After PETA was alerted to fur-trimmed items for sale in Ann Taylor stores, we fired off a letter to the company explaining why fur is cruel and asking that it pledge not to sell fur in the future. In a wonderful victory for animals, Ann Taylor has decided to eliminate all its fur products by fall 2006, thanks to pressure from PETA.

This national retailer of upscale women's clothing has more than 700 stores in 45 states.  Because of Ann Taylor's compassionate decision, countless lives will be saved. 

Click here for more information about the fur industry.

Another 675 animals were saved by PETA's review of all testing proposals made by companies under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's notorious high production volume chemical-testing program.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) was planning to run a reproductive/developmental toxicity test on benzoyl chloride. In PETA's June 2004 comments on this test plan, we pointed out the absurdity of this plan since benzoyl chloride reacts, upon contact with moisture, to form benzoic acid and hydrochloric acid. The Food and Drug Administration recognizes benzoic acid as a "generally recognized as safe" food ingredient, and hydrochloric acid, on the other hand, is well known to be highly corrosive. Therefore, the only results from the proposed testing would have been to demonstrate, once again, that strong acids corrode animal tissues.

The ACC has now agreed not to conduct the test.

In 2000, PETA worked to stop the federal government from adopting a proposed rule that would allow the Hopi tribe to kidnap golden eaglets from their parents on National Park Service lands in Arizona and sacrifice them in a religious ritual. The proposed rule has not officially died, but because of an enormous public outcry, it is now "sleeping soundly."

Read more about the cruel tradition of animal sacrifice.

PETA received a complaint about Trail Horse Adventures in Sedona, Arizona, which was forcing horses to work in temperatures above 100F. Horses were suffering from heat exhaustion and several horses had recently died. We filed a complaint with the sheriff's department and livestock inspectors. During the inspection, 13 horses were pulled off the line and the owners of the company were charged with 13 counts of animal neglect. The horses are now closely monitored by the sheriff, and the company is required to offer fewer rides per day and give the horses every other day off. Get tips on what to do if you spot animal abuse.

PETA received countless complaints about an incident in Cleburne County, Arkansas, in which four lions roaming freely near an exotic animal menagerie had to be shot to death because there was no effective method of capture available. The owner of the menagerie claimed that the lions were dumped on his property and took no responsibility for their deaths.

We sent a letter of complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the agency to investigate. We also wrote to each of the quorum court members in the county to ask them to enact a ban on the private possession of exotic animals. We explained the dangers that these animals pose to residents and the perils that the animals face in the pet trade, in which they almost always suffer from a lack of proper care and an inadequate environment. The court acted quickly and responsibly by creating an ordinance, effective immediately, to prohibit the keeping of exotic and dangerous animals within the county limits.

Read more about the exotic "pet" trade.