As PETA pal Bill Maher prepares to perform in Alberta and British Columbia, he's proved that he's a stand-up guy in a different sense by sending a letter to Bob Rae, leader of Canada's Liberal Party, urging him to support Sen. Mac Harb's bill to end the commercial seal slaughter.

Photo courtesy of Bill Maher

Bill joins celebrities, including Pamela Anderson, Pink, Olivia Munn, Russell Simmons, Tommy Lee, Alicia Silverstone, Dave Navarro, Joanna Krupa, Megan Park, and many others, who have voiced their support for the momentous bill and encouraged their fans to do the same.

Bill has been a vocal opponent of the annual seal massacre, and his letter comes just weeks after the Senate agreed to continue the debate. Many appeals have already been made to the conservatives, who hold a majority, so Bill chose to address the Liberal Party, mentioning that he hadn't expected much from the conservatives but that he "had hoped for more" from the liberals.

© Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

What You Can Do

Be like Bill—compassionate Canadians can contact their senators directly, but no matter where you're from, please urge Canada's leaders to support Sen. Harb's bill today.

Socially Awkward Penguin, make room on the ice floe for a new misfortune meme. Tragedy Seal, currently making his way around the Internet, is like every other Canadian seal who wants to snuggle with his mom and play with his friends. Then, with a resounding thud, sealers kill that idea and the baby seal himself. 
 

 
Visit CanadasShame.com to see all the Tragedy Seal images.  Then "like" them, tweet them, and pass them on so that others can learn about Canada's cruel seal slaughter and help PETA stop it. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Canada's commercial seal slaughter is about to kick into high gear, but you can do something to help stop it. PETA has created a compelling new infographic that provides key information about the massacre, like how seals are bludgeoned and sometimes skinned alive and how much taxpayer money is wasted promoting a product that Canada loses money on every year. 

 
All you have to do to spread the word is follow this link to the infographic, then tweet it, e-mail it to your friends, or post it to your Facebook and MySpace pages. With your help, millions of people will instantly see the truth behind Canada's shameful excuses for failing to put a stop to this travesty.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

We think it's safe to say that Canada isn't going to meet its quota of 400,000 seals in this year's seal slaughter. The portion of the annual commercial harp-seal massacre that takes place near Prince Edward Island started Sunday, and just one lone boat went out.
 

© Sea Shepherd

 
Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans blames recent storms for the lack of participation, but a more likely explanation is the plummeting price of seal pelts brought on by bans on seal products by the U.S. and the European Union. And consumers around the world refuse to buy seal products because of the barbaric way that seals are hooked in the eye or mouth, dragged across ice, shot or bludgeoned with clubs, and skinned—sometimes alive.

So with global demand for seal products sinking and most Canadians opposed to the hunt, why did the quota increase from last year? With the federal election in May, politicians are apparently vying for seal killers' votes by appearing to support the industry. But when trying to win an election, aren't you supposed to kiss babies, not club them?

Cast your vote to end the seal slaughter permanently by visiting CanadasShame.com.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

 
In  Canada, you can have your pie—you just can't throw it too. PETA supporter Emily McCoy is saying au revoir to Canada after a certain tofu cream pie left her hand and wound up in the face of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. 
 
McCoy appeared in an Ontario courtroom yesterday to face charges of assault after she pushed the pie into Shea's face as part of a protest against Canada's annual seal slaughter. McCoy was spared jail time, but the judge sentenced her to two years of probation during which time she is banned from Canada, its embassies, and contact with all Canadian officials.

A New York resident, McCoy doesn't generally visit Canada all that often, although she is sorry that she won't be able to protest the seal slaughter on Canadian soil for the next two years. Hopefully, by the end of her probation, Canada's bloody seal massacre will be nothing but a sad memory, and she will be able to visit Canada as a tourist, not a protester.

If you would like to bring attention to the seal slaughter sans pastry, visit CanadasShame.com. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow