Yes, I do agree that animals should be treated ethically, but as stated before, I do not believe that PETA fulfills this purpose.
Re ants, it is very difficult to accidentally kill an ant by stepping on it. Ants are so tiny that generally, people can step on the sidewalk and the minuscule space between the soles of our shoes and the surface of the ground is enough to shield ants from injury or death. When I was much younger, I used to keep my eyes trained on the ground as I walked to ensure that I didn’t step on ants or other insects; however, now I know that there’s no need to do that.