Written by Michelle Sherrow
In a crushing blow to Canada's annual seal slaughter, Russia, formerly Canada's top commercial market for seal fur, has banned the import of all harp-seal products.
After Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ended his country's seal slaughter in 2009, calling it a "bloody industry that should have been banned long ago," Pamela Anderson led an international appeal on PETA's behalf asking him to ban imports of seal pelts from her native country too. Now Russia, as well as Belarus and Kazakhstan, is joining the U.S., the European Union, and Mexico in refusing to support the shooting and bludgeoning of baby harp seals.
Will this be the death knell for the seal slaughter? The Canadian government is feverishly trying to overturn the ban, so please tell Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to quit postponing the inevitable and end the killing now before the massacre resumes in the spring.
The word on Twitter is that celebs are rejoicing over Ringling's being slapped with the largest penalty in circus history for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Other celebs are buzzing about going postal.
Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski gave dogs in animal shelters something to rejoice over, discussing her "Always Adopt, Never Buy" campaign with PETA in the winter issue of Modern Dog magazine and urging readers to hop on the adoption train. As if that weren't enough, she then asked them to think about where fur comes from.
Morrissey and his bandmates left little doubt over what they think of fur when the band donned PETA shirts with a, ahem, choice message at a show in L.A.
Wearing fur is such a faux pas that designers are hard-pressed to find celebs willing to look like a permutation of Bigfoot. Reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Kristen Wiig says she will "never wear fur," and cruelty-free fashion designer Stella McCartney snagged the Red Carpet Award at the British Fashion Awards for her fur- and leather-free designs.
This week, animals lost a great advocate when comedian Patrice O'Neal passed away. "I am … [an] extreme animal lover," he once said. "I get sick when I see animals suffering." Farewell, friend.
Written by PETA
Staking out towns throughout Ontario, Canada, PETA's sexy cops are after the robbers who stole the skin right off animals' backs.
If you're thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad for one of these arrestingly beautiful officers to read you your rights, think again. They're showing no mercy to people who buy fur ripped off live animals, leather from cows and other animals who are routinely hacked apart while still conscious, or wool, which often comes from sheep whose backsides have been mutilated.
Considering that these offenders only got tickets, they got off easy. Click here to check out what "TSA Agent" Pamela Anderson does to would-be airline passengers who are swathed in skin that isn't their own.
Supermodel and former Leonardo DiCaprio flame Bar Refaeli is catching heat for posing in fur for clothing company Bel Air, especially in light of the proposed fur ban in Israel. Honorary PETA Director Pamela Anderson sent Refaeli a letter explaining, "You probably weren't aware that numerous undercover investigations have revealed that foxes, minks, coyotes, and rabbits—and even cats and dogs—are bludgeoned, genitally electrocuted, and often skinned alive for their pelts." Pam asked Refaeli, model to model, to raise the bar on ethical fashion and dump fur.
But Refaeli insisted that there had been a titanic mistake, telling an Israeli publication that Bel Air had lied to her and said the fur was fake. Then she took to Twitter, posting, "I think its time 2 get it straight! i'm against fur! the truth of the matter is that on the shoot day i was told the fur is FAKE!"
Considering the lies that the fur industry tells about how animals are killed, it's not surprising that fur-mongers would finagle Refaeli into donning pelts.
Be a model of compassion and bar fur from your closet. Lookin' at you, Blake Lively…
PETA friend and animal advocate extraordinaire Pamela Anderson has written to European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli urging him to honor the original 2013 deadline for banning the sale of cosmetics in the European Union that have been tested on animals. The European Commission is considering delaying the deadline for years—and perhaps indefinitely.
In her letter, Pamela states, "I love cosmetics, but there's no reason for animals to suffer for lip gloss and eye-liner; those cruel tests are from another era." She adds: "Today, there are effective and 100 percent humane non-animal testing methods. We also already know thousands of ingredients that have a long history of safe use. Hundreds of manufacturers have already been using them for years! Please, don't turn back the clock."
Please join Pamela in calling on the European Commission to stick to the 2013 deadline.
