Pet Shop Boys turn down name change request

The Pet Shop Boys turned down a request today from animal rights campaigners which asked them to change their name to the Rescue Shelter Boys.

In a letter to the musicians, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) listed a series of claims about pet shops and their activities which, they said, were cruel.

Changing the band’s name, Peta wrote, would “encourage ... millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter”.

In a posting on their official website, the Pet Shop Boys wrote that they were unable to agree to the request, but thought it raised “an issue worth thinking about”.