Poorva Joshipura, an Indian-origin animal rights advocate with more than 25 years of experience in global campaigns, has been named the first president of PETA International, a new operational arm that will oversee work across the UK, India, Jordan, France, and several other countries.
Born in the United States to parents from Gujarat and raised in Virginia, Joshipura is now based in London. She began her career with PETA US in 1999 as an intern and later became a research associate at the age of 23. Since then, she has held senior roles including Senior Vice President of International Affairs for PETA Foundation UK and has served on the board of directors of PETA India.
Over the years, she has led undercover investigations, organised protests, and worked with courts, corporations, and governments to advance animal rights. She is also the author of For a Moment of Taste: How What You Eat Impacts Animals, the Planet, and Your Health, described as the first in-depth expose on the treatment of animals used for food in India, and Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence.
“Years ago, in a slaughterhouse where I was documenting how badly cows are killed for leather, I locked eyes with a frightened calf who was pinned to the ground aware of his pending death, and at that moment vowed to dedicate my life to animal liberation,” Joshipura says. “For more than 25 years with PETA entities – from undercover investigator to leading international campaigns – I’ve been true to that pledge.”
In her new role, she plans to draw from her experiences of living in different continents as well as her Indian background to guide international campaigns. She has said her priorities include the use of technology and innovation to reduce animal exploitation and efforts to reach younger audiences through creative methods, including robotic animals to promote compassion. She also intends to link animal rights with wider global concerns such as climate change, antibiotic resistance, and pandemics.
“I’m deeply honoured to help shape the global future of animal rights and put compassion at the heart of every map in my new role,” Joshipura says. “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.”
Her record of achievements includes helping to stop a US-based animal supplier from opening a facility in Europe, convincing Mercedes-Benz to become the first car retailer to offer leather-free interiors by special order, leading successful efforts to ban cosmetics testing on animals in India, ending the use of horse-drawn carriages in Petra and Mumbai, and securing a Supreme Court ruling that prohibited the use of bulls for entertainment in most parts of the country. She has also faced opposition, including being burned in effigy by supporters of bull-related events.
“From Manchester to Mumbai, Poorva has been an unstoppable force in the animal liberation movement,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “Her extraordinary drive and determination is invaluable in extending our vital efforts to help animals everywhere.”
