Written by Jeff Mackey
The always remarkable Bob Barker has sent urgent letters to the major sponsors of the cruel Calgary Stampede encouraging them to take PETA's advice and end their support of the deadly event.
Bob leapt into action after The Price Is Right—the game show he hosted for 35 years—began giving away prize packages that contained trips to the Stampede and to SeaWorld. Shortly afterward, Bob contacted the program's producers to ask them to stop promoting cruel animal spectacles on the show.
Now Bob has gone the extra mile by writing to some of the main companies that sponsor the Stampede—including Bell Canada, General Motors of Canada Limited, and Anheuser-Busch International—detailing the kinds of animal suffering that their money will be funding and urging them to withdraw their financial backing from the event.
Rodeos are always catastrophic for animals, but the Calgary Stampede is among the worst since they allow the use of barbaric devices that are illegal in many other countries, including electric prods and bucking straps (which are tightened around the animals' groins) in order to irritate and enrage the animals.
During last year's stampede, one horse had to be euthanized after breaking a leg on the very first day, and the previous year's event cost six horses their lives. And that's on top of the excruciating injuries—including broken bones, punctured lungs, internal bleeding and bruising, and torn tendons, ligaments, and muscles—suffered by many of the surviving animals.
Calgary Reviews | cc by 2.0
As Bob tells the Stampede sponsors, "Surely no one would be cheering a nine-day display of violence if the terrified horses and calves were cats and dogs. I hope you will agree that no animal deserves to suffer like this in the name of a tradition that should have died out with the covered wagon's last ride."
Please join PETA and Bob Barker in telling the producer of The Price Is Right never again to offer trips to SeaWorld or the Calgary Stampede as prizes.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
A lot has been happening this week at PETA: victories, anniversaries, and celebrations! We're after CareerBuilder, we stopped shipments of monkeys to laboratories, and we've done much more! Check out the latest news and victories:
What a busy week it's been in the PETAsphere! Just in case you missed any of the big news, we've got you covered. Follow us on Tumblr for future news about animal rights, vegan living, and where in the world the PETA campaigners are now.
Word on the street is that PETA pals Justin Bieber and Kellan Lutz will be appearing outside the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard to promote animal adoption.
It's been a while since Bob Barker appeared on The Price Is Right, but he still wants the show he made famous to maintain his animal-friendly ideals. When the show gave away a prize of cowhide boots and a trip to the infamous Calgary Stampede, Bob wrote and told The Price Is Right it was dead wrong to promote cruelty.
Over on the opposite coast, Angela Simmons wrote to her NYC councilmember and asked him to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages that Olivia Munn, Lea Michele, Pamela Anderson, and many others have asked the city to pass.
And Georges Laraque is asking the Toronto Maple Leafs to take a pass on fur after the team promoted a jacket trimmed with coyote fur. He may have played for the opposing Canadiens, but Georges thinks both sides can agree that wearing fur is ice cold.
Ted Danson and Emily Osment are both showing that they are warm to animals. The distinguished actor and the burgeoning star both rave about their cruelty-free vegan eating.
Students at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, have already started earning minors in animal studies, thanks to a generous donation to launch the program from Drury alumnus and PETA pal Bob Barker.
In the last few years, Bob has donated $2 million to his alma mater to establish the Drury University Forum on Animal Rights and the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professorship of Animal Rights. The latter post is currently held by well-respected professor Dr. Patricia McEachern.
The pioneering new minor has animal ethics as its foundational course and will involve instructors from a wide range of fields, including biology, criminology, philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology.
"The Animal Studies minor is for students interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of the diverse ways in which the lives of animals and humans intersect," Dr. McEachern told news sources. "The interdisciplinary nature of the minor allows students to consider historical and contemporary interactions between humans and animals from a range of perspectives."
Hopefully, more schools will be inspired to follow Drury's outstanding example. As Bob explained, "This minor in Animal Studies has captured the interest of colleges and universities nationwide."
