It's no secret that sea kittens stay in their schools far longer than humans do. That's why it struck us as odd that Whitefish High School in Montana has failed to stay up to date with the Sea Kitten Revolution. So we wrote to them, tongue-in-cheek (which is better than hook-through-lip), to ask them to consider changing their name to something a tad more sea kitten–friendly. We can see it now: Sea Kitten High School! The coolest school in the whole country.

In his letter, our Dan Shannon included lots of reasons why sea kitten hunting hurts. "We're hoping that this name change will encourage people young and old to start treating these gentle 'kittens of the sea' with respect—and show them the kindness that they deserve."

Because we know that sea kittens are smart, we thought of a few courses that they might like to take at Sea Kitten High—besides marine biology. For instance, some sea kittens are avid gardeners. They'd love a botany class in which they could learn about cultivating their algae patches! And why not give them a choir class to exercise their vocal talents? Some sea kittens sing to their romantic interests.

Any ideas for a sea kitten curriculum?

Written by Lianne Turner

There's been a lot of good news for doggie kind lately. First, our canine friends in the U.K. got a break when the (British) Kennel Club announced that it would be reviewing and revising breeding standards for its "recognized" breeds. The first step was to inform breeders of Pekinese dogs that it was no longer acceptable to breed dogs with such flat faces because (duh) it's difficult for them to breathe through their poor little squished-up noses.

Then, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently voted to revise its policy on tail-docking and ear-cropping to say that it definitely opposes these unnecessary cosmetic procedures—and that it encourages their elimination from breed standards! (Dear breeders: Please stop lopping off pieces of your dogs to make them "prettier." Love, the AVMA.)

With these precedents in mind, PETA has written a letter to the American Kennel Club (AKC) asking it to adopt some seriously long-overdue guidelines to reduce the discomfort, diseases, and disorders that plague inbred—sorry, purebred—dogs.

Crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy: These can all be results of the genetic manipulation and inbreeding that breeders rely on to achieve "desired" traits such as perky ears or short legs. If the folks at the AKC really cared about dogs, they'd want to prevent them from being ill or in pain, right? … right?

Of course, if the AKC really cared about dogs, they wouldn't be encouraging people to add to the dog and cat overpopulation crisis in the first place—but that's another story.

You can check out our letter to the AKC here—hopefully, there will be better times ahead for doggies here and abroad.

Written by Amanda Schinke

Earlier today, we launched the latest and (IMHO) greatest installment of the new video series for our Animal Birth Control Campaign. Just in time for the American Kennel Club-sponsored Westminster Dog Show, this one makes a few telling points about the folks who run the AKC—a group which discourages spay/neuter legislation and bills aimed at protecting pets from abuse as part of its agenda to cash in on the animal-breeding business, while millions of homeless animals die in shelters and on the streets. I love this video.

The vile American Kennel Club held its championship dog show at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday, and PETA members were out in force to let attendees know that “breeders kill shelter dogs’ chances.” As you might expect from the breeders, who congregate at these events like flies around a cesspool, their comments to our activists made it clearer than we ever could that they’re willing to blame the suffering of animals in shelters on just about everybody except themselves. Here’s a selection of comments these people made when they saw our signs:

As PETA Director Daphna Nachminovitch points out, “Not only does the AKC promote breeding as a 'sport,' it also opposes spay/neuter laws that would save hundreds of thousands of animals' lives in California alone. Countless animals across the country are being destroyed, and it's time that the AKC is held accountable for its role in the crisis." Here’s a picture from the event, and you can learn more about our campaign against breeders here.

And on a completely different topic, I’d like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to a regular commenter on this blog: Mars has been a frequent contributor to posts on the blog, and I had initially hoped that increased interaction with people who care about animals might encourage him to start thinking about animals as living beings who are capable of suffering, but it’s become increasingly clear that his posts have no other purpose than to antagonize good people who are trying to make the world a better place. Furthermore, his professed “hobby” of trapping animals is both sadistic and reprehensible. So, goodbye Mars, and good riddance. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.