PETA U.K. knows how to party. During last Saturday's Trooping of the Colour—The Queen's official birthday celebration—PETA U.K. members gave away "Bear Hugs, Not Bear Caps" biodegradable balloons to pumped-up parade attendees.

 

Nothing says, "Look over here, Royal Family!" like bunches of balloons in the crowd!

 

Unlike this cute little cub, real bear cubs are often orphaned and left to die when their moms are shot and killed.

 

Pelts on parade: 1 slaughtered bear = 1 silly hat

 

Here's hoping that after this colorful display, Queen Elizabeth will one day become the Queen of Hearts for bears and urge the Ministry of Defence to ditch the skins. After all, bears deserve to see another birthday too …

Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

It is no surprise that every year, both deserving and not-so-deserving souls pop up on the Queen of England's honors list. In some quarters, certain OBEs are known as "other b****'s efforts," while others are simply regarded as sales awards, as is the case for much disliked Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Given Wintour's reputation as a pelt pusher with a habit of accepting free furs, her new OBE has quickly been dubbed "other beings' efforts."

Wintour will receive further recognition from PETA for her tireless work promoting an industry in which foxes, minks, and chinchillas are confined for months to crowded, filthy cages before being suffocated, gassed, or genitally electrocuted. We are sending Wintour a certificate entitling her to a brain scan to identify the arrested development of her mirror neuron, the part of the cerebral cortex that allows a person to experience empathy—or not.

Posted by Ingrid E. Newkirk