Written by PETA
It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!
Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …
Written by Karin Bennett
Achoo! Swine flu?
Sunshine State residents who feel under the weather should know that Florida has had 141 confirmed swine flu deaths. Sounds to me like Florida residents would do well to learn about ways to stop the spread of swine flu—hence our action in Jacksonville this morning.
Evidence is growing that the meat industry is responsible for the swine flu outbreak, just as it was largely responsible for outbreaks of MRSA, mad cow, E. coli, and bird flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies have shown that 30 to 50 percent of pigs raised for food in the U.S. have been infected with some strain of swine flu. That shouldn't come as any surprise, considering that jam-packed, filthy factory farms are breeding grounds for disease.
The best way to help guard against future swine flu outbreaks? Swear off the ham, Spam, and snouts—and go vegan.
A beluga whale named Nico died this week at SeaWorld San Antonio, where he was being temporarily housed while the Georgia Aquarium underwent renovations. This marks the third time in the last three years that a beluga whale from the Georgia Aquarium has died.
The cause of Nico's death has not yet been determined, but according to aquarium officials, he was already ailing when he was obtained from a Mexican aquarium along with another beluga whale, Gasper, who died in January 2007. The aquarium's two surviving whales, Maris and Natasha, are on loan from the New York Aquarium. A third beluga whale from New York, Marina, also died in 2007.
In a chirpy news release announcing the arrival of Maris, Natasha, and Marina in 2005, the aquarium expressed the hope that "we soon [will] have baby beluga whales."
In the same news release, the aquarium announced the arrival of Ralph and Norton, two whale sharks who—you guessed it—are now dead. Seeing a trend here?
Instead of swimming freely in the sea, animals at aquariums are relegated to a world that's measured in feet instead of fathoms. Beluga whales are extremely social animals who—when left to their own devices—play, chase each other, and interact in extended pods. They have been called "sea canaries" because of their complex vocalizations, which they use to communicate with each other.
In captivity, these whales have little room for exercise and are cut off from their natural social groups. While they might not have to face natural enemies, the stress of captivity is apparently the scariest "predator" of all.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Purrrrr. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to make disabling declawing cats illegal, and other California cities are set to vote on similar measures this week.
Painful and traumatic, declawing is really 10 separate amputations in which the last joint of every single toe gets cut off along with the nail. Declawing a cat is the equivalent of cutting a person's fingers off at the first knuckle and leads to gradual weakening of cats' legs, shoulders, and back muscles. Declawed cats are more likely to have behavior "problems" such as avoiding the litterbox and biting, and they are commonly surrendered to shelters by frustrated guardians.
Germany and other parts of Europe have outlawed declawing as a form of cruelty, and many conscientious veterinarians in the U.S. refuse to declaw because they realize that all someone needs to do to save their furniture (or whatever other lame excuse people come up with to justify mangling their kitties) is take the time to simply trim their cats' nails and buy proper scratching posts.
The Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and Berkeley city councils will be considering or voting on declawing bans this week, so please tell anyone you know in these cities to send an urgent e-mail to their councilmembers today.
Written by Heather Drennan (with help from Wellington)
Everyone seemed to have something to say about our recent billboards in Jacksonville, Florida. Some people loved one or both, while others loathed the first and were bored by the second. But regardless of where you stood, please help us decide what billboard should go up next.
We've narrowed the options down to four billboards that make the point that a vegetarian diet is brain food. First, read this and then please vote for your favorite billboard, invent your own, or heck, even tell us not to run any of them. It's in your hands.
A recent article in New Scientist reveals that researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles have discovered that as people age, the bigger their body mass, on average, the smaller their brain, "with the frontal and temporal lobes - important for planning and memory, respectively - particularly affected."
No wonder Grandpa can't remember where he put that "Double Down."
Since a vegan diet (no fatty, cheesy crap) is almost guaranteed to make you slimmer, it can likely also increase your odds of staying sharp as you age. Our four billboards drive home the point that a pure vegetarian diet is a smart diet. Cast your votes here.
Our controversial "Save the Whales" billboard caused quite a stir after it was erected in Jacksonville, Florida. Now it's being replaced with the following billboard:
Ever since placing our original ad, which showed a woman whose "blubber" was spilling out of her swimsuit, we've been inundated with calls and e-mails of support from people who want to take our 30-day Pledge to Be Veg. Oregon mom-of-six Ali Bond-Smith is one of the many motivated people, and here's what she has to say:
Many feel the billboards were cruel to the obese and uncalled for on PETA's part. I think what happens in the lives of 'meat animals' is cruel. … I'm ready to take your 30-day no-meat challenge. ... I'd be willing to weigh in before and after a month of no meat and indeed see if losing the meat has helped me begin to lose the blubber.
Since it has been proved that vegetarians weigh about 10 to 20 pounds less than meat eaters do and that a vegetarian diet can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and a slew of other ailments, Ali's going to make an enormous impact on her health, as well as on the lives of animals.
We can't wait to be there with her each step of the way.
Stay tuned for updates on Ali's progress. In the meantime, those of you who would like to follow Ali's lead can take our 30-day Pledge to Be Veg now. Please also try out these low-fat vegetarian recipes and contact us for support and guidance.
For most of us, summer is fading fast, but for residents of Jacksonville, Florida, bikini season lasts all year. What does the Sunshine State's endless summer mean for PETA? Our phone lines ring off the hook with reports of "beached whale sightings." Good one, guys.
Luckily, we know the secret to getting—and maintaining—a killer beach bod. Did you know that vegetarians are 20 to 30 percent leaner than meat-eaters? So, to help residents and tourists "lose the blubber"—and hopefully to deter prank callers—we're launching a brand-new billboard urging people to go vegetarian:
Written by Liz Graffeo
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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