Written by PETA
Thanks go out to all the vigilant animal defenders who contacted us about a recent episode of MTV's The Hills, which showed a caged tiger pacing in a parking lot outside of Les Deux, a Los Angeles nightclub. During the show, Kristin Cavallari squealed that she wanted to touch the big cat. Had she done so, she might have been headed to the emergency room instead of the dance floor.
Back in May, we were alerted to this dreadful situation by an anonymous tipster, and we wrote to Les Deux. We pointed out that while tigers in the wild roam for miles as they hunt and raise their young, imprisoned animals can only pace back and forth as they go crazy from their unnatural confines. Their lives are filled with frustration, anxiety, and fear.
We're glad to report that PETA heard back from Lonnie Moore, who assured us that Les Deux will never again feature such a display, and added, "I am embarrassed and disappointed it ever happened in the first place." Plus, the Dolce Group, owner of Les Deux, has placed a statement on its Web site reading, "Dolce Group has enacted a policy that prohibits the exhibition of exotic animals at all of our businesses. The recent episode of The Hills which features a tiger at Les Deux was filmed prior to enacting an official policy. We have assured PETA that this will never happen again."
This is a perfect example of why it's so important to reach out to and enlighten others about animal issues. Please take a minute to thank Moore for his compassion. Then take a moment to learn about other ways you can help animals.
Written by Karin Bennett
Frail, undernourished, and lonely, Little Bit was a walking skeleton. She was confined to an electric kennel and rarely had access to food or water, and her only "shelter" was a tipped-over plastic table.
Shocked by the dismal sight of Little Bit's solitary confinement, an area resident contacted the police, but the officers claimed that they saw nothing wrong with the pitiful and dangerous backyard setup or the obviously malnourished dog. Our complainant continued to push local agencies in the hope that someone would come to Little Bit's rescue but hit wall after wall.
It took just a single day after the resident contacted PETA for Little Bit to find freedom from her life sentence—we were able to get a PETA fieldworker out to this property and convince Little Bit's neglectful owner—who allegedly worked for local law-enforcement—to relinquish her into our custody.
Electric fences like the one in which Little Bit was confined, and so-called "invisible fences," can cause physical pain and potentially serious injuries as well as incite patterns of fear and aggression in dogs. No dog should have to live in fear of getting shocked. If you know of someone using electronic fences or shock collars to confine or silence their dog(s), educate them about the cruelty associated with these devices. And always speak up if you witness animal abuse.
Written by Logan Scherer
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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