Written by PETA
Mamma Mia! It's official: Suave film star Pierce Brosnan is a man of many talents—and much compassion for animals.
The actor's whimsical portrait of his own adopted animal companions, Shilo the dog and Coco the kitty, is gracing California's new spay-and-neuter license plate. Proceeds from sales of the special plate will help fund efforts to educate the public about the need to spay and neuter companion animals and will help provide free or low-cost surgeries throughout the state.
Whether all dogs get to have their day (and all cats theirs as well) depends on every caring person to educate others about the companion animal overpopulation crisis and its cure, both in California and beyond.
Via Ecorazzi
Written by Karin Bennett
He may play a "wimpy kid" on the big screen, but Robert Capron is a superhero as far as his dog, Sam, is concerned. Robert plays Rowley Jefferson in the new movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He and his family adopted Sam after spotting the forlorn pup shivering in a cage at a local animal shelter.
After struggling to survive on the streets, Sam was a sorry sight—his ribs were visible and he had lost most of his fur because of unbearably itchy mange. "I felt so bad for him," Robert told M magazine. "He's been through so much." Today, Robert reports that Sam has overcome his fear of people and has morphed into a snuggle muffin. "He's so innocent." says Robert. "I just love him."
I'm sure the feeling is mutual, Rob. And I think I speak for all PETA Files readers when I say that we love you for giving a castaway dog a second chance at happiness. Why anyone would buy a dog from a breeder or pet store when there are so many lovable dogs at animal shelters is a total mystery to me!
How about you—do you have any tales to tell about tails that started wagging again once they landed in a safe and happy home?
Written by Alisa Mullins
Where is my dog Henry's ball? If only it glowed in the dark like a Galaxy Glow dog toy from Premier!
Sure to please your pup, these easy-to-find-even-in-the-dead-of-night toys are perfect for an after-hours game of fetch. Want to fetch one? Just tell us about something your dog does that makes you glow (with love, of course). The two people whose comments most make us go "aww" will score a football. Your comment should also include the size of your dog, so that we can hook him or her up with the right-sized weird and wonderful toy.
While I'm checking under the couch cushions for Henry's ball, please read the fine print: The contest ends on May 5, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on May 7, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Good luck!
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Adrian Grenier has a heart to back up those drive-me-crazy (yes, I did just allude to the 1999 Adrian Grenier–Melissa Joan Hart classic) good looks. While out for a run yesterday, the Entourage star stopped when he spotted an injured dog on the side of the road. Grenier checked the dog's vital signs and attempted to revive the animal, then contacted local authorities when he realized it was too late.
Follow Adrian's lead! If you ever see an injured animal—even if you think he or she may be dead—stop and check. Many animals go into shock after they are hit by cars and can end up paralyzed and in pain. If no one stops to help, they may be left to suffer, sometimes for days, before they eventually succumb to their injuries. It only takes a minute of your time to reduce animal suffering.
Written by Logan Scherer
Sometimes it breaks our hearts to say, "We told you so." It's less than a week into the 1,150-mile-long doggie death march known as the Iditarod, and abuser musher Justin Savidis has already reported one of his dogs, 3-year-old Whitey, missing.
Whitey has been loose since Wednesday, and although he's been spotted on a number of occasions, temperatures along the Iditarod course remain below zero, and there is no guarantee that Whitey will find shelter or food.
Even if Whitey survives his escape, when you consider the dark history of the bloody race, his future still looks pretty grim. On average, dogs in the Iditarod run at least 100 miles each day with very brief rests, and only half the dogs who begin the race ever make it to the finish line. Many are injured or killed as a result of the physical torment of the Iditarod—some of them fall through the ice or suffer from bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and viruses, while others are strangled by tow lines, trampled by moose, or hit by snowmobiles and sleds. Whitey's disappearance marks the beginning of this year's sub-zero suffering, but it's not too late to end it: Urge the Iditarod's sponsors to back out of the barbaric competition immediately.
It's official: Michelle Obama is the most fascinating person of the year. In her interview with Barbara Walters, the fabulously fur-free first lady chatted about her goals, her arms, and her guilty pleasures—and she gushed over her adorable son!
Sasha, check. Malia, check. … Wait, you didn't know she had a son? Find out who the lucky guy is after the jump.
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.
We're heartened that our new ad, featuring Joanna Krupa and a lifesaving message about animal adoptions, is receiving strong support from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. However, we are perplexed by the few complaints we've gotten that we dared depict our angel in the nude! Why they want to cloud the issue at hand (helping millions of homeless cats and dogs) is perplexing: The Catholic Church has a long history of depicting their angels in the buff, so what gives?
Caring people everywhere, of all faiths, applaud our beautiful, artistic ad that encourages compassion toward animals—and Ms. Krupa for her decision to assist us in that effort. They also recognize that the anguish endured by millions of neglected and abused dogs and cats who suffer in backyards, back alleys, puppy mills, and pet stores is the issue that truly warrants our society's outrage and attention.
Underfed and tied to a shed 24/7, Rocky wasn't really living—just existing. Rocky was only a puppy, yet his owner never let him inside the home and allegedly beat him in an effort to try to turn him into a better "guard dog". After witnessing the abuse that Rocky was forced to endure, a concerned area resident set to work trying to find help for the adorable and resilient dog.
After placing phone call after phone call to various agencies and animal shelters in the area to no avail, the resident finally turned to PETA. We immediately coordinated with folks at the local SCPA, who persisted in Rocky's behalf and eventually convinced his owner to surrender him into the shelter's care.
Now, a few weeks later, we are delighted to see this picture of a blissful, thriving, recently adopted Rocky:
The story of the dog who is left outside to languish is one that our cruelty caseworkers hear all too often. Dogs are highly social and loyal companions. They crave lots of love, attention, and exercise, and they always want to be around their human family. Staking them out in lonely yards as cheap "alarm systems" is nothing short of a cruel betrayal of an animal's unlimited love and devotion to his or her guardian—it is simply not the way things are meant to be.
If you know people who aren't doing right by their dog, please talk to them and educate them about the animal's many needs. Offer to walk their dog. Bring toys! Show them how to do things right. And please, never let mistreated animals endure abuse or neglect. Always speak up and file a report with local law enforcement officials. Without you, these animals would have no voice.
Well, Jessica's thinking about opening her heart and home to a new pooch and word on the street is that she "wants a rescue dog."
We're thrilled to hear that she's thinking about rescuing a dog instead of buying one from a breeder. Today, we wrote to the star to urge her adopt her new friend from an animal shelter, pointing out that millions of dogs are euthanized at shelters every year simply because there aren’t enough homes for all of them. Even if she has her heart set on a particular breed, there are many purebreds at open-admission animal shelters and certainly many who are in the care of breed-specific rescue groups.
We hope, hope, hope that Jessica Simpson will join the long list of caring celebrities, including Charlize Theron, Katherine Heigl, Kyra Sedgwick, Audrina Patridge, and Alicia Silverstone, who have saved a life (or two or three) by adopting homeless animals.
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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