Written by PETA
While people look to PETA to prevent cruelty to animals, PETA looks to our generous supporters to make our work possible. To mark National Philanthropy Day, we talked with PETA Foundation Development Director Steve Kehrli about why our donors are as vital as our staff.
What's it like behind the scenes helping an organization known for making a splash to get attention for ignored animals?PETA campaigners succeed in getting the word out with their "splashing." But all of us help animals with the work we do. Every night I go home to my two wonderful cats knowing that today I raised resources to help animals who are deserving individuals just like Gus and Maxine.
PETA's mission encompasses combating the many different ways that people abuse animals. You must have several campaigns to keep up with, each with its own financial needs.That's one thing I love about working here: There is something for everyone, whether it's providing shelter and straw for cold chained dogs or supporting the lawsuit that PETA recently filed to prevent wild-caught orcas from being exploited at SeaWorld, the first lawsuit of its kind.
One great example of the huge difference that donor support makes is when PETA conducted an undercover investigation that resulted in the closing of U.S. Global Exotics, Inc., the biggest international exotic-animal dealer in the U.S. The owner fled the country and is a fugitive. PETA had to come up with resources immediately to care for almost 26,000 animals—from wallabies to kinkajous to turtles—who were confiscated from the company's warehouse. I was reminded that PETA's crucial supporters are the best part of the job! They rose to the challenge, and the funds that were needed to care for all the animals were secured.
Of all the charities that donors could support, why should they support PETA?I think it's because they see that PETA gets results. Look at how far the animal rights movement has come since PETA's founding just over 30 years ago. There are now hundreds of animal groups around the world (some led by PETA alumni in other towns and states and countries, and many supported by PETA). Investing in PETA is smart philanthropy for those truly interested in revolutionizing people's attitudes about and treatment of animals.
Ready to be a part of the animal rights revolution? If you like what PETA does, become an official, card-carrying member today.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange reflects on the monumental achievements for animals that she's seen in her nearly 20 years at PETA and the events—intentional and serendipitous—that led her to devote her life to protecting animals.
How did you first become involved in animal rights?
I got a PETA magazine in the mail and read about all the atrocious things happening to animals and started to change my lifestyle. A couple of years later, I was helping to protest the largest pigeon slaughter in the country in Hegins, Pennsylvania, with hundreds of other activists. It was like a clay shoot but with real animals. The birds were stuffed into wooden boxes and were sprung into the air a few at a time. Drunk men would shoot the birds from sunup to sundown. They would twist the heads off injured birds or bash their bodies into trash cans. I was arrested for running across the field and creating a distraction while other people freed the birds from the boxes. I was put in a cell with PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. Rather than pay bail money to the city that sponsored the hunt, we spent 12 days in jail. That's where she hired me—in our jail block. Eventually, we got the pigeon shoot stopped.
What was the most unforgettable PETA protest you ever participated in?
There have been a lot of them, but I loved the Wendy's demonstration with James Cromwell where he and some of us staffers did a sit-in at a Wendy's restaurant. We won that campaign and got Wendy's to improve animal welfare and have been pushing them to build on those improvements ever since.
Is there one PETA victory you are most proud of?
The Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. victory is pretty major. We got that awful animal testing facility shut down and got four workers indicted on felony cruelty-to-animals charges. There are so many, though—back in the day, bringing GM to its knees was pretty fantastic. They were the last company to stop doing crash tests on animals, and when they fell, those horrid tests were history. I love all the victories these days where the mere threat of PETA protests does the trick, like with Lipton tea. I love that our reputation as being smart and strong precedes us and that people just don't want to tangle with us.
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Are you the next Lisa Lange? Get involved now by e-mailing the Action Team.
President Obama sent the American Jobs Act to Congress, and while representatives hash out how to reduce our nation's high unemployment rate, PETA has come up with our own jobs plan: Come work for us!
You've heard the old adage "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life"? Well, at PETA and the PETA Foundation, not only do we do what we love, we're also saving those we all love from suffering. What could possibly be more rewarding than that?
In various positions, employees at PETA and the PETA Foundation can do what we enjoy most, whether it's being out in the field rescuing animals in immediate danger, planning successful fundraisers, designing powerful graphics for PETA’s websites and literature, helping to coordinate this very blog, or any of many other duties.
Ready to apply? Read about the current job openings at PETA and the PETA Foundation, and check back often—we always need talented new individuals on the animal rights team.
