Ozzy Osbourne's Animal Rights Tribute From PETA Met With Online Ridicule: 'Don't Bat Lives Matter?'

Ozzy Osbourne'sdeath this week at age 76 drew tributes from around the world – but one from an unlikely source stirred more confusion than celebration.

PETA, the animal rights group known for fiercely criticizing celebrities for animal cruelty, released a glowing statement about the "Crazy Train" singer, praising "the gentle side he showed to animals." But the internet quickly pounced, dragging the group for omitting the most infamous moment of Osbourne's career: biting the head off a live bat during a 1982 concert in Iowa.

"Ozzy Osbourne was a legend and a provocateur," the group wrote, adding that they would remember him most for using his platform to oppose cat declawing mutilations.

The Bat Incident Wasn't Forgotten

While PETA focused on Osbourne's later work, including a campaign where he posed with bloodied fingers to denounce cat declawing, many users couldn't believe they had ignored the incident that haunted his public image for over four decades.

The backlash escalated with memes, mockery and disbelief.

"Are you serious or is this about to lead to a bat controversy?" one user asked.

Others thought the post had to be satire.

One meme featured a bat asking: "Are you kidding me?"

PETA didn't address the moment in their tribute, though Osbourne had previously said he believed the bat was fake and later regretted the incident. "Whatever else I do, my epitaph will be: 'Born December 3, 1948. Died, whenever. And he bit the head off a bat,'" he once said.

From Bats to Advocacy

Despite his rocky past with animals – which also includes a story he once told about shooting his family's 17 cats during a drug-fueled breakdown – Osbourne's later years reflected a clear shift.

He worked with PETA to oppose cat declawing, saying: "Amputating a cat's toes is twisted and wrong. If your couch is more important to you than your cat's health and happiness, you don't deserve to have an animal!"

His wife, Sharon, also donated her fur coats to the group and joined an anti-fur campaign, while daughter Kelly posed for PETA's "Save the Seals" initiative.

Tags

Ozzy Osbourne