Written by PETA
Snake charmers, fairies, and leprechauns…if you thought all three only existed in the pages of fairytales, here's a surprise. Snake charmers have been and still are entrancing villagers into believing the myth that the sounds from their instrument can hypnotize a snake, who will "dance"—for money, of course.
Sound a little slippery? That's because it is. There is no magic involved, only cruelty. Here's how:
Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats. Their teeth are yanked out without any painkillers, their mouths are often sewn shut (leaving a little gap to pour water or milk down), and their venom ducts are often pierced with a hot needle, causing the glands to burst and incapacitating this animals' most effective defense mechanism. None of the snakes lives very long, and death comes slowly and painfully.
The "dance" these snakes perform is actually a terrified reactive sway to the snake charmer's movements—as a means of self-defense from "attack" by the pipe. Snake charming is so violent, in fact, that the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972 actually banned it. But snake charmers show their disregard for the law and these animals by continuing their cruel ways.
With the upcoming holiday of Naga Panchami, which is held in honor of the Serpent God, PETA India decided to do a little charming of their own by releasing a brand-new ad urging people to boycott snake shows. The ad tells the story of a snake and a snake charmer, played by supermodel Jesse Randhawa and Hollywood/Bollywood dance instructor Sandip Soparrkar, and features the tagline "Snakes Are Not Natural Performers—We Are."
The ad sends out a great message to people in India. It points out that a country that has worshipped snakes throughout its history can't "honor" the reptiles with acts of cruelty. Check out PETA India's new mesmerizing ad here!
Pamela Anderson, PETA's honorary director, was in Canada, her home country, today. Where'd she have lunch? At a KFC with local animal rights advocates, just to sample the new faux-chicken Classic Vegetarian Sandwich! For the past five years, Ms. Anderson has been a big part of PETA's international campaign against KFC, whose suppliers have been responsible for some serious Kentucky Fried Cruelty. While the KFC boycott continues to rage outside Canada, the United Purchasing Group of Canada—which is responsible for coordinating the purchasing of all chickens for Canadian KFCs—entered into an agreement with PETA to dramatically improve animal welfare standards and reduce suffering. Yes, before you comment—we'd rather all the KFCs were all-vegan and we'd rather the whole world went vegan. But if you were a chicken with the choice of whether or not you wanted to have a wing painfully broken and be scalded to death, and PETA could help you get that relief but didn't control the whole world, I'm guessing I know which option you'd go for. The new faux-chicken Classic Vegetarian Sandwich is available at most KFCs in Canada, so head on up north of the border and try one yourself!
It looks like scientists do sometimes spend time on worthwhile projects and have now found that being caged, having your bone marrow sucked out, and being used for bioterrorism research is torture—no matter whom it's being done to.
A recent study showed that 95 percent of 119 chimpanzees who had been used for "research" exhibited the same symptoms as humans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone—I mean, chimpanzees and humans share the same blood types and have at least a 98 percent genetic similarity. Why wouldn't they have shellshock and nightmares if we do?
This study is being presented today at a primate conference in Edinburgh—I hope it shakes things up in some rigid minds!
Update 12/22/2008: Donna Karan has announced that her fall 2009 lines will be fur-free and that she has "no plans" to use fur in the future! Read more.
Today, pajama-clad PETA members paid a visit to Donna Karan at her Intimates and Sleepwear Fashion Show in New York, wielding signs that read, "We're Tired of Your Fur."
Why won't PETA let Karan rest? Because the flip-flopping designer once promised to stop using fur in her designs but has since broken that promise and now uses lots and lots of dead rabbits to line her coats. PETA wants Donna to return to her pre–bunny butcher days and opt for cruelty-free materials instead.
What happens to rabbits and other animals killed for their skin is simply hideous. Animals in the wild are trapped, drowned, or beaten to death, and animals on fur farms are killed by gassing, electrocution, or cervical dislocation (neck-breaking).
Donna's bunnies are probably from a source that does neck-breaking, but whatever the method, we're betting that it's no fun for the bun. And many poor bunnies are even skinned alive in a business that sees them as nothing more than trim and linings. Some people just don't get the horror of the fur industry until they see it for themselves, so please show this video to as many people as you can.
Many top fashion designers—including Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger—are 100 percent fur-free. Gucci is on the way—they have agreed to not use seal fur (ask them to stop using all fur here).
