I doubt PETA gives two hoots about it, but yet again they win themselves some free media coverage. Whatever you think of them (me: not much) they are absolute geniuses when it comes to marketing/PR.
If PETA's logic is correct, that doing something in a game increase the likelihood of doing it in real life, shouldn't they be far more concerned about the swelling of mafia ranks that the game should be causing?
"Some of the campaigns have been controversial. Newkirk was criticized in 2003 when she sent a letter to PLO-leader Yasser Arafat asking him to keep animals out of the conflict after a donkey was laden with explosives during an attack in Jerusalem."
PETA isn't logical.
The Bullshit! episode on them (and animal rights advocacy in general) is very good.