PETA is helping mass-transit passengers go even greener. When Norfolk, Virginia's new light-rail train made its maiden voyage past our headquarters, the Lettuce Ladies were on hand—and on the balcony—to make the inaugural run memorable.
With their cabbage couture and "Climeat Change" sign, the ladies showed passengers (and enthusiastic construction workers) that dumping meat, the number one cause of climate change, does even more good for the planet than taking public transportation. Riders were waving, snapping pictures, and giving thumbs-up signs—and, we hope, they were keener to be greener at their next meal as well.
It is easy being green—we'll help get you started with a free vegetarian/vegan starter kit.
This week, the City Council in Arcadia, California, voted to suspend its cruel coyote trapping program. The victory for animals comes after supporters of humane coyote control, including San Gabriel Valley Friends of Wildlife, worked tirelessly for months e-mailing council members, packing City Council meetings, organizing an education session about living with coyotes, and collecting petition signatures.
Snares cause prolonged, painful deaths. Animals caught by the neck slowly suffocate, and those caught by the leg endure painful injuries until the trapper returns (not always within the 24-hour required time limit) to the snare. When nursing mothers are caught, their babies often starve to death.Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of compassionate people, the Arcadia City Council has already started promoting a community education program about proven, humane methods of coyote control that have been endorsed by wildlife experts.
Come on now, can you really help animals and support PETA's lifesaving work with just a few minutes online?
That's a resounding "yes"—just ask some of our top members on Causes. Causes is the number-one tool on Facebook to help you speak up for the issues you care about. You can create a cause to support a nonprofit (such as PETA), create petitions for your favorite campaigns, and donate to your favorite Causes. We here at PETA are lucky to be connected to more than 300 Causes with a total of more than 5 million dedicated members!
With so many supporters signing petitions and recruiting new members, it's hard to choose the best. So instead, we bring you just some of our most active members on Causes. These are the people who go all out—invite everyone they know, promote petitions and messages, and keep the Cause pages active.
Top Petition Signature–Gatherers
Top Recruiters
Join me in giving a huge thank-you to these 10 committed people. Show your appreciation for their work by giving them props on each of their linked Causes profiles.
Think you can beat these members' achievements? Join PETA on Causes and show us what you can do!
The following is a guest post from peta2's Ryan.
Best-selling author Rory Freedman has already spared millions of animals from unnecessary deaths in slaughterhouses simply by promoting a healthy and cruelty-free vegan diet in her iconic book Skinny Bitch. But now she's taking her compassion to the next level!
You see, rather than buying her mom another meaningless foot massager or something this Mother's Day, Rory has offered to donate $5,000 to peta2 in her mom's honor—but only if you follow her example!
Here's how it works: Rory is going to match donors like you dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000 total. So, for example, if you donate $20 to peta2, she will also donate $20 to double the impact! As Rory said in an e-mail to peta2, "Show your mom who you are and how well she raised you—that you know what is really important."
Thanks to Rory, your donations—no matter what the amount—will go twice as far to help us raise awareness and combat cruelty to animals raised for food, clothing, experimentation, and other industries.
Your support helps us win countless victories. From convincing top retailers such as J. Crew and Urban Outfitters to go fur-free to pushing for the first-ever felony charges of cruelty to factory-farmed birds, peta2 is changing how the world treats animals, but we can't do it alone!
Take Rory's challenge and have your donation doubled!
Written by Ryan Huling
Happy birthday to the largest and hardest-hitting animal rights group known to humankind! We're bold, pragmatic, and provocative, and in our old age, we're only getting better at meeting the needs of animals the world over—and we even manage to look good doing it. Seriously, have you checked out our campaigns recently? 28 must be the new 20, 'cause we keep getting sexier!
However, some people think that some of our campaigns "cross the line." Hmmm, if you were in a battle for your life—as the billions-with-a-"b" of animals in slaughterhouses, on fur farms, in laboratories, and in circuses are—wouldn't you want a defender to come to your rescue who is mighty ferocious and not afraid to take some flak? Well, in 28 years, PETA has never backed down from a fight. And believe you me, we can take a hit. Lawsuits, federal investigations, infiltrators, slanderous news articles … the list go on. Yet we're stronger than ever in our relentless battle for what's right, and we're gaining momentum every day.