If you didn't make it to the protest in New York, you can definitely still help PETA and our campaign to urge Donna Karan to stop using fur in her designs.
An Alabaman evangelist named Anthony Hopkins was apparently arrested last week when his wife—who'd been missing for three years—was reportedly discovered in his freezer. (Now, why does that name sound so familiar…?)
Local police reportedly found the body of what they believe to be Hopkins' wife, a mother of eight, and reportedly arrested him on a murder charge as he preached at a church in southern Alabama. We're not sure what the subject of the sermon was. News reports say he's now sitting in a Mobile County jail, awaiting a bond hearing.
He's not been tried yet, so whether or not he planned on eating her liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti is a matter of speculation.
While people are rightly horrified at the thought of Hopkins' frozen wife, we're hoping that some good might come from pointing out that there's something wrong with stowing away any flesh. To highlight this, PETA has launched a new thought-provoking billboard, which we're attempting to run in Mobile, Alabama. We hope it makes some folks stop and think about how everyone—not just humans—is made of flesh, blood, bone, and emotions.
So, how about trying an easy and tasty vegetarian meal?
Everyone needs to pay attention because this is getting a lot less hype in the media than the original story did. There's scientific evidence to prove what PETA has been saying all along: The recent salmonella outbreak wasn't all about tomatoes or jalapeños but rather contaminated water.
Why is the water contaminated, you ask? Long story short, it's because massive overproduction of factory-farmed animals leads to tons of feces. Cattle are sick (rhymes with "ick"), and so are chickens. Living in filth makes their disease spread. Those tons and tons of contaminated feces then end up in the irrigation water (ick)—the same water that then ends up on the produce (double ick).
The meat industry is the culprit! (I keep hearing my mother's voice in my head ... "If I've told you once, I've told you 1,000 times.") So stop blaming the poor tomatoes already!
Better yet, join the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in demanding that the Department of Health and Human Services investigate the meat industry—the real reason why our produce is contaminated!
Poor Leroy. He's done nothing wrong, and he just wants to be loved. So what does his trainer do? Spray water in his face, squirt lemon in his face, and even put a vacuum nozzle up to him. And we all know that there is nothing a dog hates more than a vacuum.
On Wednesday night's episode of Greatest American Dog, the show actually aired previously taped footage in which Leroy was what I can only call abused by his trainer … what were they thinking?!? PETA received numerous complaints from viewers, and rightfully so. We hope that the executive producer of the show will hear viewers and PETA loud and clear: Abusive behavior against a dog or any other animal is never, ever acceptable. Check out PETA Senior VP Lisa Lange's letter to the show:
August 1, 2008 To: R.J. Cutler, c/o Actual Reality Pictures From: Lisa Lange Dear R.J.,PETA has received numerous calls and e-mails of complaint from viewers of Wednesday night’s Greatest American Dog.The issue concerns Teresa's treatment of her dog Leroy, specifically spraying him in the face, squirting lemon in his face, turning a vacuum cleaner on him (and then having the nerve to scream at him when he bites her in reaction to the offending loud noise), and forcing him to wear a snarl band. This was all done in a cruel and misguided effort to make him look "angry" for his photo shoot. To make matters worse, Leroy is a border collie—a breed that dog trainers will tell you is especially sensitive to physical manipulation and psychological abuse (e.g., yelling at him for reacting in a way that any frightened dog would when having a vacuum cleaner aimed at him).This type of behavior must not be allowed on the show, and although we are aware that this episode was taped some time ago, we are calling on you now to have one of the judges make a statement at the beginning of next week's show explaining that this is recognized as abusive behavior, that it will never be allowed to happen again in the house or during judging, and that Teresa will not be eligible for or allowed to appear in the season finale if the season finale is live.As you well know, many dogs are abused in similar ways by people who have no idea how to humanely train a dog. This sends a dangerous message to people who take their cues from this show, especially considering that Teresa is labeled as a dog trainer/sitter on the show's Web site.Please let us know right away that you'll be taking these steps, or we'll have no other option than to urge people to boycott the remainder of the season.May I please hear from you right away?Sincerely,Lisa LangeSenior VP, PETA
Fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried fish, chicken-fried steak ... seeing a pattern here? A recent study shows that good ol' Southern-style, high-calorie, high-fat, meat-filled dishes are why the U.S.' Southern states are the nation's most obese. Lordy, y'all! Let's have us some massive amounts of deep-fried animal flesh!
