Written by PETA
USA Today is going to have a hard time convincing me to contribute to the new online photo album that Paw Print Post blogger Janice Lloyd is setting up to feature animals who were adopted from shelters. After all, anybody who knows me knows that there is nothing I hate more than singing the praises of my own former shelter dog, Keeley.
Oh, well, if you insist. Keeley, aka The Best Dog in the Universe, has come a long way from being the pathetic bag of bones who spent nearly a week curled up in the corner of a kennel at a shelter in rural Virginia. He was so filthy when he was brought to the shelter that the workers thought his fur was brown. After I spotted his handsome mug on Petfinder.com, I knew that he was the dog for me. What can I say? It was love at first sight. As you can see from his photo, he has blossomed. No more hiding in corners—unless there's a fly in the house, of course (flies are his sworn enemies).
How about you? Do you have a shelter dog or cat (or two or three) you're just dying to brag about? Send a photo and a description of your furry bundle of joy to Janice Lloyd (and be sure to include the animal's name in the subject line). All the cool kids are doing it.
Speaking of incurable adorableness, don't forget to visit PETAPrime.org on August 2—that's when the judging begins for PETA Prime's Cutest Cat Contest. Ready, set, purr!
Written by Alisa Mullins
Fashion fast-forward with the latest cruelty-free design: "Leather" made from green tea cultures! In a new process being developed by visionary designer Suzanne Lee, bacterial cultures are extracted from vats of green tea and then formed into eco-friendly cellulose sheets. Suzanne uses this "textile biomaterial" to make fashionable and cruelty-free jackets and dresses.
Unlike real leather—animal flesh coated in toxic preservatives such as formaldehyde and chromium to keep it from decomposing—BioCouture clothing is safe for animals and the environment. It isn't commercially available yet, but some of Lee's fresh and fabulous designs are on display at the Science Museum in London until early next year.
Via treehugger
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
Two recent news stories underscore the importance of making sure that dogs are kept indoors when temperatures soar.
In South Carolina, a man named Charles Bell has been charged with cruelty after Animal Control officers reportedly discovered that a dog had died in a small wire crate in the man's backyard while temperatures soared as high as 114 degrees. The dog had apparently been trapped in the crate in direct sunlight for three days with no food or water. According to news reports, authorities were alerted by a man who had approached the house to ask that the dog be moved into the shade only to have a woman slam the door in his face. Crating a dog is always a terrible idea, but in this case it was a formula for tragedy.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, thanks to one dog's ingenuity, disaster was narrowly averted. When a dog named Max was inadvertently left in a hot car, he began to honk the car's horn. After being doused in water and then rushed to a vet, Max made a full recovery from his heat exhaustion—but most dogs aren't as lucky.
Even in the shade, temperatures inside a car in warm weather can soar to lethal levels. To cool themselves, dogs must pant, and they can only perspire through their paw pads. Please protect your dog, and if you see other dogs in distress, always take action—you could save a life!
Written by Jeff Mackey
No! Say it isn't so. Doesn't Janet Jackson know that …
Animals suffer miserable lives and agonizing deaths to become fur cuffs and collars?
Surely she considered the "fan fallout" from this unwise, uncaring decision, which is supremely …
Tacky, cruel, inexcusable—help me out, people, are ...
You as disappointed by her decision as I am? Join us in asking Janet to donate the stolen skins so that they can be used as bedding for orphaned animals.
Written by Karin Bennett
Earlier this week, we told you the cautionary tale of a pork rind–munching trucker who nearly choked to death. Now we turn your attention to a report about a man who, after shooting and butchering a domestic pig, took a bullet himself after his dog stepped on the loaded rifle that the man had placed on the front seat of his pickup truck. The man is expected make a full recovery.
So here's some food for thought: If pig-eaters aren't concerned that their habit is cruel to animals. and dangerous to their own health and the environment, will the increasing threat of cosmic justice convince them to drop the chops? Your thoughts?
