Written by PETA
Contrary to the title of the first James Bond film he starred in, Roger Moore isn't willing to "live and let die." The former 007 is still battling bad guys, but instead of going after evil geniuses intent on destroying the world, he's leveling his icy blue stare at people intent on destroying ducks and geese. And just like all those Bond villains, they are no match for his debonair charm.
This week, the U.K. department store Harvey Nichols folded like a poker player at Casino Royale and agreed to Sir Roger's request that it stop selling foie gras, which is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers expand to up to 10 times their normal size. The decision comes almost a year to the day after Moore helped PETA U.K. persuade another U.K. institution, Selfridges, to stop selling the deadly delicacy.
Can anyone resist being shaken, not stirred by Sir Roger's entreaties? I'm beginning to doubt it. You can shake things up yourself by writing to two companies on this side of Her Majesty's former empire—Royal Caribbean and Gelson's Markets—and asking them to stop serving and selling foie gras. We don't want to have to sic James Bond on them.
Written by Alisa Mullins
British socialite Tamara Ecclestone exudes high-class elegance—so it's no surprise that she despises cruel foie gras. Following PETA U.K.'s recent victory in getting Selfridges to stop selling the "delicacy of despair," Tamara—the gorgeous Sky Sports TV presenter and daughter of Formula One racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone—has taken it all off in the name of compassion.
To produce foie gras, workers force metal pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and pump up to 4 pounds of grain into their stomachs two or three times a day in order to cause their livers to become engorged. This overfeeding is excruciatingly painful and often causes the animals' organs to rupture. Foie gras production is so cruel that it has been banned in 16 countries, including the U.K., but inexplicably, retailers and restaurants in England are still allowed to sell it. To help end the suffering of these animals, follow Tamara's titillating lead and take our "No Foie Gras" pledge today.
Written by Logan Scherer
"I am deeply touched and thrilled to be awarded the PETA U.K. person of the year. When I first saw their video footage on foie gras production three years ago, I felt compelled to do something to help put a stop to this cruel delicacy. I have since become a passionate campaigner against foie gras, and am most humbled that my passion has helped make a positive difference in the lives of these animals."—Sir Roger Moore
On the heels of its recent Selfridges victory, PETA U.K. has named Sir Roger Moore 2009's Person of the Year.
The celebrated actor's tireless and successful efforts against foie gras began three years ago when Moore narrated a video about its production that has attracted more than 300,000 viewers. Since then, Moore has written to every member of the House of Commons asking them to help end foie gras sales in the U.K. and penned many pieces for national publications in his unending attempt to spread the word against the deadly force-feeding of ducks and geese.
For his inspiring accomplishments, Moore will be honored with a plaque and a copy of PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's One Can Make a Difference.
Two years ago, PETA UK began urging Selfridges to drop foie gras from its shelves so that it would stop contributing to the fatal force-feeding of ducks and geese. PETA UK and its supporters dauntlessly demonstrated, sent more than 5,000 e-mails to Selfridges, and placed thousands of phone calls to the retailer. We are thrilled to announce that all this hard work has paid off: Selfridges has pledged to stop selling foie gras forever.
The splendid news comes from Sir Roger Moore, PETA UK's committed celebrity spokesperson, who received the call directly from Selfridges. Moore's unwavering dedication, along with the inspiring passion of PETA UK's campaigners, attracted endless attention on television, in newspapers, and around the Internet—wherever you turned, PETA UK was there, spreading the message to give up foie gras.
This towering triumph is proof that every e-mail, phone call, and letter matters. Please help spread the success by writing to managers of local restaurants that still sell the vile food. Alert them to the gross cruelty behind foie gras, and ask them to remove it from their menus.
A Christmas gift just isn't a Christmas gift if it's not sealed with a kiss, which is why our snuggly seal jumped aboard a float at Toronto's Santa Claus Parade:
Follow the lead of Santa's surprise helper and urge Prime Minister Harper to end the seal slaughter.
As Agent 007, Sir Roger Moore battled the bad guys—but as a real-life Knight of the British Empire, Moore has spent the past several years battling the cruel foie gras industry.
When Moore heard about PETA Europe's campaign to urge Selfridges to stop selling foie gras—he sent a private letter to Selfridges' owner, Galen Weston, offering to buy up the company's entire remaining stock of the cruelly produced food if Weston agreed never to restock it again.
Always the classy gentleman, Moore gave Weston the chance to make this deal behind the scenes—but Selfridges has not responded to Moore's generous offer, so he has taken it to the airwaves. Check out his recent interview on the topic.
Written by Liz Graffeo
We can never resist a good birthday party … and neither can our friends over at PETA Europe! Yesterday, Selfridges—a European department store that continues selling foie gras despite public outcry—celebrated its 100th birthday, and PETA Europe, along with former Miss UK (and current vegetarian) Brooke Johnston, joined the party by unveiling Brooke's new "Selfridges: Force-Feeding Is Cruel" billboard.
Happy birthday, Selfridges! While your employees were inside gorging on birthday cake, somewhere ducks were being force-fed until their internal organs ruptured.
Written by Shawna Flavell
Question: Does Grammy-winning recording artist Phil Collins support the sale of foie gras? Answer: Heck no! The singer/songwriter began his career as a vocalist for the rock band Genesis and went on to receive international acclaim as a solo artist—selling more than 250 million records throughout his career. Now, he's fired off a letter to U.K. department store chain Selfridges condemning the company for its sale of one of the most cruelly produced foods on the market.
We're for real here, folks. Foie gras, which is French for 'fatty liver,' is produced by shoving pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and force-feeding them until their livers become fatty and often diseased. Foie gras is considered so cruel that its production is banned in 15 countries, including the U.K., where Selfridges is based. Prince Charles has banned foie gras from all Royal menus this year, and House of Fraser, Makro, Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, and every major U.K. supermarket have already banned foie gras from their shelves. Clearly, Selfridges is the one in need of an enlarged internal organ (specifically, a heart).
Collins joins Sir Roger Moore and the Duchess of Hamilton in urging Selfridges to drop foie gras from their shelves. Are you outraged by the cruelty that is shoved down the throats of these birds? Speak up!
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
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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