Written by PETA
When we read that the CDC recently published a report that showed that only one in 200 American kids is vegetarian, we were confused to say the least. With peta2's e-news list alone reaching well over 1,000,000 kids and growing at a staggering rate every month, the math just didn't add up.
We decided to do some digging around. After speaking with the lead author of the study, we learned that the intention of the survey was not to find out the eating habits of American children, but instead was focused on complementary and alternative medicine. In fact, the only two questions regarding a vegetarian lifestyle were the following (via VeganHealth.org):
During the past 12 months did [your child] use any of the following special diets for two weeks or more for health reasons? Please say yes or no to each. [Vegetarian was one of the options.] During the past 12 months did [your child] use a vegetarian diet to treat a specific health problem or condition other than weight control or weight loss?
During the past 12 months did [your child] use any of the following special diets for two weeks or more for health reasons? Please say yes or no to each. [Vegetarian was one of the options.]
During the past 12 months did [your child] use a vegetarian diet to treat a specific health problem or condition other than weight control or weight loss?
So, this study only accounted for kids who are vegetarian for health reasons. Any child who is vegetarian for ethical, environmental, religious, or other reasons wasn't factored in. And since the majority of kids we talk to go vegetarian because they care about the animals, it's pretty obvious that the number of vegetarian kids in America is waaaaay higher than one in 200.
Written by Liz Graffeo
Today is an exciting and historic day for our country! Everyone and his brother has flocked to the nation's capital to catch a glimpse of our new president and first family becoming … well, exactly that. Now, at PETA, we believe that in order to be a strong nation, we need a limitless amount of compassion, great endurance, and excellent health—and the best way to get all that is to go vegetarian. Want to see all the exciting things we're doing for the inauguration today? We've got some fantastic pictures to show you:
Our "Be Fur-Free" bunny, raccoon, and fox were all over the city to remind people about the cruelty of the fur industry. Unfortunately, when big crowds get together in cold weather, there are always a few fur hags being eyesores. Check out these pics of our friends getting out the message:
This whole idea has even sparked a global interest. PETA Asia-Pacific got in on the action, too, when its "Yes We Can" cow showed up at the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong.
Written by Christine Doré
When we got calls about rumors that Beyoncé supposedly abandoned her dog Munchie at the offices of her record company, we suspected that the rumor mill wasn't quite getting the story straight. So, we contacted Beyoncé's people.
We've had an up and down relationship with the Dreamgirl over her past fur-wearing, but lately it's been on the ups, as she hasn't been seen in fur the past two winters. Today, we were happy to learn from Beyoncé's rep that—as we expected—the Munchie tale is far from the truth and that the dog hasn't even been to the record company's offices in months.
The rep calls Munchie a pampered pooch whom everyone adores and says that Beyoncé and her cousin (the pup's main caretaker) are still crazy in love with him. Because they travel quite a bit, Munchie is usually left with family or friends—never at the record company.
We are glad to hear that Beyoncé isn't leaving her "baby boy" behind, and we're certainly happy to hear that Munchie is "irreplaceable" to his guardians.
Written by Lianne Turner
Do you ever think to yourself, "I wish I could do more to help animals, but I'm flat broke"? Yeah, we've all been there. Lucky for the animals (and our wallets), SocialVibe.com and peta2 have teamed up to give you an easy way to donate without spending a dime! All you have to do is post a badge on your site. Really. That's it.
Here's how to get started:
We're encouraging people to have a heart for neglected animals before Valentine's Day, and your support will help us reach our goal.
Piece of cake, right? You can effect change without affecting your bank account.
Today, my love affair with Norfolk's own Bella Pizzeria vegan pizza was solidified. As I was browsing through the morning paper and munching on my heavily soy-milked cereal, I came across this gem, which made me gag a bit.
I was already aware that cheese is a glob of coagulated goo that comes from cow's udders (complete with all the bovine misery inherent in milk production). Apparently, it's much, much more than that.
I'm horrified to inform you that behind the taste of this slimy, smelly concoction lies stomach lining, pesticides, and pure fat. And if that doesn't sound bad enough, experts say that no cheese would taste quite the same without the thousands of bacteria that are in and on it. And the fat is what gives cheese its flavor! Worse? Many of the bacteria in cheese are unidentified by scientists, and nobody knows what effects they may have. If your dinner plans included mac and cheese, you may wish to reconsider. Personally, I'll be ordering one large pizza, with extra soy cheese. To find the best soy-cheese pizza in your area, check out our Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Pizzerias.
When former Dallas cheerleader and sports broadcaster Bonnie Jill Laflin discovered that a Tennessee Titans cheerleader was involved in the gruesome animal testing biz, she got out more than her pom-poms! It was discovered recently that Titans cheerleader Melissa Hodges is working in an animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University's Kennedy Center, and according to the Nashville Scene, Hodges guillotines rats, among other acts. So Laflin has penned a powerful letter to her fellow spirit squadder.
Laflin has graced PETA ad campaigns with her sexy (naked) body in support of vegetarian living and against rodeo cruelty. She also has a big place in her heart for the animals used (and abused) in experiments.
