Written by PETA
Are you as excited as we are about this?! Following up a string of victories for animals this week, a new TV series is coming to keep the party goin'! Whale Wars is the newest reality show from Animal Planet, and it features none other than our favorite sibling on the high seas, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Do you know about these good folks who so deserve to have their own show? For 30 years they've successfully fought for the rights of sea animals the world over, using nonviolent methods of direct action. And starting this Friday at 9 p.m. E/P, we all get to join in on the adventure!
The Sea Shepherd site describes the show this way: "During Sea Shepherd's Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Migaloo in 2007/08, Animal Planet had a camera crew on board a campaign that saved the lives of nearly 500 whales, leaving the Japanese fleet with less than half of their quota and costing them tens of millions of dollars." I literally "whooped" out loud the first time I read that.
Impressively, this was actually the third time the crew met its own quota of saving hundreds of whales. Mind you, this incredible work is being done in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. You read that right. Animals who should be protected are being slaughtered under the guise of "research." Since it seems that no government is willing to enforce the law, the crew members risk their lives by taking this responsibility upon themselves.
This show is both timely, in light of the great strides that have recently been made for animals, and heart warming, as it gives credit to unsung heroes. But just think of how many people the show will make aware of the plight of whales! I'm so looking forward to staying in on Friday nights!
You can read an exciting piece by Sea Shepherd warrior Pete Hammarstedt in Ingrid's new book One Can Make a Difference.
Written by Missy Lane
The following is a guest post from PETA Europe's Fish & Chimps blogger Alexia Weeks:
Avid Fish & Chimps fans were probably wondering why PETA didn't jump in with teeth bared after Kate Winslet posed naked on what looks like a real fur throw in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. But behind the scenes, we were busy at work contacting Kate—the beauty we've never, ever seen wearing animal fur.
So we sent a note to Kate pointing out how shocked we were to see photos of her posing with fur. And we were right to be shocked! We had a very prompt response from Kate's rep and we have been assured that Kate never wears fur (as we suspected!). She was actually told at the photo shoot that the very real fur was fake. And that's not the first time that this sort of thing has happened! PETA US has heard from countless celebs that sneaky stylists at photo shoots can be rather coy when it comes to fur and whether it's real or not. So it seems Kate was duped—and with so many convincing fakes out there nowadays, it is easy to mistake the dead animals for the fake ones.
So, who thinks Kate should get naked with a faux-fur throw for PETA?
When the Obamas first announced that they would be bringing a dog into their family at the end of the election, we all hoped that they would choose to adopt a rescue dog—and whaddaya know, our hopes were realized when Michelle Obama confirmed that the family would go the mutt-friendly route. And hey, what's a better example for the rest of the nation than to have a rescue as the "first dog"?
Hmm … what about having another rescue as the "second dog"? See, Senator Biden's wife promised him that they could welcome a "big dog" into their family if he were elected. She even taped pictures of dogs to the seats in his campaign plane to inspire him! This means that now that Senator Biden is officially the vice president-elect, he and Jill will start looking for the right dog to join their family. May we, again, suggest a rescue dog? There are some pretty big mutts out there, senator!
That's what PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk has written in a letter to the Bidens—that the vice president-elect would be doing a great thing for animals by bringing another rescue dog to Washington. A home for a needy dog and another example for all Americans to follow? Sounds great to us. Click here to read Ingrid’s full letter.
Written by Amanda Schinke
So who besides me ran screaming to their local music store to pick up Pink's new album Funhouse, which dropped last week? OK, so maybe not screaming … but I know I'm not the only one who anxiously anticipated this album, because its first single, "So What," has been #1 on the music charts all over the globe. I'm thrilled to report that the album totally rocks, as does the rock star behind the tunes.
So what? Well, here at PETA, we love Pink because of her compassion for animals. She is a longtime PETA booster and a lifelong animal protector, and she kicks some serious derrière when it comes to shining the light on animal cruelty.
She's had a hand in so many of our campaigns—from that enormous billboard in protest of horse-drawn carriages that we erected in Times Square this year to the anti-fur ad that she shot for us a few years back. She called out Beyoncé for wearing fur, and she's written to both Prince William for his support of hunting and to Queen Elizabeth II for not ditching the bear fur for faux fur on her Guards' caps. But wait, there's more!
Pink narrated our Australian wool exposé, and called for a global boycott of Australian wool during a live concert in Paris! Then—not to leave our Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign hanging—Pink reached out to her fans about the cruelty that goes into every KFC bucket and box by placing a link to our Web site on the front page of her official fan site! Oh, and did I mention that she did that to coincide with the release of her 2006 album I'm Not Dead? Brilliant!
And believe-you-me, she works behind the scenes, too, often penning letters to animal-exploiting companies and individuals, including KFC and Siegfried and Roy, just to name a couple. The singer was even gracious enough to open her home and host the kick-off party for PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have A Dog Party! last year! OK, did I mention she rocks?
Pink is seriously hardcore when it comes to helping out the animals, and we at PETA adore her for everything that she does. We wish you the best success on your new album, Pink! And you—get off your derrière and go buy it!
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
Change was a hot topic this election, but we all need to remember the millions of animals whose lives will stay the same even though the election is over—unless we all do a lot of hard work. Breeders and pet shops will continue to contribute to the tragedy of dog and cat overpopulation—just to make a profit. We need to work hard to make spaying and neutering affordable and legally mandated in every community across the country. Although the election is over, let's remember to keep fighting the good fight! We must educate others about the importance of spaying and neutering their animal companions and adopting from shelters instead of buying from breeders and pet stores. If we all pitch in, then eventually the tragic but merciful euthanasia of animals for whom no suitable, loving homes exist will no longer be necessary.
