Written by PETA
We're heartened that our new ad, featuring Joanna Krupa and a lifesaving message about animal adoptions, is receiving strong support from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. However, we are perplexed by the few complaints we've gotten that we dared depict our angel in the nude! Why they want to cloud the issue at hand (helping millions of homeless cats and dogs) is perplexing: The Catholic Church has a long history of depicting their angels in the buff, so what gives?
Caring people everywhere, of all faiths, applaud our beautiful, artistic ad that encourages compassion toward animals—and Ms. Krupa for her decision to assist us in that effort. They also recognize that the anguish endured by millions of neglected and abused dogs and cats who suffer in backyards, back alleys, puppy mills, and pet stores is the issue that truly warrants our society's outrage and attention.
Written by Karin Bennett
Frail, undernourished, and lonely, Little Bit was a walking skeleton. She was confined to an electric kennel and rarely had access to food or water, and her only "shelter" was a tipped-over plastic table.
Shocked by the dismal sight of Little Bit's solitary confinement, an area resident contacted the police, but the officers claimed that they saw nothing wrong with the pitiful and dangerous backyard setup or the obviously malnourished dog. Our complainant continued to push local agencies in the hope that someone would come to Little Bit's rescue but hit wall after wall.
It took just a single day after the resident contacted PETA for Little Bit to find freedom from her life sentence—we were able to get a PETA fieldworker out to this property and convince Little Bit's neglectful owner—who allegedly worked for local law-enforcement—to relinquish her into our custody.
Electric fences like the one in which Little Bit was confined, and so-called "invisible fences," can cause physical pain and potentially serious injuries as well as incite patterns of fear and aggression in dogs. No dog should have to live in fear of getting shocked. If you know of someone using electronic fences or shock collars to confine or silence their dog(s), educate them about the cruelty associated with these devices. And always speak up if you witness animal abuse.
Written by Logan Scherer
Retailers around the world are finding alternatives to mulesed wool, and we're thrilled to announce that Gap Inc. is the latest mega-vendor to take a stand against the mutilation.
Last year, the clothing giant sent us a letter stating its opposition to the mulesing mutilation and pledging to monitor the Australian wool industry's promise to end mulesing by 2010. Since then, we've been in constant contact with representatives of Gap Inc., and after we let them know that the Australian wool industry reneged on its vow, the company released this statement:
Gap Inc. does not condone mulesing and is committed to sourcing all of our merino wool from farms that have ended the practice. We have already begun to phase out the purchase of wool from lambs that have been mulesed by clips or shears. We will continue to work with the wool industry, other brands, and external stakeholders to ensure ongoing progress and an adequate supply of wool that meets our needs and expectations.
Millions of sheep in Australia continue to endure the torment of having hunks of flesh hacked off their backsides or to suffer through the equally painful process of clip mulesing, in which clips are attached to the skin on lambs' backsides, causing the skin to rot and fall off. Take a moment to urge Talbots—which has failed to take any meaningful action against the Australian wool industry—to follow in Gap Inc.'s compassionate footsteps.
After pressure from PETA and our supporters, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) has announced that it will no longer use homeless cats obtained from Odessa Animal Control in deadly medical training exercises. E-mails from concerned individuals, celebrity support, and rejected newspaper ads have had an effect. Thanks to each and every one of you who took action to help homeless cats escape cruelty at Texas Tech.
Has Texas Tech abandoned the practice of shoving hard, plastic tubes down the throats of cats altogether? We're not completely sure, but documents we've obtained indicate that TTUHSC has not purchased or used cats from any source within the past year. Could it be that officials have finally wised up to recommendations from both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, which endorse the exclusive use of manikins, not live animals, for the kind of training taught at Texas Tech?
While we nail down a definitive answer from Texas Tech officials, please take a moment to speak out against cruel experiments conducted on dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, mice, and other animals obtained from animal shelters by the University of Utah. PETA's successes depend on your support and willingness to take action. Let's keep the momentum going!
"I was like, 'Um, could you make two of those?' And I'd make a cute face, and they'd roll their eyes and give me another falafel."—Natalie Portman, on how easy Brothers co-star Tobey Maguire, who brought his own vegan chef to the set, made it for the newly vegan starlet to eat humanely.
