Written by PETA
It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!
Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …
Written by Karin Bennett
Aretha Franklin sang at the annual Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony last night. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who got chills from her appearance—but not because of her singing … oh, no. My skin crawled because the Queen of Soul Cold wore this:
You may recall that Franklin was voted PETA's Fugliest Fur Hag in 2008. The hideousness she wore last night suggests that the face of fur wants to lock in first place for the upcoming 2009 vote. Can one of her "people" please explain to her—very slowly so she's sure to comprehend—that she does not want to be voted the world's most heinous person again? Pretty please?
File this one in the "Near-Death Experiences During My Infancy" section of the family photo album:
This picture was taken at a circus during intermission by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector who was responding to a complaint that PETA had filed against the traveling bear act. The USDA cited the bear exhibitor for unsafe handling, but don't count on the federal government to protect you—this reckless handler and many others like her are still in business.
Photo-ops at circuses and traveling zoos featuring captive bears, tiger and lion cubs, primates, snakes, and other animals are all too common, and they're recipes for disaster. Wild animals are easily startled and routinely act on instinct. These natural instincts can mean that the animals defend themselves with strong arms and legs, sharp teeth, and long claws when they feel threatened. Handlers cannot protect themselves, let alone the general public, from a frightened or angry wild animal. Members of the public, including children, can be and have been harmed during these irresponsible photo-ops. If you see or hear about a show near you in which wild animals are being used for photo-ops with the public, take action to stop it. You could be saving someone's life.
Written by Logan Scherer
Alarms went off at PETA when we learned that filming for Tom Cruise's upcoming movie, Knight and Day, included the use of live animals to recreate Pamplona's infamous and cruel Running of the Bulls. The Mirror reports that seven bulls used for the production in Spain escaped and injured two women.
We hope that Mr. Cruise will share our concerns when he learns how animals suffer in the annual Running of the Bulls. As human runners and spectators gouge the bulls with sticks and pull their tails, many bulls slip on the pavement and/or slam into buildings, breaking their horns and legs. In their desperate attempts to escape their tormenters, bulls sometimes gore and trample people. As if that weren't enough cruelty, bulls later dragged into the bullrings are repeatedly stabbed and bled to weaken them by bullfighters who sever the animals' spines while the animals are fully conscious.
Will Tom Cruise do as we've asked and use his influence and help bulls by encouraging producers to cut the scene from the film? I believe that PETA's effort is definitely a Mission ImPossible. What do you think?
Updates will follow.
Update: Our vegan Ultra champion did it again. Rich Roll finished seventh in the race on Sunday. Despite a bad accident on his bike on Saturday during challenging weather conditions and even with an injured knee, he did the 52-mile run in 7:51. Amazing. Congrats, Rich!
It's Fur-Free Friday, and we're all about spreading joy and good cheer on one of the most compassionate days of the year. In the spirit of the season, we'd like to wish vegan athlete Rich Roll the best of luck as he begins his Ultraman race.
Recently named one of the "25 Fittest Guys in the World" by Men's Fitness, Roll is poised to dominate the competition at the invitation-only Ultraman competition, which includes a 6.2-mile swim, 261.4-mile cross-country bike ride, and 52.4-mile run.
His cruelty-free diet guarantees abounding strength and energy, and if you don't want to take my word for it, check out our exclusive new interview with the humane superman:
Not too long ago, Trish Deseine was pushing for people to embrace the taste of foie gras served with dried fruit. (Did anyone else just throw up a little?)
But after taking the time to visit a foie gras farm, this chef changed her tune.
"You see ducks who have lived outside then put in small crates … and force fed," she told The Guardian. "They can't stand up or move. You can see their livers bursting out of their skin. Nobody can tell me that's not cruel."
And for anyone who tries to tell you it's not, *cough* Olivier Berté *cough*, I have a suggestion. How about volunteering yourself to have a metal piped forced down your throat and then have 20 to 30 percent of your body weight in food shoveled into your body two to three times a day?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Written by Shawna Flavell
Brookstone's "Frog-O-Sphere"—a tiny plastic box containing two African frogs and a snail—is a guaranteed death sentence for these animals, who are slowly poisoned by their own waste in these mini-prisons.
Brookstone store employees—many of whom are straight out of high school, not vet school—are the sole caretakers of these animals while the Frog-O-Spheres are in the stores. According to Brookstone's head honchos, the only time these frogs receive any "care" is when employees briefly peer into the Frog-O-Sphere to check on the animals' condition. After performing these spot checks, employees are instructed merely to write down whether the frogs are "expired," sick/injured, or healthy. Despite any store's claim that it has a veterinarian on file (per the Frog-O-Sphere SOPs), sick or injured frogs never receive medical attention. Instead, these animals—who are sensitive to sound and even minimal changes in temperature—are merely stashed in the back of the store until they either die or recover on their own.
Turns out this is illegal—in the Garden State, at least.
We did some digging and discovered that pet shops in New Jersey are required to provide veterinary care for sick or injured animals and must be licensed with the township in which they're located—both are details that Brookstone seems to have missed.
After we brought this to the attention of NJ authorities, PETA received word from across the state that inspectors were on the case (PETA quickly confirmed that a Princeton-area Brookstone has no license on file, and alerted local health authorities, who immediately issued a cease and desist order to the store.). The state's Office of Animal Welfare has also taken an interest in this matter because Brookstone was informed about the various permits that were needed before its stores even began selling these tiny torture chambers, but the company failed to obtain them.
Click here to tell Brookstone that it's time to stop selling living beings at all its stores.
