Written by Michelle Kretzer
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You'll never guess what one little thing shortens a woman's life span as much as if she had smoked 25,000 cigarettes.
You know about the zombie apocalypse: people attempting to eat each other. But did you know that people eating animals is also leading to something sinister: the water apocalypse?
The U.S. military has revealed its powerful new canine service member—a robotic dog! Hopefully, this will save real military dogs from some of the more dangerous duties.
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And a British canine military hero is being honored with the highest award that an animal in the British military can receive for lifesaving devotion to duty. Theo is said to have detected more Taliban roadside bombs and weapons caches than any dog in Afghanistan to date.
Another hero dog gave his own life to pull his guardian out of the path of an oncoming train. If only people were as loyal to animals as they are to us.
But at least this man is: Check out the impressive cat tower that one guardian built to apologize to his cat for having to give him painful ear drops to treat an infection.
New Action Alerts
Cats should be cherished, not tormented in laboratory experiments. Ask the National Institutes of Health to stop giving taxpayer money to the University of Wisconsin–Madison to conduct crude experiments in which cats have steel coils implanted in their eyes, holes drilled into their skulls, and electrodes implanted in their brains.
New Features
You can read more about the University of Wisconsin–Madison's cruel cat laboratories here.
Hip-hop artist and producer k-os always speaks up about things that matter, and he's showing everyone how to find their own voice for animals in his new PETA spot.
PETA's Emergency Response Team received an e-mail from a woman wondering what to do for her ailing cat, who had been diagnosed with feline leukemia (FeLV) and was losing weight, acting lethargic, and not eating anymore (common symptoms of this ravaging disease). We responded immediately and learned that her young cat, Tigger, had been diagnosed two weeks prior when she took him to the vet because of dramatic weight loss. Two different veterinarians had recommended euthanasia as the most compassionate option for Tigger, but his guardian was reluctant to take their advice.
In light of Tigger's diagnosis and alarming condition, we gently counseled his guardian about the prolonged suffering that FeLV causes, including further weight loss, fever, gastrointestinal problems, difficulty breathing, and a compromised immune system that could lead to secondary infections.
Tigger's guardian finally agreed that merciful euthanasia was the kindest thing she could offer her beloved animal companion, and she rushed him to a veterinarian that afternoon. The next day, PETA received a phone call from Tigger's guardian to tell us that she was relieved that he was finally free from his suffering. It had been hard to let go, but once she convinced herself to do it, she realized that it was the compassionate choice.
The once frisky, playful cat quickly deteriorated
If someone you know is struggling with the deteriorating illness of an animal, please urge them to consult a veterinarian to ensure that the animal doesn't languish. If you've recently lost an animal, setting up a True Friends Memorial can be a special way to honor your animal companion's memory.
Her left thigh was split wide open, exposing a festering wound the size of a baseball. The stray cat had suffered for months while the infected wound worsened, before a PETA supporter spotted her and contacted us for help.
Knowing that the cat was likely in immense pain, we quickly got local officials to set up a trap and also enlisted several dedicated volunteers to set up and monitor traps and search around the clock for the elusive cat. It took four days and no small amount of effort, but a savvy rescuer finally caught the scared, hurting animal and rushed her to a veterinarian.
Seeing how severe the cat's injuries were, the vet recommended euthanasia, and she was freed from her suffering.
From talking to other people in the area, PETA caseworkers surmised that some had seen the suffering cat but never did anything to help. Animals pay the price when we count on "other people" to help them. When you see an animal in need, please take immediate action. Call animal control or the police, and if both are unresponsive, call PETA for help.
We don't know what started the feud between a man (we'll call him "George") and his neighbors. We only know that when George fled his home to escape the wrath of his neighbors for a few days, he left the mother cat he had taken in as a stray and her three 7-week-old kittens behind outdoors.
When he returned home the next day to gather some belongings and feed the cats, he discovered a gruesome scene. Two of the kittens were lying dead on the ground—their heads had been smashed in.
A distraught George called PETA for help, and knowing that every minute mattered, we quickly located an animal shelter that would accept the mother cat and her surviving kitten. As George was without a car, we found a local PETA member who was willing to collect the cats and take them to the animal shelter. Within hours, the mother cat, her kitten, and a third cat who was likely the father were safe. But there was not enough evidence to press charges for the kittens' deaths.
While the mother and her surviving kitten were lucky to have escaped harm, they likely witnessed the horrific scene unfold. Even in friendly neighborhoods, the dangers of cruel passersby, cars, diseases, and other animals are too great to leave cats outdoors unsupervised. Let this be a lesson to us all.
Written by Alisa Mullins
A cat miraculously survived being trapped in the engine of a car during a 200-mile trip. The cat was discovered when the driver of the car stopped at a rest stop after smelling something burning. With the help of a passing police officer, the driver was able to free the cat, who was wedged in the engine compartment and had suffered burns to his right side.
The terrified cat was rushed to a veterinarian, underwent surgery, and is expected to recover. A search is now on for the cat's guardian, but if no one steps forward to claim him, he will be put up for adoption.