Somewhere between watching House of Payne reruns on TBS and holding Madea movie marathons, I totally missed this Tyler Perry news: The man loves dogs.
It seems that a dog named Aldo changed Tyler's life. As Tyler explains in this moving essay, Aldo has quickly become his "best buddy":
"I find myself not working long hours so that I can rush home to walk him and feed him. It's so crazy! Who knew that me, Mr. Commitment Phobe, could feel like this about any living creature?"
And when Tyler visited his local humane society to adopt a pal for Aldo, he went home with three!
Not only does this man have a sense of humor, he's also looking out for the millions of animals sitting in animal shelters by making sure he adopts. After you sign up for the Tyler Perry fan club, check out these great reads by PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk to find out how you can make your own furry friends a little bit happier.
Written by Paula Moore
What's the first thing that animal-friendly pop star Ke$ha did after flying in to her flooded hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, recently? She bought 1,000 pounds of dog and cat food and dropped it off at the Nashville Metro Animal Shelter! The guardian of five beloved rescued dogs, Ke$ha just had to help after hearing that the shelter was overwhelmed with animals who had been turned over by their guardians or abandoned in flooded homes without any food or drinking water following Tennessee's historic floods. To help even more, Ke$ha is also holding a benefit concert with all proceeds going to help families and animals affected by the floods. Two paws up for your compassion, Ke$ha!
The flooding in Tennessee is a reminder that natural disasters can strike anywhere, anytime, so it's vital to make emergency evacuation plans that include our animal companions. TVs, couches, and even homes are replaceable, but best friends aren't!
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
On March 27, Utah's governor signed a bill to amend an archaic state law so that government-run animal shelters will no longer be forced upon request to sell homeless dogs and cats to laboratories for use in cruel and deadly experiments. Yesterday, the director of Davis County Animal Services—the shelter that was supplying the University of Utah (the U) with most of the dogs and cats it was using in experiments—announced that the shelter will no longer participate in pound seizure, noting, "Now that we have the option, it's not law, so we decided against it."
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.
Written by Logan Scherer
This week Windsor, North Carolina, officials cut the red ribbon that wrapped PETA's very special gift to animals in this small Southern town. For nearly a decade, PETA has been working with Windsor and other area towns to provide homeless animals in their care with better housing conditions and a peaceful end when euthanasia is the most humane option.
In 2000, PETA was alerted by a caring police officer to terrible suffering and appalling conditions at several "animal shelters" in North Carolina, some of which were nothing more than outdoor shacks, like the one in Windsor. Dogs and cats left inside these outdoor "coops" suffered without heat in the winter and air conditioning, or even fans, in the scorching summer. As a result, some animals literally drowned or froze to death at some town facilities. When no homes could be found for them, many were killed by gas poisoning or gunshots.
Today, we are thrilled to announce that this week, PETA representatives were joined by Windsor's mayor, Robert Spivey, and several other county officials to celebrate the town's new animal shelter, funded entirely by PETA, to ensure that homeless animals in Windsor are housed comfortably and humanely from here on out. Get ready for a pretty amazing reveal:
As for the old shack, we're planning a very special demolition party that will take place soon.
Since receiving that initial complaint nearly a decade ago, PETA has become a lifesaving presence in many impoverished areas near our headquarters in Southern Virginia. We have provided hundreds of doghouses, free and low-cost spay/neuter services, food, toys, no-spill water receptacles, and more to local citizens and their animal companions, and we regularly work with local law-enforcement officials to prosecute those who harm animals. Every dollar PETA spends helps to ensure that a needy animal receives warmth during winter, shade during summer, fresh food, and clean water. Considering the difficult economic situation and winter's frigid temperatures, we—and animals—need your help now more than ever. Visit HelpingAnimals.com to learn how you can help neglected and homeless animals in your own neighborhood and beyond.
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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