PETA

The flour bomb unleashed by an animal rights activist against Kim Kardashian has also unleashed a raging debate over fur, and the tactics used by protesters.

So we gotta ask...

Kim Kardashian has decided she will press charges against the woman who threw flour on her at an event Thursday night ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Kim tell TMZ she does not feel the woman who threw the flour at her should get away with it and that she should be held accountable for her actions. According to our sources, Kim didn't press charges that night because she didn't want to take herself away from the event, which was for charity.

We're told Kim will contact law enforcement in the next few days to tell them she wants to press charges. According to our sources, Kim wants to send the message that people are entitled to their opinion, but should not resort to violence.

Kim Kardashian says the woman who attacked her with flour last night is nothing more than a "bully" ... and claims the only reason she's NOT pressing charges ... is because she's just too busy.

Kim just called in to "TMZ Live" ... and gave us the blow-by-blow about how she handled herself when a female animal activist broke on to the red carpet and attacked her at an event for her new fragrance.

Kim tells us ... she tried her best to "laugh it off" ... and refused to leave the event because she didn't want to disrespect all of the people who worked so hard to put the event together.

PETA -- the most obvious suspect in the Kim Kardashian flour bomb attack -- is adamant the organization is NOT behind the red carpet stunt ... but it's VERY SUPPORTIVE of the attacker.

A rep for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals tells TMZ ... "It was not [us]. We were given the video by an anti-fur activist on the scene."

Still, a rep for the organization explains, "PETA has tried everything from polite letters to public protests, but Kim Kardashian has not been moved by the news that animals are beaten, electrocuted, and even skinned alive for real fur garments. Whoever threw that flour may reach her when our polite appeals did not."

As we previously reported, Kim was flour bombed on the red carpet of a Hollywood event last night ... while the mystery attacker lady shouted, "Fur Hag!"

Kim Kardashian was assaulted Thursday night by a woman who threw white powder all over her, and it was concerning enough to call out the fire department.

Kim was at the London Hotel in West Hollywood for an event touting her new fragrance line, True Reflection. She was walking the red carpet when a woman threw the white powder at her from behind, covering her back and her hair. During the incident, the attacker shouted, "Fur hag."

Kim went to a private room, took the jacket off, brushed the powder off her hair and returned to the event. But the fire department had to examine the powder and deal with any possible danger.

They determined it was cooking flour.

All three horses that died on the set of HBO's "Luck" were victims of "sloppy oversight" on the part of HBO and the show producers ... and they should all be ASHAMED ... this according to PETA.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are PISSED at HBO after a 3rd horse died during production Tuesday ... and a rep tells TMZ, "All the evidence we have gathered points to sloppy oversight, the use of unfit, injured horses, and disregard for the treatment of race horses."

What's worse ... PETA

Steve Cooley on Monday -- one day before horse #3 died -- asking him to investigate the deadly situation on the set of "Luck" ... but no immediate action was taken.

HBO had released a statement following the death of horse #3 saying, "An American Humane Association Certified Safety Representative was on the premises when the accident occurred, and as always, all safety precautions were in place."

The gun-toting family on A&E's new reality show "American Hoggers" are under fire from an animal rights group for the gruesome way the pigs are "tied up and shot" on the show ... TMZ has learned.

In case you haven't seen it -- "American Hoggers" follows Jerry "Hog Boss" Campbell ... and his family as they hunt and kill feral pigs ... armed with hunting dogs and guns. It's pretty graphic ... even for A&E.

The show just premiered this week -- and it didn't take long for PETA to take notice. In fact, the animal rights org. has just released a statement saying, "the Campbells' show promotes cruel animal-control measures and gross mistreatment of wildlife."

PETA claims it acknowledges that feral pigs can be problematic in parts of Texas, but the group says, "If property owners insist on lethal control, then feral hogs should be cage-trapped and afforded a quick, painless death."

We reached out to A&E for comment, and so far haven't received a response.

** WARNING -- the clip is very graphic **

Bob Parsons triggered controversy after posting an Internet video chronicling his elephant slaying during a trip to Zimbabwe.