This cat's story is unusual only in that he survived. Every winter, countless cats are injured and killed when they crawl inside engine compartments, seeking warmth, and are slashed by fan blades when the unsuspecting driver starts the car.
Help prevent a tragedy by always banging on the hood of your car on cold days before starting it. And as always, keep your cats safely indoors—and urge your neighbors to do the same.
Written by PETA
Desperate to help a cat who'd been stuck in a tree for a week through the summer's worst thunderstorms, Tanya Lippke of Lewiston, Maine, turned to PETA—who she knew would never turn away from an animal in need. According to the local newspaper,
Tanya had been trying to find a hero all week. She tried the Fire Department. She tried police and an animal control officer. She even called some tree companies directly to implore them for help. "Nobody would do it. They said the cat would come down eventually," Tanya said. "But you know what? It wasn't coming down." Drastic times, as they say, call for drastic measures. Tanya went up as high in the command as she could go. She called the people of PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was a last resort, a Hail Mary. And it worked.
Tanya had been trying to find a hero all week. She tried the Fire Department. She tried police and an animal control officer. She even called some tree companies directly to implore them for help. "Nobody would do it. They said the cat would come down eventually," Tanya said. "But you know what? It wasn't coming down."
Drastic times, as they say, call for drastic measures.
Tanya went up as high in the command as she could go. She called the people of PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was a last resort, a Hail Mary.
And it worked.
Within hours the kitty was safely down.
You hear about PETA's lettuce ladies storming Capitol Hill and our undercover investigations that shake up entire animal-abusing industries. You don't always hear about PETA saving cats from trees—but, yup, we do that too.
Aren't you proud to be a PETA member?
Written by Joel Bartlett
P.S. Just a reminder: Please keep cats indoors where they are safe.
UPDATE: Mary Bale has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty.
Picture this: A middle-aged woman walks down a residential sidewalk. A friendly cat jumps up on a ledge. The woman stops, pets the cat, and … looks for the cat's guardians? Keeps on walking? No. She pushes the cat to a trash bin, slams the lid, and strolls quickly away.
You don't have to picture it, because the whole sickening scene, which happened in Coventry, England, was caught on a security camera video. The cat, named Lola, spent 15 hours trapped in the bin on a hot day, terrified and eventually covered in her own waste, before her guardians heard her faint cries and rescued her. The woman has been identified.
Lola's ordeal is a prime example of why letting our cats roam outdoors unattended isn't doing them any favors. Cruel people, as well as traffic, poison, aggressive animals, disease, and countless other dangers lurk outside our doors. For tips on keeping cats content in the "great indoors," check out PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk's book 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
It's a boy girl kitty! Nicole Richie's household recently grew by one when a stray cat showed up on the celebutante's doorstep. "[S]he was so skinny and I could tell she was starving. I couldn't resist," wrote Richie on her blog. After a nice square meal, the kitty, now called Tabitha, was "as happy as Benji Madden in a sorority house."
Congratulations, Nicole, on helping a homeless kitty girl find a place to call home and being rewarded with a furry bundle of purring perfection. Tabitha's cute—but is she the cutest cat in the whole wide world? Readers, you make the call.
Here's a reminder of why it's so important to question authority when it comes to our animal companions' well-being: Recently, a distraught woman called PETA for help after a veterinarian sent her terribly injured cat home with only a prescription for antibiotics, claiming that this gaping wound would heal on its own:
No one knows how this poor cat was injured, but it doesn't take a degree in veterinary medicine to realize that the wound was life-threatening—it was necrotic and the muscle tissue had been exposed—and that the cat clearly needed further intervention immediately. PETA's Emergency Response Team helped find another nearby vet to assess the animal, who determined that the cat was indeed in dire condition and that euthanasia was the most merciful option. She was able to peacefully end the cat's suffering.
We owe it to our animals to be proactive if we suspect that they are suffering as a result of inadequate or downright bad advice or care from a veterinarian, groomer, trainer, or anyone else. Trust your own instincts and seek a second opinion. In this case, the cat would have suffered prolonged pain and a slow death if her guardian hadn't known better and persisted on behalf of her kitty. Of course, animals are much less likely to suffer catastrophic injuries like this one if they are safely confined indoors or kept under constant supervision when let outside on a harness or in a secure fenced area.
Mamma Mia! It's official: Suave film star Pierce Brosnan is a man of many talents—and much compassion for animals.
The actor's whimsical portrait of his own adopted animal companions, Shilo the dog and Coco the kitty, is gracing California's new spay-and-neuter license plate. Proceeds from sales of the special plate will help fund efforts to educate the public about the need to spay and neuter companion animals and will help provide free or low-cost surgeries throughout the state.
Whether all dogs get to have their day (and all cats theirs as well) depends on every caring person to educate others about the companion animal overpopulation crisis and its cure, both in California and beyond.
Via Ecorazzi
Written by Karin Bennett
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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