Prince Marcus von Anhalt (56) receives the negative award “Speciesist of the Year 2023” from the animal protection organization Peta. According to a statement dated November 2, this was decided in an online vote by the Peta community. Prince Marcus prevailed against the previously selected “Speciesism of the Month” award winners.
Since September 2022, Peta has been honoring people, companies or products that have shown themselves to be particularly speciesist and anti-animal with the negative “Speciesism of the Month” prize every month. In November 2022, Prince Marcus was punished with the negative price “because he exposed several horses to enormous stress for a cruel show at his Halloween party in Dubai,” according to the statement.
The 56-year-old is an “absolutely deserved winner,” explains Yvonne Würz, specialist at Peta Germany. The vote showed “that his shameful behavior towards animals over the years has made many people worried and angry. We urgently appeal to Prince Marcus to reconsider his treatment of sentient beings of all kinds.”
The entrepreneur was recently criticized after he posted a video on his Instagram story “in which he shoots a soccer ball at a turtle with great force – with full intention and obviously enjoying the abuse,” explains the animal protection organization. Peta then filed a criminal complaint.
The organization wants to continue the “Speciesism of the Month” award from January 2024. In the past, the “animal-hostile job advertisement” of a Rewe store in Dietenheim or the RTL dome show “Bauer sucht Frau” were also criticized for the price. The show “coldly ignores discrimination against animals that are kept solely for human benefit,” said Lisa Kainz, agricultural scientist and specialist for animals in the food industry at Peta in December 2022, explaining the decision.
