A headline-grabbing vegan activist has been ordered to pay $280,000 to a vet she accused of ‘eating (her) own patients’.
Tash Peterson, who has achieved notoriety for her often scantily-clad publicity stunts in support of her animal-loving cause, stormed into the Perth-based Bicton Veterinary Clinic in September 2021 to accuse its owner Dr Kay McIntosh of ‘enslaving’ two pet birds.
The bizarre encounter, which was filmed by Peterson’s partner Jack Higgs, was shared with the notorious vegan’s 84,000 Facebook followers.
But, in a judgment handed down by the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Monday, Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ruled that the pair had used ‘provocative and inflammatory’ language towards Dr McIntosh and her husband Andrew.
The court ordered Peterson to pay $280,000 in damages to the husband and wife.
The saga began when Peterson and her partner visited a cafe next door to the vet clinic and noticed the two cockatiels, named Bruce and Gandalf, in a cage that was 60 cm wide, 60 cm deep and 130 cm tall.
Dr McIntosh had inherited the animals, believed to be around 14-years-old, when she took over the business in January 2020.
The birds became a ‘local attraction’, with children often visiting to the practice to see them, and were allowed to fly outside of their cage within the clinic.
They were often left outside in their cage on the street in front of the clinic.
‘Bruce and Gandalf were, nevertheless, domesticated birds,’ the judgment noted.
‘Dr McIntosh gave evidence, which I accept, that they would not be able to survive outside (i.e. in the wild).’
The birds were outside the store in their cage on the day Peterson and Higgs first noticed them.
They briefly complained to the receptionist but were told the birds were well cared for.
Unsatisfied, they returned the next day with Peterson filming a piece to camera outside the clinic in which she accused them of committing ‘slavery’.
Peterson then entered the clinic and asked Dr McIntosh if she ‘eats her own patients’ and accused her of ‘enslaving animals’, the court heard.
The exchange became heated and Paterson and Higgs were asked to leave.
The police were called but the pair had left by the time they arrived.
Peterson later shared a clip entitled ‘Exposing Vets for Being Hypocrites’ to her Facebook page, where it racked up almost 80,000 views.
‘Birds should not be bred to spend their entire lives in enslavement living in a cage,’ the accompanying caption read.
‘Seeing birds in a cage is so normalised, many find it difficult to see how immoral it is.’
The video included Peterson’s bizarre allegation that Dr McIntosh ‘eats’ the animals she treats.
During the trial in June, Peterson and Higgs had argued the post was protected by qualified privilege and were justified as honest opinion.
Their legal team argued that the content was a matter of public interest.
But Mr Quinlan rejected those defences, ruling that Peterson and Higgs had published defamatory claims.
The judge was very critical of the suggestion brought up in cross-examination by McIntosh’s legal team that she had not paid income tax on her OnlyFans earnings.
Describing it as a ‘serious attack on Peterson’s character and credibility’, Mr Quinlan praised Peterson as a ‘calm, confident and respectful witness’.
‘The combined OnlyFans income declared in both Peterson and V-Gan Booty Pty Ltd’s tax returns for the year ended 30 June 2022 was therefore $383,900, a figure remarkably close to the plaintiffs’ own calculation of $385,000,’ Mr Quilan noted.
‘Contrary to the suggestion put to Peterson in cross-examination, I find that all of the OnlyFans income for that year was properly declared and accounted for.’
In a statement published on social media, Peterson appeared undeterred by the enormous bill she has been ordered to pay.
‘You can take all of our money but you will NEVER take away our voice for non-human people,’ she wrote on social media.
‘We will endure the stress of a litigation time and time again. It’s nothing in comparison to the abuse and murder animals are subjected to because of nonvegans.’
Peterson is no stranger to controversy.
Her antics have led police and policymakers in WA to describe her as ‘Australia’s biggest pest’.
Peterson has copped numerous fines for her semi-nude demonstrations and protests in designer stores, restaurants and supermarkets.
She once worked as a pool lifeguard before sharing racy content to OnlyFans where she reportedly made as much as $40,000 per month.
In August, Peterson paid a heavy price for storming a restaurant, sparking a cheeky response from the owner.
She pleaded guilty to two trespass and disorderly behaviour charges for two separate stand-offs at Fyre restaurant in the northern Perth suburb of Connolly last year.
Peterson was banned from leaving Western Australia due to a six-month community-based order issued by a magistrate in Joondalup Magistrates Court, and was also hit with thousands of dollars in fines.