The list of accidents involving horse-drawn carriages just got longer. On Monday night, a taxi knocked over a carriage, resulting in injuries to the carriage driver and passengers. Witnesses said the horse was lying in the street beneath the carriage. The extent of his injuries are unknown.
Horses used for carriage rides are forced to work long hours in the heat of summer and the sleet of winter. The noisy and crowded streets are no place for these sensitive, easily spooked animals, and as this latest incident shows, collisions between carriages and hardier vehicles occur somewhat regularly. In New York, at the end of their "shifts," the horses are tied into tiny stalls, barely bigger than their own bodies, unable even to get the weight off their legs and lie down. Check out Glee star Lea Michele's video about horses used for carriage rides:
There are compassionate and tourist-friendly options to make sure that this type of accident—and worse—doesn't keep happening: Pamela Anderson recently promoted the cruelty-free charm of eco-friendly classic cars, which would provide jobs for drivers while giving horses a much-deserved retirement.
Please take a moment to sign PETA's petition asking New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages. If you know people who are planning a trip to New York this summer, urge them to avoid cruel horse-drawn carriages.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
Could be because it’s almost the first day of summer. Nah, it’s definitely PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011 contest. Voting has begun to help us narrow down the 100 male and female nominees to our top five in each group who make our little veggie-loving hearts skip a beet beat.
So, which hunk of Bocacake gets your vote? Bill Clinton or a Beatle? Joaquin’s sexy smile or Jared Leto and those baby blues? Could it be a bi-coastal competition of funny man Russell Brand against easy-on-the-eyes Casey Affleck?
And which veggie vixen will walk away with the top prize? Will it be the battle of the A-team, Aimee and Anne? Or could it all come down to the Kristens – Wiig and Bell? Maybe the inventor of sexy, Pamela Anderson, will stage a coup?
Let us know who you think we should name the finalists! This year, for the first time, voting will take place on Twitter using the hash tag #sexyvegceleb, but you can also use the voting page. Let us know who you think we should pick by June 17 and stay tuned for the swoon-worthy finalists.
You know it's going to be fun when longtime PETA pal Pamela Anderson and PETA's 2009 Woman of the Year Ellen DeGeneres get together. When Pamela appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, precocious Pam showed that she can toss an animal rights message into any situation as easily as she can stop traffic.
Pam told Ellen that the night before the show, she had to call the courthouse to find out if she was needed for jury duty. "I don't think I'd be a very good juror," Pamela admitted. "You know, 'If you're not vegetarian—guilty!'"
Ellen, a vegan herself, burst out laughing along with the audience, and Ellen later complimented Pam on all the great work she does for animals. And look who's talking, Ellen—animals are crazy about you too. If ever there were a green room we'd like to hang out in, this one takes the vegan cake.
I can't get enough of sizzling-hot Pamela Anderson on Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) (did you see that split?!), and her run has surely inspired many people to speak up for animals. Who knows—maybe if José Tomas had watched Pamela's anti-bullfighting paso doble, he'd have thought twice before getting into the bullring with the animal who gored him in the groin this weekend.
Pamela needs your votes to stay in the competition! Polls open at 8 p.m. EDT tonight, and the phone and text lines stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting remains open until 11 a.m. EDT tomorrow. It only takes a few minutes to help vote this compassionate activist for animals to the top! Call 1-800-868-3411; text the word "vote" to 3411 if you're an AT&T mobile customer; or go online and vote for Pam seven times.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an "issue-by-issue" basis—they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa. At that time I was a meat-eater and told them I believe that if anyone is going to wear the flesh or fur of an animal, they should at least have the decency to eat the meat of that animal. That comment led to my involvement in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. The following year, I chose to stop eating meat (and stop wearing or purchasing anything made out of leather); however, citing reports that Jesus Christ fed lots of people with fish, I continued to eat fish. Most recently, for just over a month now, I've kept to a strictly vegan diet and I've not felt "hard-done-by" at all. I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods—and I plan on continuing to do so. —Steve-O
Visit his Web site to continue reading about why Steve-O chooses to work with PETA and the impact he's making in the lives of animals.
Written by Shawna Flavell
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