Who is Tash Peterson? Vegan activist GoFundMe raises over $4000 for UK festival visit amid bankruptcy

Australian animal rights activist Tash Peterson and her partner, fellow vegan activist Jack Higgs, have raised more than AUD 4,000 to be able to travel to the UK to speak at a vegan campout. The call for donations came in the wake of the couple filing for bankruptcy after being directed by a court to pay AUD 280,000 in damages to a veterinarian they were accused of defaming.

Tash Peterson is known for engaging in controversial protests for animal rights across Australia, such as sporting a cow costume at restaurants, wearing blood-drenched clothes, and entering retail stores, among other similar acts, according to The New York Post. According to her admission, Peterson has faced multiple convictions for engaging in animal rights protests, including 7 disorderly conduct charges.

Having been served 30 move-on orders, Peterson faces bans from all pubs and clubs in Western Australia, and has had to pay more than $10,000 in fines. The New York Post notes that the activist became a vegan in 2017 after viewing a documentary titled Food Choices.

About Tash Peterson’s GoFundMe campaign

Back in 2021, Tash Peterson and Jack Higgs entered a veterinary clinic in Perth and began filming themselves while accusing its owner, Dr. Kay McIntosh, of enslaving two pet birds that were kept in the clinic as the establishment’s pets, as per The New York Post. In addition to other claims, Peterson also accused McIntosh of “eating [her] own patients” at the time.

A court case ensued, and Western Australia’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ultimately found Peterson and Higgs responsible for making defamatory claims against the vet. As per News.com.au, the couple was ordered to pay $280,000 in damages.

Now, Peterson is all set to attend a vegan campout in the UK as a speaker, but she and Higgs have had to forfeit their passports as part of their bankruptcy filing, notes The Sydney Morning Herald. In a video posted on Instagram a few days ago, Higgs explained the situation and said,

“Earlier this year, out passports were taken from us after being forced into bankruptcy due to a deflation case against us.”

Continuing, Peterson explained,

“Our bankruptcy trustees have said that we need to pay $30,000 if we want to go to the UK because they’re concern we are going to flee Australia for good.”

To make it possible for the couple to travel to the UK, the GoFundMe page has been set up by Peterson’s mother to raise a part of the $30,000 needed to be paid as a bond to the bankruptcy trustee.

The GoFundMe page, which is close to its target of $5,500, states:

“Tash and Jack are currently bankrupt following a defamation case related to their animal rights activism. Their passports have been confiscated, and they must obtain permission from their bankruptcy Trustee to leave Australia.”

Peterson’s mother also explains on the fundraising webpage that she will receive whatever money is raised through GoFundMe and will use it to pay the bankruptcy trustee. She also added that following Peterson and Higgs’ return from the UK, the bond will be returned, and the money will go towards the Farm Transparency Project.

In a separate video uploaded to Instagram, the couple shared that their call for help with funds to travel to the UK was met with outrage, and they clarified that they would not be making use of the funds for personal use.