The nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is known for leveraging pop culture trends by using provocative messaging to raise awareness about animal welfare issues.
In one of the more unexpected news stories of the day, fans of the sports simulation game Umamusume: Pretty Derby conflict with PETA regarding an unofficial picture of Silence Suzuka posted by the organisation (thanks, Automaton).
The setting of Umamusume: Pretty Derby involves famous Japanese racehorses who have been reincarnated as anthropomorphic girls. They now run on two legs instead of four and have all the trappings of anime-style love interests.
Silence Suzuka was a hugely successful racehorse whose career was cut short by a leg break during the 1998 Tenno Sho. Silence Suzuka was euthanised following the race, a common outcome for racehorses that suffer major leg breaks.
It's extremely difficult for a horse to recover from a broken leg because the animal's physiological structure is entirely dependent on spreading weight evenly between four legs, and most breaks will never heal because of the complex makeup of the limb.
PETA's post (below) shows Silence Suzuka (in girl form) with a broken leg. The post is headed, "If Umamusume: Pretty Derby...