Having seen firsthand the outpouring of affection that he received when he was grand marshal of Springfield's sesquicentennial parade (I was a bit farther back, marching with the Kickapoo High School band—Go Chiefs!), I can attest that Springfield loves Bob Barker.
But then, who doesn't? Bob Barker's generosity of spirit is as legendary as his golden tenure as master of The Price is Right. I suspect that a lot of young folks aspire to be Bob Barker—and thanks to Bob and Drury U., they can now get a little closer to that goal!
While out for a run, teen bride Courtney Stodden proves there's no wrong way to show off your vegetarian pride.
NASCAR driver Andy Lally keeps his motor running with healthy vegan foods.
When Denise Richards tweeted to PETA asking for vegan cookbook recommendations, we not only told her about some but also sent 'em to her, and she tweeted her thanks.
Liam Hemsworth might be in puppy love—he got a rescued dog from girlfriend Miley Cyrus for his birthday. She asked her Twitter followers always to adopt, never buy, joining the roster of celebrity sweet tweeters:
Maybe James Franco was inspired by Rise of the Planet of the Apes to join Kevin Nealon and a host of other celebrities in support of the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, which aims to get great apes out of laboratories.
One of the great apes' staunchest supporters, Dr. Jane Goodall, is featured on Beliefnet.com's picks for the Top 10 Animal Rights Activists. Click here to see the full list, which includes heavy hitters such as Bob Barker, Ric O'Barry, and Russell Simmons.
Another heavy hitter, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk is making headlines for not mincing words. Asked what she thought about Real Housewives of New York star Cindy Barshop's real-fur merkins, she responded, "It's outright sleazy, and it's downright cruel to kill an animal to decorate your privates." We'll leave you with that.
Quite a few longtime PETA friends and faves were among the celebs who told the Associated Press about their animal-oriented New Year's resolutions, including Bob Barker ("To continue urging folks to have their pets spayed and neutered—including rabbits."), Lea Michele ("I wish that [my cat] Sheila would stop going into my bathroom, taking out all my cotton balls out of the jars and spreading them all over."), and Katherine Heigl (whose dogs want her "to feed them consistently on time in the morning"), not to mention superhot Josh Duhamel and music legend Roberta Flack, whom we love all the more after hearing about their rescued animal friends.
Other pro-adoption superstars? How about George Clooney, who recently talked to Esquire about adopting his shelter mutt, Einstein? Or Charlize Theron, who wants more people to, well, be like George?
If anyone you know needs convincing that tofu scramble is the real breakfast of champions, you can remind him or her that vegan WWE superstar Daniel Bryan has been awarded the world heavyweight title. Then break a chair across his or her back just to get the point across. (PETA's lawyers would like us to note that this is a joke and that violence is never the answer.)
Not to be outdone, the UFC took to Twitter to urge fans to vote for Jake Shields for peta2's Most Animal-Friendly Athlete Libby Award.
A number of other stars offered up pro-animal tweets as well:
And the always amazing Oscar-winner and Raising Hope star Cloris Leachman raised some hope for animals abused in circuses by writing to the mayor of Orlando and asking him to protect the elephants scheduled to perform in the city with Ringling Bros.
Where can you see Bryan Adams rubbing elbows with Leo Tolstoy and Russell Simmons hanging with Leonardo da Vinci? Only on PETA's limited-edition postage sheet from Stamps.com—the sheet honors some of the most influential and recognizable vegetarians throughout history.
Bob Barker and Pamela Anderson—two of the celebrities whose faces will soon be crisscrossing the U.S. on envelopes—unveiled the new postage this morning at the Hollywood Post Office.
Addressing the swarm of clamoring reporters, Pam said, "I'm just happy to be here and happy to be associated with PETA. … [M]y mom is very proud of this." And the inimitable Bob Barker joked, "I was happy to do it when they told me I didn't have to die in order to [be on a stamp]!"
The postage sheets are available at PETA's online store, just in time to grace your holiday cards with a reminder to loved ones to think before they eat.