Written by Jeff Mackey
Kids love animals—so if anyone told them the truth about what goes on behind the scenes, they would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to circuses like Ringling Bros.
Over at PETAKids.com, we recently asked kids what they thought about circuses, and the results were too cute not to share!
"I feel sad for those elefants. The circus people should get in bad trouble! We will never go to a circus with animals in it." Donna Rhoades, age 5, Conway, Missouri "[I] think people that put elephants n circus acts are so dumb and stupid and one day every thing is gonna come back for what they did grrrr!!!." Dalila Solorio, age 11, Baja, California "My mom talked to me about the cruelty that happens to the animals at the circus, when they were in my town. I decided I would rather not go, than know that I was watching them harm the animals!" Sydni Denman-Moyer, age 6, Villa Hills, Kentucky "Circuses that abuse animals make me SO sad. Elephants don't belong in a circus; they want to be with their families and live in the place they were born. People who abuse animals should be ashamed and sent somewhere to think about what they've done!" Bea Kubasik, age 4, South Portland, Maine "What the Ringling Bros do to the Elephants it should be done back to them. Ex. poking them with it Bullhook." Emilie Daniel, age 11, Ontario, Canada "I think circuses are very bad because animals can die there and they take babies away from their mamas. I never go to circuses." Francis Ménard, age 7, Québec, Canada "I don't think it's right that they abuse animals like that because the animals are alive and they have feelings. I just wish the circuses would be banned for life. [PETA] thank you so much for trying to help these animals." Isabel Simon, age 7, San Diego, California "I think someone should put the circus people in a circus and let the animals go!" Xavier Finch, age 10, Lincoln Park, Michigan "I think if they're mean to any animal they should go to jail. No one should go to the circus" Michael Cioffi, age 6, West Haverstraw, New York "[I] think abusers are losers!!!!" Lupita Mesa, age 12, Stockton, California
"I feel sad for those elefants. The circus people should get in bad trouble! We will never go to a circus with animals in it." Donna Rhoades, age 5, Conway, Missouri
"[I] think people that put elephants n circus acts are so dumb and stupid and one day every thing is gonna come back for what they did grrrr!!!." Dalila Solorio, age 11, Baja, California
"My mom talked to me about the cruelty that happens to the animals at the circus, when they were in my town. I decided I would rather not go, than know that I was watching them harm the animals!" Sydni Denman-Moyer, age 6, Villa Hills, Kentucky
"Circuses that abuse animals make me SO sad. Elephants don't belong in a circus; they want to be with their families and live in the place they were born. People who abuse animals should be ashamed and sent somewhere to think about what they've done!" Bea Kubasik, age 4, South Portland, Maine
"What the Ringling Bros do to the Elephants it should be done back to them. Ex. poking them with it Bullhook." Emilie Daniel, age 11, Ontario, Canada
"I think circuses are very bad because animals can die there and they take babies away from their mamas. I never go to circuses." Francis Ménard, age 7, Québec, Canada
"I don't think it's right that they abuse animals like that because the animals are alive and they have feelings. I just wish the circuses would be banned for life. [PETA] thank you so much for trying to help these animals." Isabel Simon, age 7, San Diego, California
"I think someone should put the circus people in a circus and let the animals go!" Xavier Finch, age 10, Lincoln Park, Michigan
"I think if they're mean to any animal they should go to jail. No one should go to the circus" Michael Cioffi, age 6, West Haverstraw, New York
"[I] think abusers are losers!!!!" Lupita Mesa, age 12, Stockton, California
If you want to educate your kids about why elephants, tigers, bears, and other animals shouldn't be forced to perform cruel, unnatural tricks at the circus—but don't want to show them the disturbing undercover footage—order our Circus Activity Booklet.
Written by Liz Graffeo
Benson, a giant carp and a celebrity of sorts in Britain, has died. Angling fanatics are blaming her death on nuts, and so are we. But we aren't talking about peanuts, cashews, or pistachios—we are blaming the hordes of unhinged humans who hurt her for "fun."
It is estimated that during Benson's lifetime, she was painfully hooked and dragged from her aquatic home more than 60 times—that's right, six-zero—so that anglers could pose for a photo and then fling her back into the water.
Isn't it logical to believe that the pain and stress that she suffered over and over …
(and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over)
… again for anglers' so-called "sport" were contributing factors in her death? Why yes, it is.
As our friends over at PETA Europe told BBC News, "If common sense isn't enough, the science is clear: Being repeatedly impaled with a hook and yanked into an environment in which fish cannot breathe, like Benson [was], undeniably causes distress [and] pain and can lead to infections. Even simply handling or netting fish can abrade their protective coating and lead to death."
I'd say that pretty much sums it up, wouldn't you?
Though 27 greyhound tracks have closed in the U.S., with Rhode Island's last two tracks closing on August 8—and while countries around the world have all shuttered their once-active tracks—a legislature in the Philippines has just introduced a bill that would allow a company to build and operate a brand-new greyhound racetrack.
If approved, this bill has the potential to doom thousands of greyhounds to miserable existences. But have no fear: PETA Asia-Pacific has teamed up with Senator Maria Ana "Jamby" Madrigal—and her fearless dog, Prasad—to urge senators in the Philippines to vote "no" on this cruel bill. Check out Senator Jamby and Prasad in action at Tuesday's press conference inside the Senate building:
Senator Madrigal has pledged her opposition to this so-called sport because greyhounds who are forced to compete are kept muzzled and confined to cramped cages when they're not training or racing. Once they have slowed down or suffered career-ending injuries, the dogs are often abandoned, killed, or sold to laboratories to be used in experiments.
Don't all greyhounds deserve a loving home like Prasad's?
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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