I think PETA is crazy, even in concept. News flash: We are an omivorous species. I don't care how many vitamin supliments you push and soy plants you grow, we as a species ulitmately need delicious animal flesh to survive, even if individuals try to do otherwise. The actual treatment of animals is somthing to be watched, but certainly not to be considered by PETA's standards. Different species have different psychological standards, and that is somthing that we need to accept. They aren't humans, they don't think like humans, and they likely wouldn't be happy if we did treat them like humans.
Here's an example:
Dogs want to be part of a pack, it's simply how their minds are wired, and you need to ensure that they consider you the leader so the established power structure between you and your dog works well without confusing them. If they consider themselves leader you have a problem, as you are ultimately the one who provides food and shelter to the dog and are likely more powerful then them physically, not to mention giving them orders. Chances are that they'll freak out and try to establish dominance by biting you. We humans, being rather stupid in regards to this sort of thing, usually then assume the dog in question is violent because striking out like that is considered a sign of uncontrolled violent urges in humans. The reality is that said dog isn't violent, so more as it is confused at the apparent break in the pack structure. Thus, it will attempt to be come dominant so that the world will fit it's view of how it should be.
My point? We have to treat animals like (get ready, as this might blow your mind) animals. That's it. Nothing more.