Does Clinton save 200 animals by being vegan?

By Martha M. Hamilton
Published on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 10:56 a.m.

Related rulings:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals estimates 200 animals will be spared annually as the result of former President Bill Clinton adopting a vegan diet.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Monday, December 20th, 2010.

Ruling: Half-True | Details

Share this article:

Tweet

PETA's tally includes shrimp, mollusks and other seafood

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals named former President Bill Clinton its "Man of the Year," saying "By choosing a plant-based diet, President Clinton has spared the lives of nearly 200 animals a year..."    

Did they say 200?

Former President Bill Clinton was well known for his appetites while at the White House.
   
The man jogged to McDonald’s for a Big Mac. His ability to pile a plate high with crispy pieces of fried chicken, mounds of  barbecued pork and slabs of smoky ribs was legendary.
   
But last year the former chief executive shocked America with a real dietary stunner. Clinton announced he was giving up meat and dairy and undertaking a vegan diet. Following a vegan diet means Clinton will not eat any product that comes from animals.
   
He told reporters that he made the decision after suffering through two major heart procedures. Clinton has undergone bypass surgery and has had stents put in some of his arteries to keep them open.

We wondered about PETA's carnage count. We found that it didn't include eggs, but it did include the many shrimps, clams and oysters that died for seafood dinners. Excluding bivalves and other small sea creatures results in a lower number, so we called it Half True.