience and has been running the clinic for nearly five years.

Tash turned vegan in 2017 after watching Food Choices and met her fellow activist partner, Jack Higgs, in 2019

Image credits: tashpeterson

The judge said the evidence provided by the vet was enough to conclude that the birds could not survive in the wild.

“Bruce and Gandalf were, nevertheless, domesticated birds,” read the judgement. “Dr McIntosh gave evidence, which I accept, that they would not be able to survive outside (i.e. in the wild).”

Polarizing and provocative acts of animal rights activism, similar to Tash’s, often evoke mixed reactions—some see them as necessary to draw attention to urgent issues, while others view them as extreme or counterproductive.

A spokesperson for We Animals, a nonprofit that advocates for animals through photojournalism, said the key to engaging communities about such issues is by crafting “accessible” and “approachable” messages.

“There are so many opportunities to raise awareness of animal rights and welfare issues and copious ways of doing it—from rescuing animals to running vegan businesses to changing laws and sharing compelling animal stories,” the spokesperson told Bored Panda via email.

While there are numerous ways to raise awareness about animal rights, experts believe it’s crucial not to alienate the audience in the process of advocating for change

Image credits: Tash Peterson

“Crafting an accessible, approachable message is key to effectively engaging communities about these issues,” they added.

Sara-Rose Brenner, Senior Public Relations Manager of MSPCA-Angell—a non-profit dedicated to the health and welfare of animals—stressed the need for thoughtful strategies in activism, cautioning that while raising awareness is crucial, it’s equally important to avoid alienating those people whose support is vital.

“There are many ways to bring attention to situations where animals lack protections; there is also a large number of situations where animals who are suffering need attention to create change in how they are treated,” she told B0red Panda.

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“It is essential to have a strategy to ensure that the goals of the advocacy and activism are accomplished,” she said.

“There can be a line between raising awareness and turning off those we want to influence and engage, and understanding that has to be a part of our responsibility to do what will have the best long-term results for animals,” she added.

“Just cause they aren’t vegans, doesn’t mean they eat their patients,” said one comment on the recent news

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