PETA's proposed but rejected ad for the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport in Rock springs depicts a moo-cow carry-on and urges passengers to fly vegan. (PETA)
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This story was updated on March 3 to include a response from the airport — Ed.

The animal rights group PETA claimed a free speech victory Thursday, saying it reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the Rock Springs airport, which had refused to let it advertise a message criticizing leather luggage.

In the heart of Wyoming’s cattle and rodeo country, where cowboys ride leather saddles, cowgirls wear leather boots and most everybody else has leather gloves, airport officials blocked People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals from buying advertising urging fliers not to travel with leather luggage. The airport will pay PETA $35,000 in legal fees and allow it to advertise as it does others, the animal rights group said.

“PETA is celebrating this victory for the First Amendment and for cows who don’t want to be tormented and killed for their skins,” Asher Smith, PETA Foundation’s director of litigation, said in a statement. 

The rejected ad depicts a leather handbag with a cow’s head and legs — it looks to be a red-and-white Holstein dairy cow seldom seen in the area. Next to the image is the question, “Was she killed to make your carry-on?”

In its suit, PETA claimed that the airport, which advertised rodeo events on various platforms, invented a reason to reject PETA’s carry-on criticism. “[R]ather than allowing the ad to run, the airport, as alleged, quickly scrambled to create a set of policy guidelines to justify rejecting it,” PETA said in a statement announcing the settlement.

An airport official did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the airport director responded March 3 saying the settlement allows for the placement of a PETA advertisement in the airport but “sets no precedents” on advertising policies or practices. “No taxpayer dollars were used to settle this case,” Director Devon Brubaker wrote in an email. “Our insurance carrier made a payment to settle the case to avoid the accrual of further legal fees.”

The organization originally fought the lawsuit. Court filings state that the parties have reached a settlement, but the case, filed in June 2024, appears to need judicial approval before it is completely resolved.

The airport’s actions were unconstitutional, the suit asserted. Further, travelers can easily find vegan leather for their carry-ons, the group said.

Cows have friends, hold grudges and mourn, PETA said. Cowboys and cowgirls who no longer want to saddle their consciousnesses with the burden of the leather industry can avail themselves of the organization’s empathy kits, the group said.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at angus@wyofile.com or (307)...

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  1. Seems to me that it would have been better to not fight the silly add and counter it with another add showing a beautiful Prime Rib roast captioned with, “Beef! It’s what’s for Dinner!”.

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  3. good for PETA….awareness and education needed to show reality and suffering of voiceless animals. … now Wyoming, stop the brutal and senseless slaughter of wolves, a symbol of wilderness at its best

    Reply