TMZ obtained a copy of the letter PETA sent Parsons, presenting him with its "first-ever Scummiest CEO of the Year Award" -- and informing him PETA is "taking our domain-name business elsewhere."

Parsons tells TMZ, "I understand PETA has an agenda, but I refuse to go along with their extortion-style practice."

Parsons claims he was only hunting "problem elephants" -- ones that destroy the villagers' crops ... adding, "I stand by my decision to help African villagers." Parson claims he has the support of tribal leaders there.

Knut passed away in his habitat this morning of still-to-be determined causes at the age of 4. A rep for PETA tells TMZ they contacted to Berlin Zoo months ago to alert them to the fact that Knut was being "terrorized" by three female polar bears -- including his own mother!

The rep tells us, "PETA Germany repeatedly asked zoo authorities to move Knut away from the three females to a different location. His premature death could possibly have been avoided. Polar bears don't belong in captivity."

A rep for SeaWorld tells us, "If Mr. Lee’s information on Tilikum and SeaWorld’s artificial insemination program for killer whales comes from PETA we’re not surprised that it’s wrong. PETA is as careless with facts as they are extreme in their views."

As we first reported, Lee had fired off a letter to SeaWorld demanding they release Tilikum the orca back into the wild. In his letter, Lee also stated that he learned the "sick and twisted" info about the cow vaginas from SeaWorld's own director of safety.

But the SeaWorld rep notes, "The process of collecting semen for [artificial insemination] doesn’t differ in any meaningful way from the techniques employed in managing livestock or other species for zoological display."

"Contrary to the charges made by PETA and repeated in Lee’s letter, our trainers do not now nor have they ever entered the water with Tilikum for this purpose. The safety of SeaWorld staff and the welfare of our animals are our highest priorities."

The Motley Crue drummer just fired off a letter to SeaWorld -- accusing the park of keeping Tilikum the whale in captivity because, "he is your chief sperm bank."

Tilikum -- as you may know -- made national headlines for being involved in the deaths of three people.

But Tommy is especially pissed about the way he believes SeaWorld extracts semen from Tilikum -- saying, "We know from SeaWorld's own director of safety (as well as videos on the web) that the way you get his sperm is by having someone get into the pool and masturbate him with a cow's vagina filled with hot water."

Lee continues, "Even in my wildest days with Motley Crue, I never could've imagined something so sick and twisted."

Tommy and his friends at PETA have called for the whale's release into the wild. SeaWorld has always maintained that the animals receive expert care at its parks.

A rep for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals tells us that Gaga "has a hard time being 'over the top,' and wearing a dress made from cuts of dead cows is offensive enough to bring comment."

But the rep notes that if the dress was made from actual meat -- and not the fake stuff -- it wouldn't take long to go sour ... saying, "After time spent under the TV lights, it would smell like the rotting flesh that it is and likely be crawling in maggots."

It was all part of PETA's "Don't Let Your Dog or Cat Become an Octomom" campaign.

Nadya Suleman urged everyone to make sure dogs and cats don't have multiple litters -- adding, "Humans of course are much different."

If you're Octomom Nadya Suleman, why not take five grand from PETA? Every little bit helps when you're fighting off foreclosure.

In exchange for the cash, PETA gets to advertise in Octo's front yard. The group will put up a sign encouraging people to spay and neuter their pets.

Perfect for the home of an amazingly fertile mother of 14.

The District Attorney in Brooklyn -- where Mike's pigeon show "Taking on Tyson" will be filmed -- tells TMZ they received a letter claiming the production violates New York's gambling laws ... because it profits off animal racing.

We're told they're currently looking into the claims.

Animal Planet tells us there won't be any wagering on the show ... but a rep for PETA -- who wrote the letter -- claims making any money off animal racing (including Tyson's salary) is illegal, so the point is moot.

TMZ has learned PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- is temporarily bagging plans to run the ads, which feature an image of Tiger next to the line "Too much sex can be a bad thing." The ad was intended to promote pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered.

PETA tells TMZ, "In light of conversations we have had with Mr. Woods' attorneys, plans to run our billboard are on hold at this time."