Written by PETA
Even if you didn't spend 12 years in Catholic school, as I did, you probably still know that St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. He was a man who preached to birds and blessed a wolf, and it is rumored that from his deathbed, he even thanked his donkey for his years of loyalty.
In keeping with the spirit of its patron saint, who believed that God looked out for all of His creation, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Cleveland has seen the light and agreed that giving away bunnies—or any live animals—as "prizes" is a bad idea. A vendor at the church's annual carnival was offering live rabbits as game-booth prizes, but after hearing from us about the grim fate of animals who are given away so casually, Rev. James Caddy readily agreed not to let it happen again. We're sending him a vegan chocolate rabbit as a token of our thanks.
The fair season is in full swing, so check out these ideas on what you can do to help all the animals who suffer and die on the summer circuit.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
When real-estate flipper Geoffrey King heard that a 101-year-old church in the struggling town of Cairo, Illinois, was going up for sale, he came up with a plan to benefit the community. King spent a year fixing up the church and then listed the building on eBay for $50,000.
His plan? Donate half the profits to build a pool for local kids.
The heartbreaking part? Nobody bid on the church.
Well, PETA knows a little something about compassion—so we've written to King and offered to rent the church until it sells. If he agrees, we'll rename the church the "Praise Seitan Center" (because delicious wheat "meat" is truly heavenly) and use it to educate Cairo residents about how the Bible imparts a reverence for life—and a loving God could not help but be appalled by the way that animals are mistreated today. People can put Christian principles into practice three times a day, seven days a week, by eating healthy and humane vegetarian foods.
Our offer will help King save up funds for the Cairo pool and create a more kind community. I really hope he doesn't let this opportunity pass by.
Written by Liz Graffeo
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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