Written by PETA
Here’s what PetSmart spokesman Bruce Richardson had to say when he was asked about the shocking video footage revealed by our recent investigation into a PetSmart supplier in Texas:
“I don’t know what those images say. … Just because you see a dead pet, does that mean there was abuse? No. Pets die, particularly when you are dealing with volume.”
“When you’re dealing with volume,” Bruce? Does it not strike you as just a little bit callous to refer to the living, breathing beings that your company trades in as if they were lawn furniture? No, of course it doesn’t. Because that’s exactly the attitude that seems to be driving this business—despite being confronted by scenes of incredible suffering inflicted by a PetSmart supplier, Bruce and his colleagues appear to have seen nothing at all, beyond a few “acceptable losses” of their “product.”
Before I get too rhetorical here, let’s switch gears and watch something a bit more uplifting. It’s good to know, at least, that for every Bruce Richardson there’s also someone out there who’s taking time to make a positive difference for animals. Here’s a creative pro-spay and neuter spot by Alliance for Humane Action that I just came across. I like it because it has cats in it.
Yeah, I know. It’s not exactly the most exciting thing in the world. In fact, the exclamation point in the title may have been more wishful thinking on my part than actual exuberance. But for anyone who’s a) on Facebook, and b) in possession of a little bit of extra spending money, this really is an excellent opportunity to help give a big boost to PETA’s KFC Campaign. Here’s how it works, according to my friend Pulin Modi, who’s working on this project with Facebook (because he’s, like, all Web 2.0 and stuff):
“Facebook.com is hosting a “Giving Challenge” where PETA has an opportunity to win a pretty sizeable chunk of money as well as the attention of many of this site’s members. The goal is to have the most unique donors who contribute at least $10.The “Stop Kentucky Fried Cruelty” cause will generate money for PETA and already has taken in just over $3,000 and helped us make a lot of great connections by building buzz around our work and campaigns! You can check it out at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/53026. It’s going well, but we still have a bit to go. If you are able to give $10 that would be great. We’re especially hoping to push for donations between now and 3pm EST tomorrow (January 28) to win an extra $1,000 as a daily award!Tell your friends and family who use Facebook, too. This is something that has to be done through Facebook and is a donation through a secure page, but only takes a minute to set up if you don’t have an account. As I mentioned, there are daily awards, plus the top cause gets $50,000 (with awards of $25,000 and $10,000 for the next dozen causes, too).”
If this sounds like it might be up your alley, you can check it out here. Hooray for philanthropy!
For the second year in a row, an extremely brave PETA member has bared all for our State of the Union Undress. The result is nothing short of stunning, and I can’t say enough about how amazing this young lady has been in helping us put the video together as a way of reaching a wide audience with a message of compassion for animals. I don’t know what to expect from Bush’s speech tonight, but I feel extremely confident in guaranteeing that our State of the Union is going to be a whole hell of a lot sexier.
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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