Conditions for animals who were tormented in experiments at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW-Madison)—where sheep were abused and killed in cruel and illegal decompression experiments, among other horrors—are apparently so bad that they have prompted one of the university's own veterinarians, Richard "Jim" Brown, to call it quits over animal welfare concerns.

Some of the issues Brown complained about included that pigs were transported in an open pickup truck during the bitter cold of winter, rats and mice died after being deprived of food and water, and insects were flying around in a room in which a primate was undergoing surgery, creating unsanitary conditions. Brown's complaints were apparently met with contempt, and he says that he faced reprisals for speaking up for animals.

These allegations aren't surprising, considering UW-Madison's sordid history of Animal Welfare Act violations and its refusal to release information related to the university's invasive and deadly taxpayer-funded eye-movement experiments on monkeys and cats. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently investigating UW-Madison for its ongoing failure to comply with federal animal welfare laws.

Will the loss of one of its own prompt UW-Madison to clean up its act? We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, let's continue to speak up for the countless animals who are suffering in laboratories at UW-Madison and on college campuses across the country.

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

The Benedictine Women of Madison, Wisconsin, know a thing or two about green living. The ecumenical order's new Holy Wisdom Monastery is being called the greenest building in America after receiving the U.S. Green Building Council's highest-ever rating for sustainable construction.

Pardon me, sisters, but there's a way for you to go even greener. PETA is asking the Benedictine sisters to adopt a vegan diet and serve only vegan meals at the monastery. As most of us know by now, eating meat is mean, not green.

We also point out that Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Ratzinger) has in the past spoken movingly about the plight of farmed animals. During a 2002 interview, he said that the "degrading of living creatures to a commodity seems to me in fact to contradict the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible."

So what say you, sisters? Will you make the switch?

Written by Paula Moore

Yesterday was a big day for the dairy industry. People across the nation were getting their first peek into what dairy farming actually looks like as media outlets covered PETA's recent, revealing undercover investigation into the putrid living conditions and the abusive treatment of cows on one Land O'Lakes supplier's factory farm. At the same time, PETA was dropping in on the first day of the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

A couple of passionate ladies were on hand at the Expo to let attendees and passersby know that the dairy industry is dreadful for cows and disgusting for humans. Our undercover investigation revealed that cows at milking stations were caked in feces and urine. It also showed that many of these gentle animals had untreated abscesses that sometimes burst and oozed pus as cows were being milked.

After hearing stories like these, people in Madison were quick to take home copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit." Why don't you do the same?

Written by Shawna Flavell