I was amused to see that PETA had come out against the "barbaric" practice of killing poor tanuki for their pelts, using Tanooki Mario to garner media attention, though they backtracked and tried to pretend it was all a joke when fans called them out on it. For the record, I've never encountered any mention of the animals being killed for their furs, and in fact tanuki are regarded as magical creatures in the same way foxes are, and are largely left alone.
There's a decent documentary about PeTA's founder, Ingrid Newkirk, called I am an Animal. It's pretty saccharine in its depiction of her, but it does also contrast her methods - marketing and publicity stunts - with other organizations like the Humane Society that are more effective!
PETA slams Mario over use of a fur suit.
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