From the boardroom to the classroom, we employ every tactic and tool we can get our eager hands on in the defense of animals, so send us your ideas and we might add 'em. Now, maybe you've only heard about the colorful tactics we use to catch the media's attention, but that's only a fraction of what we do. Here's a quote from PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk:
Few people know the depth of our work, as it is mostly our stunts that make the news. While cruelty to animals is a serious matter that should elicit widespread public outrage, efforts to reach the public through more serious means often fall on deaf ears in a world in which sex sells and there are both a war and an economic downturn. . . . Forgive us our bikinis and our shock tactics, but our message that all beings—both human and nonhuman—deserve compassion and respect is one that we must work hard to make heard.
So, in celebration of our anniversary, we decided to give y'all some free goodies for showing us your stuff. Here's the contest—let us know your favorite PETA victories (you can totally cheat by going to this heartwarming site), and you'll be entered to win a copy of the acclaimed documentary I Am an Animal on DVD. It answers quite a few questions about PETA and our tireless president that you might have had—and it just might get ya fired up enough to join us! If so, we've got a bikini with your name on it!
You can comment until September 4, 2008, to win the DVD. We will contact the winner on September 5, 2008. Be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy before you comment—you're acknowledging that you have read and agree to both by leaving a comment.
Written by Missy Lane
Sorry to burst happy bubbles everywhere, but here's the downer: Viagra is not always effective. Up to 40 percent of men who take Viagra report no result at all. We firmly believe that no one should have to live an unsatisfying life. If you're looking for a good time in the bedroom, you can improve your satisfaction tenfold by making a few simple changes in the kitchen.
Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostate cancer, and hormonal imbalances are just some of the health problems that cause male impotency. Ditching artery-clogging meat and dairy products—and eating a diet rich in leafy greens, fruits, and grains—will lift your mood, get you back into action, and get your blood pumping to all the right locations.
So whether you're a wannabe manly man or a wannabe Mata Hari, pick up a banana and put down the prescription pills. Vegetarians do make better lovers. And you know what else we make? Some pretty darn cool ads! Here are PETA's top 10 impotence ads:
10. A Vegetarian Lover Gives You Something to Wake Up For—Last night was great, but there's nothing like rekindling the fire with some morning wood.
9. Rude Food—Nothing compares to hooking up with a really, really hot dish …
8. Santa's Not Coming This Christmas—Ho, ho—oh no! "Jolly St. Nick" can't get his jollies 'cuz milk's made his mojo a no-go.
7. Kevin Eubanks Vegetarian Testimonial—The juicy confessional of a former "World's Sexiest Vegetarian"
6. I Threw a Party but the Meat-Eaters Couldn't Come—Leaving a beautiful girl in a red-white-and-blue bikini standing there holding a limp sausage? Well, that's just un-American!
5. Tofu Wrestling—Everyone knows that ladies love extra-firm soy and extra-firm boys. Here's proof that tofu is so freakin' cool that bikini-clad beauties will wrestle over it in a kiddy pool.
4. Three Stages of a Wiener—Three more reasons to skip the wieners for a watermelon salad
3. PETA's Make-Out Tour—Who can turn away from a sexy couple engaged in some passionate PDA on the pavement? Plus, it's got a much better soundtrack than that annoying "Viva Viagra" song.
2. Eating Meat Got You Down?—It takes a "stiff" competitor to bed a babe. There's nothing sadder than when a guy realizes he just can't keep up with the "Johnsons" anymore.
1. Sexy Sausage Ad (Director's Cut)—In a business where talent is measured in inches, what's a porn director to do when his meat-head star goes soft? Luckily, a hot vegan guy shows up to turn this Super Bowl party into a sausage fest.
Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky
Hold on to your strawberries and (vegan) cream for this one—it seems that Wimbledon has hired sharpshooters to kill pigeons. And what crime did these pigeons commit to merit capital punishment? They pooped. More specifically, they pooped on some tables in an open-air restaurant frequented by media folks who cover Wimbledon matches. Now, I'm no expert in the area of pigeon control, but here's an idea: How about getting a few patio umbrellas? Call me Einstein, but I'd guess that my solution is a whole lot cheaper—in terms of money and lives.
And even if Wimbledon officials don't give a whit about compassion or public opinion, here's something else that they might consider: Their actions seem to be illegal, as in they're likely breaking the law. A U.K. law passed in 2006 prohibits "lethal control" of animals, except as a last resort. PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich had more than a few choice words for Wimbledon, but here are a few that we can print:
Since the use of marksmen to kill pigeons appears to have been carried out as a first, rather than a last resort, and not out of a concern for public health, but rather because the animals were deemed inconvenient by players, you appear to be in clear violation of the law.
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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