Is your state one of the most obese? The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that the top 10 most obese states are Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, West Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma.
In an effort to combat soaring obesity rates, PETA has sent a letter to the governor of each of the above-mentioned states with an easy solution: Simply promote a vegetarian lifestyle and encourage more vegetarian options within their respective states. Easy as pumpkin pie.
The big A is in the Big Apple this week, and she's spreading a little love and gratitude for one man in particular: NYC Councilmember Tony Avella. Yes, the wonder woman of animal protection (aka Pam Anderson)—who is in town promoting her new E! television show Girl on the Loose (which premiers on E! this Sunday at 10:00pm)—took a little extra time to give the city a much-needed reality check. The actor sent Avella roses and a note expressing her appreciation and support for his sponsoring of a bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in the city.
Here's what Pam had to say:
Dear Tony,I'm in New York this week, and although I dread seeing the carriage horses being forced to work in the summer heat, I'm thrilled that you've introduced a bill to ban this cruel old trade. I hope you're successful in getting New York to join Toronto, Paris, and Beijing in getting horse-drawn carriages off the streets. Good luck and best wishes from me and all your pals at PETA!Pamela Anderson
Nice work, Pam! Boarding a horse-drawn carriage in a busy city like New York City is as senseless as playing a game of Russian roulette. City noises such as construction, loud music, and even car horns easily spook horses, putting not only horses but also passengers, car drivers, and pedestrians in danger.
Conditions are very cruel for these working animals. Horses are exposed to drastic weather changes and a lack of shade during summer months, and they often do not receive veterinary checkups on a routine basis. Consider this: If you dislike walking on the hot sand during the summer, you better believe that working horses don't enjoy stepping on the city asphalt—which can climb up to 30 degrees warmer than the ambient air temperature. Then try breathing exhaust fumes as you pull a cart.
To show your support for this bill, trot (geddit?) on over to our action alert and contact NYC's VIPs to let them know what you think about horse-drawn carriages. Also check out our NYC Horse Drawn Carriage MySpace page and friend us already!
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
At our behest she has just sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their irresponsible decision to issue a permit that will allow two tigers to be transferred to the Baghdad Zoo. That's right, according to the permit, Riley and Hope will be sent off to live an uncertain future in a war zone—an area already proved to be dangerous and deadly to the animals at the Baghdad Zoo and where the last two tigers were shot to death by…”friendly fire.” You can read Kim's full letter here:
July 28, 2008H. Dale Hall, DirectorU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1849 C St. N.W.Mail Stop 3238 MIBWashington, DC 20240Dear Mr. Hall,I have long had an interest in how “exotic” animals are treated in captivity. Now, I am very troubled to learn that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved an export permit to send two tigers, Riley and Hope to the Baghdad Zoo - into a war zone with an uncertain future - and hope you will do all in your power to reverse the Service’s decision.It has already been shown that the animals at the Baghdad Zoo cannot be properly protected from the country’s military conflict. When the war began, hundreds of animals in the zoo were killed, stolen, eaten, or let loose by looters. The last two tigers escaped and were shot dead. The future is uncertain. Most of the people in Iraq still do not have access to basic necessities or a safe environment and Iraq remains a war zone: sending tigers there would place the animals squarely in harm’s way.Also, because Iraq is not a signatory to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), issuance of the permit would violate the basic tenet of CITES and will eliminate a significant incentive for other countries to sign on to the provisions of this very important international treaty that is designed to protect tigers like Riley and Hope.The Endangered Species Act mandates that such a transfer enhance the species in the wild, yet there’s absolutely no evidence that sending these tigers to Iraq would fulfill that requirement. Their presence is for amusement.In their natural environment, tigers quietly roam throughout many miles of territory consisting of forests, swamps, grasslands, savannahs, and rocky terrain, hunt, and raise their young. This is the life that they were meant to have—not dodging bullets in a facility that does not have the expertise or resources to properly care for them. It’s my understanding that the zoo even lacks veterinary diagnostic capabilities and many of the animals are handled with the crude use of ropes.Surely your agency will give thoughtful reconsideration and make the kind and responsible decision to deny the export. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.Sincerely,Kim Basinger
If you're as outraged by this decision as Kim is, please immediately contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using our action alert. Ask them to rethink their decision to transfer Riley and Hope and to consider the safety of all animals at the Baghdad Zoo.
Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky
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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