Chester Bennington isn't shy about exposing the cruelty of the fur industry — or his body. The
LINKIN PARK and
DEAD BY SUNRISE frontman has teamed up with
peta2 for a brand-new "Ink, Not Mink" ad campaign in which he shows off his tattooed physique above the tagline "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and Let Animals Keep Theirs."
Bennington — whose debut album with
DEAD BY SUNRISE,
"Out of Ashes", launched this fall — also sat down for an exclusive interview with
peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization, in which he discussed the fur industry. "What's really important … for people to understand is the cruelty behind the fur industry," he said. "Electrocuting animals, skinning them while they're alive—these are … acts of inhumanity."
Bennington continued, "Because it's out of sight, it's usually out of mind for most people, and we need to show our respect … for all creatures of this world."
A "big believer" in animal rights,
Bennington is also concerned about dog and cat overpopulation. He encourages potential dog and cat guardians to adopt from an animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder or pet store, and he says that "making sure that you get your pets spayed and neutered is extremely important." His wife, who worked in an animal shelter, saw the tragedy of animal overpopulation firsthand. Large numbers of animals — about 4 million dogs and cats — are euthanized every year because there aren't enough suitable homes for all of them.
Bennington, a co-owner of
Club Tattoo (a chain of tattoo shops that opened its newest location in Las Vegas earlier this year), joins a growing list of celebrities — including
COBRA STARSHIP's
Gabe Saporta,
"Twilight" star
Christian Serratos, and
GYM CLASS HEROES'
Travis McCoy — who have starred in
peta2's anti-fur campaigns.