To check out the archives of past strips, click here.
In what might very well be a canine first, an all-dog soup kitchen that caters exclusively to dogs of the homeless and unemployed has opened its doors in Berlin, Germany. Yep, that's right, if you don't walk on all fours, you aren't getting a measly morsel from the kind folks at Animal Board.
The soup kitchen receives much of its food through company sponsorships and has already proven vital to the Berlin community. Much like soup kitchens that are geared toward humans, Animal Board is reducing the number of hungry dogs one meal at time.
It's no surprise that when bills are high and the economy isn't exactly booming, money woes extend to all members of the family, including animal companions. The free services of the soup kitchen might just reduce the number of animals who are deserted, turned out, or given up by guardians for financial reasons. We'll have to wait and see. But for now, we're excited to see more compassionate individuals looking out for dogs. We give the kind folks at Animal Board two furry paws up.
Yes, there were wonderful milestones achieved for animals in California and Massachusetts in this election, but is our new President-elect, Barack Obama, fighting for change in the animal world as well? Here's PETA's official statement:
President-elect Barack Obama has said, "I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other. And it's very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals." Because PETA is devoted to fighting animal abuse and recognizes the link between cruelty to animals and violence directed against humans, the organization is very encouraged by this statement.
PETA is also pleased that Obama and his wife, Michelle, have announced that they will adopt a rescued dog for their daughters instead of patronizing a pet store or breeder. PETA opposes large-scale breeding facilities, known as "puppy mills," as well as private breeders who bring puppies and kittens into the world while nearly 4 millions cats and dogs must be euthanized at the nation's extremely crowded animal shelters every year. PETA supports animal shelters and encourages all prospective companion animal guardians to visit their local shelter.
PETA was also encouraged to see that unlike other Democratic and Republican presidential candidates in the past, Obama did not pander to the National Rifle Association and other pro-hunting organizations by heading into the woods and shooting defenseless animals.
PETA looks forward to working with President-elect Obama and the new administration to help create change for the millions of animals who suffer unnecessarily in this country. What's next? If his stance on other animal issues is any indication, perhaps the next president will put a tofu chicken in every pot.
Written by Christine Doré
The whole of PETA India is on a roll, ya'll! I'd barely even finished writing my blog entry about the array of successful demos that the grown folk at PETA India have put on throughout the month of September, when their younger counterparts at petaDishoom squeezed in a grand finale!
To commemorate Gandhi's birthday and World Vegetarian Day, PETA India's youth wing, petaDishoom, teamed up with local groups and a just a few hundred activists for a veggie rally followed by the first-ever "Animal March" to the city of Pune. Donning animal masks and picket signs, these peaceful marchers chose the perfect way to honor the Mahatma's memory and carry on his legacy of compassion and nonviolence.
Here are some fun pics from the event:
You know, it's always the right time to cross over to the vegetarian side, so if you've been dying to kick it with the cool kids (like the ones pictured here) but you just need a little kick-start, you can get yourself a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" here.
On a side note, I've just learned that dishoom (which is now my new favorite word) translates roughly into one of my other favorite sayings, "to bring the raucous." Judging from the huge success of this march and PETA India's nonstop celebrity features and kick-butt campaigns, I'd say PETA India sure dishoomed it this month … eh?
Silliness aside, congratulations, PETA India and petaDishoom, for one very successful month!
Posted by Missy Lane
Covering a variety of pressing issues, the fantastic PETA India team took to the streets with some great demos this month! And since it's just so dang encouraging to be reminded of how many of us cruelty-free folk are working around the world to lend a loud voice to the voiceless, we figured we'd give you a sampling of PETA India's latest rabble-rousing. Here's a look at our comrades in action:
Woot! Woot! Seeing activists bring the raucous to cruelty's front door gets me amped! Great work everyone!
Snake charmers, fairies, and leprechauns…if you thought all three only existed in the pages of fairytales, here's a surprise. Snake charmers have been and still are entrancing villagers into believing the myth that the sounds from their instrument can hypnotize a snake, who will "dance"—for money, of course.
Sound a little slippery? That's because it is. There is no magic involved, only cruelty. Here's how:
Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats. Their teeth are yanked out without any painkillers, their mouths are often sewn shut (leaving a little gap to pour water or milk down), and their venom ducts are often pierced with a hot needle, causing the glands to burst and incapacitating this animals' most effective defense mechanism. None of the snakes lives very long, and death comes slowly and painfully.
The "dance" these snakes perform is actually a terrified reactive sway to the snake charmer's movements—as a means of self-defense from "attack" by the pipe. Snake charming is so violent, in fact, that the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972 actually banned it. But snake charmers show their disregard for the law and these animals by continuing their cruel ways.
With the upcoming holiday of Naga Panchami, which is held in honor of the Serpent God, PETA India decided to do a little charming of their own by releasing a brand-new ad urging people to boycott snake shows. The ad tells the story of a snake and a snake charmer, played by supermodel Jesse Randhawa and Hollywood/Bollywood dance instructor Sandip Soparrkar, and features the tagline "Snakes Are Not Natural Performers—We Are."
The ad sends out a great message to people in India. It points out that a country that has worshipped snakes throughout its history can't "honor" the reptiles with acts of cruelty. Check out PETA India's new mesmerizing ad here!
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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