Last week, PETA Germany released an undercover investigation inside a farm owned by "cage-free" Wiesenhof. The company is a giant producer in the world's chicken-meat industry, and it sells its chicken flesh worldwide, including right here in the U.S. Undercover footage taken at Wiesenhof's hatching facilities shows untrained workers breaking chickens' necks, failing to treat contagious diseases appropriately, and refusing to empty manure pits for 10 months. One worker punched a rooster who tried to escape and later urinated inside the barn next to the animals.

Unlike birds who are fattened and then slaughtered at the age of only 5 weeks, "parent animals" at hatching facilities suffer abuse and neglect for up to 10 months. PETA Germany has filed a legal complaint against Wiesenhof, claiming that the company is guilty of violating the German Animal Welfare Act, German slaughter and transport laws, environmental laws, and laws concerning epidemic outbreaks and hygiene.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Wiesenhof's parent company, PHW Group, has strong ties to Aviagen—owner of the turkey farms in West Virginia that were the site of PETA's landmark undercover investigation that led to the first-ever indictments for felony cruelty-to-animals charges for abusing birds as well as the first-ever cruelty convictions of turkey factory-farm workers. The owners of PHW Group and Aviagen's parent company are brothers. Cruelty apparently runs in the family, and if you aren't looking to support it, go vegan.

Written by Logan Scherer

In his historic decision earlier this week, Arlington municipal judge Michael Smith noted that the evidence that our undercover investigator collected during months as an employee of the exotic animal warehouse U.S. Global Exotics (USGE)—including a picture of a hedgehog whose leg had been chewed off and video footage of dying snakes and a wallaby who had been left to perish in a filthy, windowless room—depicted conditions that are not unique and that even reflect the entire industry's standards:

Think about that for a minute or two. USGE was a model animal dealer for the pet trade and, as Fort Worth Zoo employee Mike Doss testified, a facility by which others could be judged.

PETA's evidence was vital to Judge Smith's ruling to divest Jasen and Vanessa Shaw—owners and operators of USGE, which supplies pet stores and pet store chains all over the world, including suppliers of PETCO and PetSmart—of the more than 26,000 animals who were seized from USGE on December 15. Since the ruling, the media has remained abuzz with outrage over the widespread, "standard" abuse of animals in the pet trade industry.

This isn't the first time we have gone undercover behind the tightly shut doors of the pet trade. Our investigation of Rainbow World Exotics revealed similar conditions. Unfortunately, that investigation didn't make an ounce of difference to the multimillion dollar pet-supply companies, which both refused to sever ties with Rainbow and continue to buy animals there to this day. It just goes to show that the only "standards" the industry has are the ones that have to do with profit, not animal welfare.

We're urging PetSmart shareholders to support our resolution to ban the purchase of animals from all distributors that are under investigation for violations of the law. Not much to ask, is it? Until everyone shuns pet stores and tells everyone they know to do the same, hellholes like USGE will continue to operate.

Written by Logan Scherer

I think we can all agree that in this day and age, there's no excuse for pore poor Photoshopping, but someone at Bloody Burberry seems to have missed that memo.

hellomagazine / CC

In what must have been a tragic Photoshop accident by the oh-so-tragic Burberry, actor Emma Watson seems to have lost one of her legs. Luckily for her, that nub can be transformed back into a leg again with a few clicks of the "undo" button.

The question I'm asking about the whole fiasco is this: Can the magic of Photoshop help the countless animals who have suffered chewed-off limbs in the horrific process of making Bloody Burberry's fur cuffs, collars, and coats?

No, I guess not.

Written by Karin Bennett

i.telegraph.co.uk / CC

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the dolphins know to leave Earth before the planet is destroyed—and it looks like Douglas Adams was on to something.

No, the planet isn't in immediate peril (depending on your definition of "immediate"), but dolphins really are geniuses, second only to humans in intelligence, according to a new study.