Jake Gyllenhaal hasn't issued a statement yet, but I'm willing to bet he chowed down with his co-stars on some vegan vittles too. Could you resist food from a personal vegan chef?
Aretha Franklin sang at the annual Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony last night. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who got chills from her appearance—but not because of her singing … oh, no. My skin crawled because the Queen of Soul Cold wore this:
You may recall that Franklin was voted PETA's Fugliest Fur Hag in 2008. The hideousness she wore last night suggests that the face of fur wants to lock in first place for the upcoming 2009 vote. Can one of her "people" please explain to her—very slowly so she's sure to comprehend—that she does not want to be voted the world's most heinous person again? Pretty please?
File this one in the "Near-Death Experiences During My Infancy" section of the family photo album:
This picture was taken at a circus during intermission by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector who was responding to a complaint that PETA had filed against the traveling bear act. The USDA cited the bear exhibitor for unsafe handling, but don't count on the federal government to protect you—this reckless handler and many others like her are still in business.
Photo-ops at circuses and traveling zoos featuring captive bears, tiger and lion cubs, primates, snakes, and other animals are all too common, and they're recipes for disaster. Wild animals are easily startled and routinely act on instinct. These natural instincts can mean that the animals defend themselves with strong arms and legs, sharp teeth, and long claws when they feel threatened. Handlers cannot protect themselves, let alone the general public, from a frightened or angry wild animal. Members of the public, including children, can be and have been harmed during these irresponsible photo-ops. If you see or hear about a show near you in which wild animals are being used for photo-ops with the public, take action to stop it. You could be saving someone's life.
Pennsylvania's Lincoln University recently caused quite an uproar with the news that it requires obese students to enroll in—and complete—a fitness course before they can graduate. PETA applauds the school's effort to promote healthier lifestyles, but—let's face it—mandating fitness classes will have little or no impact if students continue to chow down on cheeseburgers and milkshakes. So we're urging Lincoln University officials to go a step further by making the school what PETA believes is this nation's first all-vegan campus.
The evidence is clear: Vegans are likely to be thinner and in better overall health than meat-eaters. The American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals, found that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than do meat-eaters. By swapping chicken nuggets for tempeh tacos, university officials will help students realize the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Plus, countless animals will be spared horrendous suffering on factory farms and cruel deaths in slaughterhouses.
One Australian farmer could've used our swine flu mask recently, but not for the reason you might think. After smelling what he thought was a gas leak, he called emergency services, and two fire trucks rushed over to his farm. When the fire captain came in, he took one look at the man's pig, and it was immediately apparent that the foul air was a gas problem of a different sort: They were all getting a whiff of the pig's wind.
If a single sow's fetid flatulence is enough to warrant the attention of 15 firefighters, then imagine the gaseous trail left by the 63 million pigs on factory farms. Turns out that going vegan helps reduce more than one type of gaseous emission.
As I'm a firm believer that a gal can never have too many purses, I think this week's "Win It" Wednesday is quite possibly the most drool-inducing one yet. Check it out:
Bird Handbags hooked us up with its fabulous "L'il Lady" bag, which retails for $214 and is made from recycled Army tents (not a stitch of leather on it). I have a feeling that some lucky winner will soon proclaim this designer bag to be a new fave.
Here's how you can win: Imagine that you're calling in a dedication to a radio station—include a brief message and name the song (and its artist) that best sums up your feelings about your favorite bag. If I could enter (sniff—I can't), here's how my entry would go:
This is Karin from Brooklyn. To the one who is always by my side, the one who never complains about carrying all of my cruelty-free lip glosses and anti-fur stickers, I dedicate "Little Green Bag" by the George Baker Selection.*
Have a go—and please have some fun with this challenge. Submit your most heartfelt or funniest dedication. The person who wows us wins the prize.
The contest ends on December 16, 2009, and we'll choose one winner on December 18, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!
*Obviously, my dedication was influenced by this week's prize, as I don't even own a green bag—yet.
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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