Written by PETA
OK, maybe that's a trick question. Who in the world would spend one plugged nickel on this gruesome "novelty"?
We realize that giving attention to things like these "piggy banks"—or those strange dead squirrel beer cozies—is like engaging with a radio shock jock, but these promotions are a bit more than we can overlook.
Doesn't it seem to you that it's long past time for taxidermy novelty items to go the way of the Jackalope? We have sent a letter to the folks at TheCheeky.com with some suggestions. If they are striving for "different," they should consider something like bras made from lettuce or in the shape of cow udders instead of products made from the bodies of dead, embalmed animals.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe has earned kudos from the Mozfather himself for an opinion piece in the UK's Times that blasted the killing of Canadian bears for the Queen's Guards' hats.
In a letter that ran in yesterday's Times, Morrissey wrote, "I welcome Ann Widdecombe's views on the depravity of bear-baiting in order to serve the vanities of the British Army Guards. … [T]here is no sanity in making life difficult on purpose for the Canadian brown bear, especially for Guards' hats that look absurd in the first place, and which can easily be replaced by faux versions (thanks to the visionary Stella McCartney) with no death involved."
Morrissey has made clear in no uncertain terms that he wants the Guards to switch to faux fur right away. Please, please, please help him get what he wants.
Written by Alisa Mullins
As promised on Friday, here are photos from Pamela Anderson's trip to New Orleans to walk and give treats to the dogs PETA is transporting from crowded animal shelters in oil-ravaged Louisiana to Virginia for adoption:
Pamela decided to adopt two of the dogs on the spot and named them Gina Lollobrigida and Bardot. The rest of the dogs—almost 50 adult dogs and puppies—are en route to PETA headquarters. Feeling inspired by Pamela's kindness? Saving dogs and cats in shelters is as easy as always spaying and neutering your animal companions and adopting animals from shelters instead of buying them from breeders or pet stores. And if your dogs and cats are already fixed, please consider either donating to PETA's "Spay and Neuter Immediately, Please!" (SNIP) program or helping someone in a low-income area near where you live to get his or her dog or cat fixed. Pamela is poised to blow a kiss in your direction for these good deeds.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
The Gulf oil catastrophe has been hard on all animals, including the countless dogs and cats who have been surrendered at Louisiana animal shelters because their guardians have lost their jobs or left the area. But thanks to the generosity of our very own Pamela Anderson, dozens of dogs will be getting a lift from crowded shelters in Louisiana to Virginia this weekend. Pamela has paid for the dogs' local adoption, spay or neuter surgery, and flea treatment costs and will be helping volunteers walk the dogs before their journey north. Once the dogs arrive in Virginia, PETA will be holding an adopt-a-thon with the Virginia Beach SPCA in order to place the dogs in loving new homes. Special thanks also go out to American Airlines and Southwest Airlines for flying in PETA volunteers free of charge from both sides of the country to help with the dogs' move.
Want to help? The most important action we can take is to have our animals spayed or neutered in order to prevent more animals from ending up homeless and to help ensure that animal shelters have room to accommodate animals who are victims of disasters. Louisiana residents who are ready to open their hearts and homes to one of these dogs can learn about adopting at HumaneLA.org, and Virginia residents can visit VBSPCA.com.
Stay tuned for photos of Pamela and the dogs!
Chelsea Clinton is getting married this Saturday, and while everyone seems to be fascinated with the luxury porta-potties that are being rented for the occasion, I was more excited to hear about what's going to be on the menu at the reception. We've always known Chelsea to be a vegetarian, but Life & Style magazine is reporting that Chelsea is a vegan and that guests at her wedding will get to dine on fabulous vegan food!
To congratulate the soon-to-be newlyweds we've sent Chelsea and her fiancé a Tea for Two Teapot from Daisy Dog Studios.
Planning a trip down the aisle? Why not take a cue from Chelsea and say "I do" to elegant and ethical vegan fare?
The results for PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian contest just came out, and it seems that we left one sexy gal off the list! In a recent interview with the Phoenix New Times, Ke$ha reveals that her compassion for animals includes a meat-free diet.
When asked why she adopted a vegetarian diet, the pop sensation and party girl of the year replied, "I just love animals, and I'm an advocate for animals' rights, and my family has rescued dogs from all over the world. I don't believe in animal testing. If you see me in fur, it's always fake. Sometimes you see me wearing skulls, but those are all from roadkill."
Ke$ha gets it—if you love animals, don't eat them. Maybe her animal-loving ways will rub off on Rihanna during their summer tour.
Written by Shawna Flavell
Joan Jett, our co-favorite legendary rock goddess (seriously, don't even try to make us choose between Joan and Chrissie), was notably impressed with Twilight star Kristen Stewart's portrayal of her in The Runaways, which chronicled Jett's early career with a pioneering grrl-rock band.
However, in her audio commentary on the DVD release of the movie, Joan does point out one faux pas—although it should be noted that the movie's costumer was to blame:
"To me this is kind of strange," says Jett as Stewart is shown running along a street, "because I never wore leather pants."
Joan Jett—never missing a chance to speak up for animals: Rock on!
Written by Jeff Mackey
Perhaps impressed by the likes of manly men Mac Danzig, Jake Shields, and Rich Roll, Old Spice Man (aka former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa) has embarked on a vegan cleanse. It's a dangerous voyage, fraught with all the perils that come along with really great food that contains no hormones, antibiotics, cholesterol, or arsenic, but we are confident that OSM is not one to back down from a challenge that is, well, not really all that challenging. Maybe he could make it a little more interesting by cooking all his food on a stove that he welded by hand from iron that he mined himself and fueled it with coal that he hauled from West Virginia in a train car that he pulled with his teeth. Just an idea.
I guess that makes Old Spice Man the man your man could eat like—if only he would stop eating those sissy Double Downs and pork rinds.
Join us as we tweet words of encouragement to OSM (not that he needs it, of course) and ask him to make at least one more video for us. He can't be done yet—I'm still waiting for a video response to Alyssa Milano.
P.S. We're glad to see Old Spice manufacturer P&G finally do something right by hiring OSM. Now if only he could convince them to stop testing on animals.
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
Our honorary director, Pamela "Bombshell" Anderson, dazzled her Québécois admirers as she hit Montréal today to launch her latest global ad campaign for PETA.
One small snag: City officials suddenly decided to prohibit the unveiling at its original location, claiming that the ad is sexist. It sounds like they're confusing "sexist," with "sexy," don't you think? Not missing a beat, Pam decided to unveil the ad instead at her news conference for the Just for Laughs festival, for which she's hosting a gala tonight. In the ad, as you can see, each of her perfectly sculpted body parts is clearly labeled like a traditional butcher's diagram.* The message? "All Animals Have the Same Parts."
Pam's striking ad offers a reminder that cows, pigs, and chickens are flesh, blood, and bone, just like us. Looking at any animal as a collection of breasts, shoulders, and ribs to be hacked apart is unthinkable. Or as the lovely Ms. Anderson herself said, "Humans and animals have a lot more similarities than differences. Both have a brain, a nervous system, and most importantly, a heart. And that's why I'm a vegetarian. I hope that this new campaign helps people come to the same conclusion."
*How cool is it that a Google image search for "butcher's diagram" turns up so many pictures of PETA campaigns?
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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