This study revealed that the brain cortex of dolphins has the same complicated folds associated with human intelligence, and it has the scientific community buzzing. Thomas White, professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University, argues that dolphins (i.e. "non-human persons") deserve rights and "qualify for moral understanding as individuals." PETA couldn't agree more! And because we wouldn't force our relatives to live in cages tanks, we're writing a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, asking it to place a permanent ban on issuing permits allowing dolphins to be captured and used as attractions at theme parks and resort hotels.

Dolphins are thoughtful animals with distinct personalities, and each dolphin has a strong sense of self. They think, plan, and communicate with one another. In the wild, they spend their entire lives in large groups; removing them from their natural communities is traumatizing and often results in stress-related illness and premature death. If we don't start treating our cognitive cousins with more respect, in the end we might really be left holding that note that reads, "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

Written by Logan Scherer

Victory Update: Following a national PETA campaign against Brookstone's sale of Frog-O-Spheres —tiny plastic boxes containing two African dwarf frogs—the retailer has discontinued the sale of these little frog prisons in its stores. Learn more about this victory for frogs.

Last month, a PETA investigator worked undercover inside Wild Creations—the supplier of frogs for Brookstone's Frog-O-Spheres—and documented unsanitary living conditions, rampant starvation, and gross mishandling of thousands of frogs. Frogs were left to languish in stagnant water that was murky with feces and molted skin. They were so desperate for food (our investigator worked there for weeks before anyone was seen feeding the animals) that they were chewing on each other's legs, causing wounds, infections, and, eventually, loss of limbs. Live frogs were left on the floor to die or—mistaken for dead—tossed aside, including into the trash, by employees who had received no training.

We showed the disturbing footage to world-renowned experts in biology and herpetology, and their message was clear: Distribution of Frog-O-Spheres must stop forever. Clifford Warwick, a fellow at the Institute of Biology and one of the world's leading authorities on herpetology, said, "The advice given by the 'technical' staff [of Wild Creations] about this product is less than amateuristic. It is blatantly false, and dangerous and will lead to the suffering and death of many animals, and possibly also lead to human disease and death. … [S]ales staff and workers … are being guided by superiors whose 'knowledge' is more dubious (and frankly dangerous) than even common sense would dictate."

Tom Langton, who runs the frog conservation organization Froglife, reacted by saying, "The housing indicates gross negligence and effective intent to cause suffering and death of frogs and is in fact a breeding factory for pathogens. Such pathogens could spread beyond the immediate factory and into the external environment creating new criminal offences."

You might not be a biologist or even know what a herpetologist is, but what do you think about PETA's latest investigation?

Written by Logan Scherer

scnow / CC

Every day, PETA receives reports from across the country detailing hideous acts of cruelty to animals for which law enforcement officials have no leads. Very often, PETA will offer a reward for information leading to an arrest, knowing that witnesses who might otherwise never come forward could be enticed to offer information.

PETA recently rewarded a tipster who offered information about a case of cruelty to animals that occurred last fall in Dillon, South Carolina. Brace yourself for the details: While Teofilo Falaniko was ransacking Bonnie Bowens' home, he forced her dog, Penny, into the oven and turned it on. To ensure that Penny's frantic pawing at the oven door didn't allow her to escape, Falaniko propped a chair against the door. When the elderly woman arrived home later that day, she and police discovered that her beloved dog was dead in the oven.

Because our tipster came forward and reported hearing Falaniko bragging about his heinous crime, Falaniko was arrested and charged. He was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison on burglary and cruelty-to-animals charges. Would Falaniko have been caught without the tipster's information? Who knows? But I get chills when I consider how many more victims—four-legged and two-legged—this violent criminal might have gone on to attack had he not been convicted of Penny's cruel killing.

Written by Karin Bennett

Reality-show contestants Gino D'Acampo and Stuart Manning have been charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly killing and eating a rat in Australia's Outback while filming Britain's I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.

mirror.co / CC
"I saw one of these rats running around. I got a knife, I got its throat, I picked it up," said Gino D'Acampo.

