Written by PETA
The work of British guerrilla artist Banksy can't be ignored. Indeed, Time just selected him as one of the year's most influential people.
Now the painting provocateur has cheekily twitted one of PETA's frequent targets: Colonel Sanders, the very face of Kentucky Fried Cruelty.
Sure, art is subjective, but in light of Banksy's earlier works, which seem to side with the animals in circuses and question why we call some animals "pets" and others "food," I'm inclined to believe that he's standing with the chickens who are raised in crowded, filthy conditions to supply KFC's restaurants—and who are sometimes even scalded to death. Or maybe he's just as appalled as we are by KFC's new Double Down.
Either way, I don't know much about art, but I know what I like—and I suspect that KFC doesn't like Banksy's work at all. And that's reason enough to cheer.
Written by Jeff Mackey
I've always said that numero ocho is a lucky number—think natural wonders, that timeless tune by The Beatles, and Schoolhouse Rock.
And with the premiere of our new tell-all, eight just beat out seven as my number one numeral:
If you've ever wondered, "What's PETA thinking?" then you'll want to watch this. Narrated by our own Ingrid E. Newkirk, the video takes an in-depth look at how and why PETA employees and supporters stay so motivated to defend all animals, including the maligned and misunderstood.
So if your friends or family members have ever asked you, "Why does PETA rely so heavily on the Lettuce Ladies to turn people on to a vegan diet" or "How do you remain so relentless in your efforts to make a difference," now's the time to answer them. Use this video to spread PETA's secrets to everyone you know via Facebook and Twitter.
Written by Karin Bennett
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
PETA just launched a TV public service announcement about the filth and cruelty that we exposed in our undercover investigation of a farm that supplies Land O'Lakes. Apparently, some Philadelphia-area viewers were so sickened by the ad that they complained to the TV station that aired it. (If only they'd complained to the perpetrators of the abuse, instead!) As a result, the station pulled the spot after it had aired just twice:
Yes, it's graphic, but that's what happens in the dairy industry: Cows are electro-shocked and jabbed with knives, they live in stalls covered in urine and feces, and sick cows collapse and die. There's nothing pretty about the way that animals who are used to produce milk are treated, but those who still eat these products sometimes prefer to live in blissful ignorance.
Sure, we're disappointed that our ad is no longer airing, but there's still a way for it to reach millions: People like you and me can make the ad go viral! So what are you waiting for? Help us by sharing the pulled ad through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blogs, e-mails, and any other way you can think of.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
The 13 kinkajous who were rescued from hellhole animal dealer U.S. Global Exotics (USGE) following PETA's investigation must be thinking that heaven is a place on Earth right about now.
Goodbye, cramped USGE prison …
Hello, spacious sanctuary!
These animals—along with many of the reptiles who were plucked out of USGE hell—were once confined to tiny, barren cages with nothing to climb and no space to play, but now they have been taken in by the good people at the Phoenix Herpetological Society and are enjoying room to play, multiple nesting areas, misting systems, fans, a pond with running water, and plenty of tree limbs to climb. The kinkajous spend their time playing, sleeping, and snacking on monkey biscuits soaked in fruit cocktail juice.
Don't you love a happy ending? I do! These sweet kinkajous lucked out, but many still need your help! To see what you can do, visit our Action Center.
From the annals of "asinine things vivisectors do" comes a proposed experiment that might make you want to curl up in a fetal position with your blankie.
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) wants to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on new animal testing of soy infant formula in order to explain adverse effects seen in animals. All together now: Huh?
The NTP has simply become a black hole of animal testing, with proposals to test everything from green tea to asbestos on animals. Despite the fact that soy formula has been safely given to millions of babies (including yours truly) for more than 60 years, the NTP wants to test it on animals because previous tests of a single ingredient in soy formula—genistein—caused some adverse developmental effects in rodents (who metabolize genistein differently from how humans do, BTW). Undeterred by the fact that generations of humans have grown big and strong after being nursed with soy formula, the NTP is apparently determined to make soy formula safe for Remy.
A PETA representative will be pointing all this out to the NTP's Board of Scientific Counselors at a meeting on Monday. You and I can add our two cents by taking a minute to let the NTP know that we think there are better ways that they can spend their time and our money.
Written by Alisa Mullins
He may play a "wimpy kid" on the big screen, but Robert Capron is a superhero as far as his dog, Sam, is concerned. Robert plays Rowley Jefferson in the new movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He and his family adopted Sam after spotting the forlorn pup shivering in a cage at a local animal shelter.
After struggling to survive on the streets, Sam was a sorry sight—his ribs were visible and he had lost most of his fur because of unbearably itchy mange. "I felt so bad for him," Robert told M magazine. "He's been through so much." Today, Robert reports that Sam has overcome his fear of people and has morphed into a snuggle muffin. "He's so innocent." says Robert. "I just love him."
I'm sure the feeling is mutual, Rob. And I think I speak for all PETA Files readers when I say that we love you for giving a castaway dog a second chance at happiness. Why anyone would buy a dog from a breeder or pet store when there are so many lovable dogs at animal shelters is a total mystery to me!
How about you—do you have any tales to tell about tails that started wagging again once they landed in a safe and happy home?
Just about everyone has an opinion on who President Obama should nominate to the Supreme Court. Should the nominee be a mother? Should religion be a factor?
I say appoint a vegan for the post. A vegan Supreme Court justice would be another historic first and a clear indication that our nation is continuing to progress.
Cass Sunstein, the president's pick for "regulatory czar" of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, supports strong animal protection laws and has encouraged people to reduce animal suffering by refusing to eat meat.
By putting a vegan on the bench, President Obama could help discourage animal abuse and bring about a more equitable society. We'd likely see more factory-farm and slaughterhouse workers held accountable for stomping on turkeys, hitting pigs with metal rods, or dismembering cows while they're still conscious.
All decent people, including conservatives such as Matthew Scully, a former speechwriter for President Bush and author of Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy, believe that animals should be treated justly. A vegan Supreme Court justice could help ensure that there truly is justice for all.
Written by Heather Moore
My sister has always written letters and signed petitions about animal issues, but all it took for her to become a full-out anti-circus campaigner was for me to bring home a bullhook from the PETA office for her to see and touch. The sheer ugly menace of this standard elephant training tool really hit her (not literally!). As she put it, "The thought of elephants getting beaten and hooked with this sadistic weapon makes me sick."
Seasoned activists are already familiar with these heavy, metal-tipped, fireplace poker–like devices, which circuses like Ringling use to break elephants and keep them afraid to move an inch without permission. And now you have a chance to get your hooks on one. Leave a comment telling us how having a real bullhook would help you educate people about the abuse of elephants in circuses, and you'll be in the running to win one to use in your local campaigns and anti-circus demonstrations!
The person who leaves the most motivated comment will win this ghastly weapon for his or her own show-and-tell educational efforts. The contest ends on May 14, 2010, and we'll announce the winner on May 18, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by submitting. And please remember, let our Action Team know when the circus is coming to your area so that we can work together to plan a demonstration and get the word out.
Good luck!
We are happy to report that Zynga, the creator of the phenomenally popular Facebook crime game Mafia Wars, has nixed the pit bull as a fighting tool. Countless social gamers stopped plowing their FarmVille fields long enough to voice their objections to Zynga about the game's negative depiction of this most used-and-abused breed, and the company quickly responded in just the right way.
We'll be sending Zynga a thank-you note and a box of vegan chocolates as a token of our appreciation, and Mafia Wars "maniacs" can voice their approval to Zynga's customer service center.
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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