Hopefully, Hodges will be big enough to have a change of heart and take her career to a different, cruelty-free level. I mean, heck, when a woman like this tells you to jump, you just ask how high.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is fast approaching, and here at PETA we've decided to take our cue from President-elect Obama, who suggests that you make January 19 a day of service instead of just a day off. We think it's a fantastic idea for everyone to spend their day doing something to make a difference, and we even have a suggestion: Help animals! Luckily, it's easy to get active with PETA, whether you want to put a bumper sticker on your car or organize a demonstration. Check out our Action Center to find out what you can do, or try a few of these ideas:
Step 1: Get SocialYou could throw a banner or two on your MySpace page, support our cause on Facebook, send a tweet on Twitter, embed some of our YouTube videos on your personal Web site, or create an animal-friendly e-mail signature or out-of-office auto-response. It's as easy as that!
Step 2: Participate in Action Alerts Check out our list of Action Alerts for opportunities to sign petitions, send letters, and make a real difference in the lives of animals. Most of these will take less than a minute of your time, and you can forward them to your friends when you're done.
Step 3: Spread the WordOrder some PETA leaflets and set up a table. You can get out the word on anything and everything you feel strongly about, whether it's KFC cruelty or animal birth control. We even have a handy guide to tabling to help you get started.
Step 4: Make It OfficialPETA is always looking for potential volunteers, interns, and employees to help save animals across the country. Check out our job listings or join our A-Team.
Inspired yet? You can also flip through Making Kind Choices or One Can Make a Difference for some more motivating ideas. Post a comment to let us know what your MLK Jr. Day plans are.
When it comes to being an animal lover, Kellie Pickler is the real deal—she only wears fake fur. Eagle-eyed viewers of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve spotted the "Best Days of Your Life" singer in what appeared to be a fur coat. But Kellie's publicist just confirmed what we suspected—that the coat was from PETA's favorite furrier: Cincinnati-based Donna Salyers' Fabulous Furs, which makes the most luxurious faux furs available.
"One night I couldn't sleep, and I was up and just Googling random stuff, and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA,'" said Kellie in an interview with People magazine last fall. "I saw all the videos, and I just thought it was horrible. It's animal cruelty. A lot of it has to do with knowing what happens to the animals, and it really bothered me, and so I will not eat meat." Pickler says that she shared her decision to go vegetarian with close friend and PETA "Sexiest Vegetarian" Carrie Underwood right away. She said, "I texted Carrie and was like, 'You're never going to believe this!'" PETA hopes that Nashville's newest vegetarian (in addition to Underwood, Shania Twain and Emmylou Harris also eschew meat) will pose for one of its iconic ad campaigns this year.
Written by Michael McGraw
After years of breeding dogs that end up sick and short-lived (as was brought to light in a special BBC documentary), U.K. breeders are scrambling to change the very breeding standards that they touted a minute ago.
Following the BBC's decision to drop Crufts, the UK equivalent of the Westminster Dog Show, The Kennel Club in the UK has announced new breeding standards for 209 different breeds in an attempt to make the dogs healthier. For example, bulldogs will now be taller, leaner, and have smaller faces. But guess what? I think that I have a much more obvious solution:
Stop breeding dogs!
Mutts are usually far healthier than "purebreds," and millions of these angels are being euthanized every year because so many people search for the "perfect" bred dog. Breedism is sicker than the dogs it creates, and it is directly responsible for robbing shelter dogs of their chances to find happy homes!
The kennel clubs need to stop trying to sweep their abysmal code under the rug and drop the whole concept of breeding standards. Just pack 'em up and move 'em out already. The man who said, "[A] lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," is being sworn in on January 20, and everyone needs to swear by mutts from now on.
Next week's historic presidential inauguration is being touted as the "greenest" of all time, so of course, we at PETA will be there in all our green glory!
Tomorrow, we'll already be on the streets of D.C. handing out fur coats to the homeless. Yep, you read that right. See, fur does nothing to raise a person's social status. On the contrary, only if you have nothing do you actually have any real excuse for wearing someone's cast-off fur. Next—to show our appreciation to all the fur-free folks attending the inaugural festivities in the cold—we'll be serving free hot soy cocoa in PETA cups printed with the message, "Thank you for not wearing fur."
If you'll be in D.C., keep an eye out for PETA staffers and members dressed as foxes, raccoons, and rabbits and wearing pins that read, "Be Fur-Free."(Yes, they'll pose for photos.) If that isn't enough excitement for you, the peta2 "not-a-nugget" chick, "cows," and "pigs" will also be working the crowds with signs reading, "Yes We Can: Go Vegetarian!" They'll also be handing out copies of our free "Vegetarian Starter Kit." Even if you don't spot a PETA mascot, you'll probably catch a pedicab adorned with PETA's anti-fur ads.
As you know, fur is anything but green, folks. It's treated with chemicals (to keep it from decomposing, ewww), and the production of the ugly stuff pollutes rivers and streams with tannery runoff. It also takes 15 times the energy to produce a fur coat than it does to produce a faux-fur one. Then there's the business of ripping animals from their natural environment and killing them painfully. We're thinking that if Styrofoam isn't allowed, then fur certainly has no place at the inauguration.
So, here's to a truly green inaugural celebration.
Also, if you would like to donate your "change of heart" fur to us, click here. We'll make sure it is put to good use: We send donated furs to animal sanctuaries so that rescued animal orphans can be comforted by them. We also cut them up for refugee children in war zones and use them in educational displays.
Written by Missy Lane
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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