It seems like only yesterday that PETA sent its first plea to television producers, at the time it was for Survivor, begging them to leave animals alone. In fact, the outcry after contestants in a subsequent season chased, stabbed, killed, and cooked a pig on Survivor: The Australian Outback prompted a change in Australia's laws to make it illegal to torture and kill animals for entertainment. Apparently, execs at IACGMOOH missed that memo.

I bet they'll pay attention now, especially since IACGMOOH contestant George Hamilton told the Mirror that execs gave the go-ahead for the kill. (Worth mentioning: Hamilton notes that the rat, who was the main course in D'Acampo's "rat risotto," was a camp worker's companion animal.)

Australia dishes up cruelty to animals in many forms, but it beats the U.S. when it comes to laws that protect animals from television show abuses. Reality-show stars everywhere are hopefully taking note and will think twice next time they contemplate torturing an animal for ratings.

Written by Karin Bennett

Last month, Amali, a 5-year-old giraffe, got an unnatural knot in her neck from an injury sustained in-transit to the Tulsa Zoo, where she was expected to breed with a male giraffe. After weeks of treatment with ineffective drugs, Amali's neck remained crooked. A few days ago, zoo veterinarians prepared her for an X-ray procedure, but soon after sedation, Amali died.

newslite.tv / CC

Amali's disability may have looked unusual, but her tragic passing is an all-too-ordinary occurrence for giraffes at zoos. Captive giraffes frequently die as a result of inadequate care and space. Veterinary neglect is often lethal—as it was in 2005 for a giraffe named Kenya at the Columbus Zoo after the zoo's chief veterinarian administered the wrong drug during surgery. In 2006, Makena, a 1-year-old giraffe, fatally broke her neck while she struggled to free herself after her head became wedged in a small space at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Kansas. Earlier last year, Dusti died from strangulation when he became entangled in a pulley system at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. The year before, Makonnen, a 2-year-old giraffe, died in a barn fire at Six Flags in Vallejo, Cali.

Giraffes belong in the wild, not in enclosures that offer many opportunities for these curious animals to become injured. If you notice abuse or mistreatment of animals in your local zoo, file a report. Your observations and documentation can save lives that would otherwise be lost to neglect and carelessness.

Written by Logan Scherer

aitkencollege / CC

Pennsylvania's Lincoln University recently caused quite an uproar with the news that it requires obese students to enroll in—and complete—a fitness course before they can graduate. PETA applauds the school's effort to promote healthier lifestyles, but—let's face it—mandating fitness classes will have little or no impact if students continue to chow down on cheeseburgers and milkshakes. So we're urging Lincoln University officials to go a step further by making the school what PETA believes is this nation's first all-vegan campus.

The evidence is clear: Vegans are likely to be thinner and in better overall health than meat-eaters. The American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals, found that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than do meat-eaters. By swapping chicken nuggets for tempeh tacos, university officials will help students realize the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Plus, countless animals will be spared horrendous suffering on factory farms and cruel deaths in slaughterhouses.

Written by Karin Bennett

Sharon McDonough has been accused of running what her son calls "a concentration camp for animals" after officials found the bodies of 20 dogs buried in her backyard in Selden, New York, and discovered six living animals (who were reportedly confined to soiled cages) inside her house. McDonough allegedly forced her children to commit nightmarish acts of cruelty, including restraining a dog and duct-taping his mouth shut while she beat the animal. McDonough was arrested, and her six children have been taken into protective custody. Dozens of neighbors remain worried that their missing companion animals will soon be found inside the shallow graves of McDonough's backyard.

In the wake of this ghastly discovery, we're sending our PSA featuring Eli Roth to TV stations in the New York City area to warn viewers about the vicious cycle of violence that often begins with animal abuse and, as research has proved, often ends with violence against humans:

Written by Logan Scherer