Philadelphia-Born Activist Poorva Joshipura Named First President Of PETA International

India-West Staff Reporter

SUFFOLK, VA — Animal rights advocate Poorva Joshipura has been appointed as the first president of PETA International, marking a new chapter for the global animal protection movement. Her appointment expands her leadership from PETA India’s board of directors to overseeing the organization’s projects and operations across Europe, Asia, and parts of the Middle East.

Joshipura’s association with PETA spans more than 25 years, beginning as an intern at the group’s Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters in 1999. Born in Philadelphia to parents from Gujarat and a graduate of Old Dominion University, she has since become one of PETA’s most visible and influential figures.

Her activism has often taken dramatic forms. She has been jailed for disrupting a New York fashion show, “caged” in Nairobi to highlight the plight of chickens, and most recently allowed herself to be “experimented on” in Delhi to draw attention to animal testing in laboratories.

Joshipura has also led campaigns that delivered tangible policy changes. Under her leadership, Mercedes-Benz became the first carmaker to offer leather-free interiors, India banned cosmetics testing on animals, and horse-drawn carriages were banned in Petra, Jordan, and Mumbai.

In her new role, Joshipura says she will emphasize technology-driven approaches to animal protection, including introducing mechanical elephants in Asian temples and using animatronic animals in education. She also plans to highlight links between the treatment of animals and broader global challenges such as pandemics and climate change.

“Poorva has been an unstoppable force in the animal liberation movement,” said PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “Her extraordinary drive and determination are invaluable in extending our vital efforts to help animals everywhere.”

Joshipura herself framed her appointment as an opportunity to apply both innovation and cultural sensitivity to animal welfare. “I will seek to harness technological solutions for animal protection, apply cultural intelligence to advance liberation, and promote the unshakable truth that how we treat animals defines us,” she said.

Joshipura is also the author of two books, For a Moment of Taste and Survival at Stake, which examine the human costs of animal exploitation.