Canadian Stars Add Their Voices to Growing Global Outrage Over Annual Massacre

For Immediate Release:
October 20, 2009

Contact:
Michael Lyubinsky 757-622-7382

Los Angeles -- PETA's global campaign against the Canadian seal slaughter is coming to Hollywood, where a slew of celebs--including Ontario native and Playboy playmate Jayde Nicole and two of the stars of Battlestar Galactica, Alberta native Tricia Helfer and Grace Park (who was raised in Vancouver)--are speaking out against the annual massacre of baby seals, the largest mass killing of marine mammals in the world.

Stars are lining up to pose in PETA's striking "Save the Seals" T-shirt for a brand-new ad series aimed at ending the slaughter. In addition to Nicole, Helfer, and Park, the celebs sporting the tee in the first instalment of print ads launching this week are CSI's Jorja Fox; Dancing With the Stars contestant Kelly Osbourne; celebrity blogger Perez Hilton; hunks Brody Jenner of The Hills and Bromance and Owain Yeoman of The Mentalist; Twilight star Christian Serratos; Jackass star Steve-O; playmate Holly Madison; 90210 alum Jennie Garth; indie rockers Animal Collective; The Office star Lucy Davis; actor Rachael Leigh Cook; Natalie Dreyfuss of Rita Rocks; boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley; pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer; and U.S. Olympic Team snowboarder Hannah Teter. This summer, Sarah McLachlan previewed the PETA tee at a Canada Day concert, where the singer condemned the slaughter.

Said McLachlan, "The commercial sealing industry in Canada is perverse and sick. ... They club these seals as early as 12 days old, and half the time they hook them and they drag them across the ice. ... It's archaic, and it's horrible, and I want it to stop."

During the annual massacre, sealers shoot these gentle animals or bash their heads in, and the baby seals are often skinned alive while their wailing mothers helplessly watch. The European Union and the U.S. have banned seal products, and world leaders--including Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama--have spoken out against the massacre.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.