PETA's Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters has a new moniker—the Sam Simon Center—in honor of entertainment giant Sam Simon, the multiple Emmy Award–winning co-creator of The Simpsons and the writing genius behind hit shows like Taxi, Barney Miller, Cheers, The Tracey Ullman Show, The Drew Carey Show, and Charlie Sheen's new FX series, Anger Management. Accompanied by a Dixieland jazz band, Simon arrived by boat to cut the ribbon at a dedication ceremony today, which was also attended by New York Jets safety Bret Lockett and other luminaries, including the glamorous Jennifer Tilly, TV host and producer Mark Thompson, and World Series of Poker champion Phil Laak.

Simon, who serves on PETA's Executive Committee, has been a vegetarian since he was 19 and a vegan since joining PETA years later. He is known for his work with The Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to help soldiers who return from war with physical and mental trauma. He attacks animal homelessness at its roots by sponsoring spay and neuter surgeries in low-income areas of Los Angeles. He also helped PETA launch our newest mobile spay-and-neuter clinic and hosts annual PETA fundraisers at his home in L.A.

Perhaps because he works in the entertainment industry, the plight of animals in entertainment is especially close to Simon's heart. He is an outspoken opponent of cruelty in circuses, roadside zoos, and marine parks, and he recently attended a PETA news conference with Bob Barker to call attention to the plight of animals on TV and movie sets. "[I]f you can't afford the CGI [computer-generated imagery], either do a rewrite," he said, "or do a cartoon show like I did."

Simon once donated his fee for an episode of The Drew Carey Show to PETA because the plot involved greyhound racing, and he felt that he could not in good conscience keep the money. As if he's not busy enough, Simon also hosts a weekly Friday Internet radio show on Radioio.com in which he always keeps animal issues in the spotlight.

"Sam Simon may be a big Hollywood figure, but it's his big heart that makes him a PETA soulmate," said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

What do you get when you combine a generous donation to PETA, The Simpsons, NBA star Ron Artest, and NFL linebacker Aaron Curry? Thousands of free and low-cost spay-and-neuter surgeries!
 

 
On Friday at PETA's headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, along with Anna Ware of the Holland M. Ware Foundation and The Simpsons co-creator and PETA supporter Sam Simon, cut the ribbon on the latest addition to PETA's fleet of state-of-the-art mobile spay-and-neuter clinics. The new clinic, which was donated by the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, features photos of Ron Artest and Aaron Curry (and their dogs) emblazoned on the side.
 

PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk, Sam Simon, Anna Ware, and Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim cut the ribbon on the newest addition to PETA’s mobile spay/neuter fleet.

 
Since PETA's first SNIP clinic began operating in 2001, we have spayed and neutered more than 70,000 dogs, cats, and rabbits in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina, preventing hundreds of thousands of unwanted births. The new clinic will allow us to provide many more surgeries every year.

You can help support the clinics (which operate at a loss and rely on donations to keep going) by making a donation to PETA and signing our pledge to end animal homelessness. 
 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

parenting-our-kids / CC

Think back to 1998, when Titanic spoofs were still topical and The Simpsons was only in its 10th season. Remember the Simpsons episode in which Homer discovers that Springfield's milk is supplied by a mafia-run underground rat-milking operation? Yeah, it was pretty nasty.

Fast-forward to 2009: Pharming, a Netherlands-based biotech firm, seems to be using The Simpsons as misguided inspiration for pharmaceutical development. Pharming has been running its own rabbit-milking operation for years. And now, with the recent announcement that Pharming has extracted a protein from rabbit milk for use in an experimental drug, Dutch farmers are prepared to start milking rabbits on a large scale.

This news may seem like it's from an alternate cartoon universe, but animal-exploiting companies like Pharming are constantly finding new ways to abuse female animals and their reproductive systems, sentencing millions of animals to confinement, misery, and death in the process. These profit-hungry businesses are willing to do anything to animals for money—no matter how much suffering it causes. Many people know that dairy farms forcibly impregnate cows over and over and rip their babies from them a day after they're born so that humans can drink their mothers' milk and the male calves can be sold for veal. Less attention is paid to the biotech companies that milk mice in order to extract a protein for human baby formula or genetically engineer goats to produce spider silk in their milk for use in parachute cords and bulletproof vests.

The easiest, fastest way to save lives is simply not to support companies that profit from cruelty to animals. Go vegan and shun any products that were tested on animals or that contain any animal ingredients. Remember that there is always a humane alternative.

Written by Logan Scherer

Ooh, what have we here—a sss-exy photo shoot for a fashion magazine?

Actually, these lovely "lizards" were part of PETA's wildly successful protest against killing snakes, lizards, and other exotic animals for their skins. Swarms of onlookers and media in Prague soaked up our compassionate message.

See the guy in the background? He's just realized that his coat's atrocious fur trim has crushed his chances of chatting up the gorgeous protesters.

Our thanks go out to our ravishing reptiles, the body painter who donated his time to painstakingly apply their "costumes," and other caring people who handed out leaflets to ongawkers.

Written by Karin Bennett