Written by PETA
Who shot J.R.? Currently, TNT is shooting the Dallas patriarch for the reincarnation of the show coming next summer. And Larry Hagman is having a reincarnation of his own off the set: Switching to a vegetarian diet is helping him fight cancer.
Bob Barker and Jorja Fox are waging a fight of their own—for the elephants, tigers, and lions who are forced to spend a lifetime in chains just so that people can have a few minutes of "entertainment." The pair traveled to Washington, D.C., to ask congressional representatives to support the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, which would bar circuses from using wild animals.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' Mike Zigomanis might call himself a lover, not a fighter. The decorated Most Gentlemanly Player takes his thoughtfulness to the kitchen, too, where he whips up amazing vegan smorgasbords that make us nonchefs feel as inferior as his opponents do on the ice.
The lovely Sasha Grey scored a goal: she just adopted a furry new companion, her rescued dog, MacReady.
You'll find no fur on Placebo drummer Steve Forrest, who stars in a new anti-fur ad for PETA U.K.:
Photo: © Kayla Wren
Fellow fur foe Leona Lewis is launching her own Project Runway of sorts, offering aspiring designers a chance to create an outfit that she will wear on tour and be photographed in. And she has specified that the designers must "make it work" without harming any animals—Leona only wears cruelty-free fashion.
Rock icon and animal advocate Joan Jett's version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" topped the charts, but one thing Joan doesn't love is the Edmonton Valley Zoo's refusal to release its lone elephant, Lucy, to a sanctuary. Ahead of her performance in Alberta on Saturday, Joan sent a letter to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel and the zoo's director, Denise Prefontaine, reminding them that every moment that Lucy remains in Edmonton is a misery. Joan writes, "This animal is basically being tortured. I urge you to please release Lucy to a sanctuary before the unbearably cold Canadian winter weather returns this year."
Edmonton officials should follow the lead of their colleagues in Toronto, who overwhelmingly voted by a 31-4 majority to send the zoo's three elephants to sanctuary.
Elephant experts agree that if elephants are not with others of their kind, these highly intelligent and social animals experience psychological distress, and Lucy has been the only elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo for more than four years. The cold climate and confinement to a small barn have also contributed to Lucy's poor health. She suffers from arthritis, obesity, chronic foot ailments, and respiratory problems, all of which would likely improve if she were able to join other elephants at a sanctuary with a more appropriate climate and miles of open space to roam.
Please join Joan, Bob Barker, William Shatner, George Laraque, PETA, Zoocheck, and the thousands of compassionate Canadians who are campaigning for Lucy's freedom by clicking here to contact Mayor Mandel and the Edmonton City Council right now.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
Toka, Thika, and Iringa—the three elephants at the Toronto Zoo—will soon be on their way to paradise. By a vote of 31 to 4, the Toronto City Council overwhelmingly agreed that California's Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary is a much more appropriate home for these elephants. Earlier, there had been a push to send the three to another zoo.
© Digital Vision | Just Elephants | Getty Images
PETA and our colleagues at Zoocheck Canada kept up the pressure, writing to councilmembers and mobilizing Canadians to make their opinions known. Now, these three elephants will know the joys of roaming freely, swimming in ponds, taking dust baths, and socializing with other elephants. PAWS has a history of healing and restoring quality of life to elephants who have become debilitated from years in captivity.
TV icon and animal defender Bob Barker has offered to pay for the elephants' relocation to the sanctuary at a cost estimated to be between $100,000 and $300,000.
As an unrelated bonus, the City Council received a standing ovation when it also voted to ban the possession, sale, and consumption of shark fins, with hefty fines for violators.
Now, it's Lucy's turn. Please click here to ask Edmonton officials to follow their Toronto colleagues' lead and send this ailing and lonely elephant to PAWS, and click here to urge the Toronto Zoo and City Council to send Iringa, Toka, and Thika to the sanctuary without delay.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
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