Hart Stars in 'Ink, Not Mink' Anti-Fur Ad

Las Vegas — Carey Hart has a heart of gold when it comes to animals, which makes him a perfect poster boy for peta2—the world's largest youth animal rights organization. The motocross superstar "exposes" the cruelty of the fur trade by showing off his amply tattooed body next to the tagline "Ink, Not Mink" in a brand-new peta2 ad. The ad reads, "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and Let Animals Keep Theirs."

"For some reason, in society, it's OK to skin a mink alive and wear it as your coat, but you wouldn't do that to your shepherd or your Lab running around your back yard. Why is it OK for one and not for the other?" says Hart. "Spend a half hour on the computer and peek around peta2.com. They show you up close and personal what happens."

Hart unveiled the ad in person on Tuesday at his club, Wasted Space, which is located inside the Las Vegas Hard Rock Casino.

Hart and peta2 want young people to know that animals trapped for fur suffer excruciating pain before trappers kill them by stomping on their chests or breaking their necks. On fur farms, animals spend their entire lives in tiny, filthy cages before they are killed by poisoning or anal electrocution or their necks are broken. In China, which is now the world's leading fur exporter, raccoon dogs, foxes, and other animals—including millions of cats and dogs—are often skinned alive.

Hart, co-owner of Las Vegas–based Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company, first got involved with peta2 during his marriage to longtime peta2 pal Pink. Other notables appearing in peta2's "Ink, Not Mink" ad series include Steve-O, Dennis Rodman, Tommy Lee, and Miami Ink star Ami James.

Broadcast-quality footage of animals killed for fur is available. For more information, please visit peta2.com.