Written by PETA
Have you heard the story about How the Grinch Stole Christmas From AT&T Employees? Sadly, it's true. AT&T recently announced that it will lay off 12,000 workers—roughly 4 percent of its workforce—as we move into 2009. Yikes, that's rough.
So, to make the holidays a little brighter for these employees and their families, PETA staff members decided to pitch in and spread a little cheer. We (the PETA employees) have decided to donate our annual holiday bonus—a delicious, mouth-watering, lick-your-plate-when-you're-done, cruelty-free Tofurky roast—to help these former employees maintain a sense of normalcy through a wonderful holiday with their families.
There are 283 Tofurky roasts up for grabs, and any laid-off AT&T employee who is reading this blog can e-mail us here to claim one (deadline for this offer is December 30, 2008). We've also sent this letter to the CEO of AT&T Inc. asking him to notify all laid-off employees of our offer. So, ya better get clickin' before they're gone!
In these troubling times, everyone knows that it's important to think of those less fortunate than ourselves—including turkeys. What most people don't know is that turkeys love to have their feathers stroked—but only time most turkeys experience any human touch is when somebody painfully plucks their feathers. They also enjoy flute music, but that's a story for another day.
The Grinch may still be mean, but holiday memories and meals can be jolly.
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
I'm just as psyched about the holidays as anyone else. Free stuff, snow days (oh, right, we don't get those), e-cards— what's not to love? Well, I'll tell you. In certain cities across America, animals are being exposed to all sorts of danger for the sake of live Nativity scenes. Camels, sheep, and donkeys are casually put out in a pen in harsh weather and left unattended outside churches and in Christmas shows, where they are sometimes stolen, injured by passing dogs, or harassed by the public. They are often transported to and from the exhibits in cold, uncomfortable and scary conditions, and they can even spread salmonella and E. coli.
This is super scary, but there have even been cases of sexual abuse, injury in transport, and other cases of neglect and cruelty to animals used in Nativity scenes, which is why we have a better idea.
Instead of using live animals this Christmas, we suggest a lovely fiberglass display like the ones at Christmas Night Inc. These displays are cruelty-free, and they can be shoved into the back of a shed and reused year after year. Fake displays—with ultra-cute Baby Jesus statues—are much less expensive than "renting" real animals, so the money saved could go to a good cause (like vegetarian food for the hungry, perhaps?).
If you know of a live Nativity scene in or planned for your area, take action now, please! The following are a few things you can do to help:
So this holiday season, consider peace on Earth and good will toward humans and animals.
Written by Lianne Turner
While it's widely accepted that most people don't want an eight-second ride, we now have an excellent, bull-free alternative for those of you who, for whatever reason, do: Urban Rodeo!
The concept is like that of a regular rodeo. Mount an unwilling participant and hold on for dear life, marking your success by how long you can stay latched on to the bucking, bewildered beast. The only difference between this and other rodeos is the ropes, spurs, and other cruelty involved, such as internal injuries and extensive bruising. Oh, and I seriously doubt participants in the "Urban Rodeo" are shipped off to slaughter once they've outlived their usefulness. However, similar to a regular rodeo, participants are encouraged to "leg it" immediately after being tossed from the animal in order to avoid injury.
Got any other clever ideas that could serve as an alternative to a performing animal act or rodeo? Let me know—who knows, I might give your idea a shot and see how it works out!
Written by Sean Conner
We're just happy as clams that our roll dogs in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are rocketing to stardom on Animal Planet's new show Whale Wars.
I, personally, watch week after week—heart pumping, cheering like it's Monday night football! Well, just in case you were wondering what makes these selfless warriors tick, we thought we'd give you an inside look at their second mate, Peter Hammarstedt.
In Ingrid Newkirk's new book, One Can Make a Difference, she got the chance to talk to Peter at his parents' home in Sweden. She found out about the fascinating events that shaped his convictions on animal rights and learned exactly what it looks like to follow one's deepest passions. Incredible! Check out this excerpt from Hammarstedt's essay in the book:
The Canadian seal slaughter that I witnessed still gives me nightmares. People call it a "hunt" but I have yet to meet a single hunter who would call bashing baby seals over the head with clubs, "hunting." I was there in 2005. The ice is absolutely surreal, heavenly, like a world made of broken fragments of mirrors that sparkle in the light, that reflect the colors of the rising and setting sun. It is a wonderland where mother seals come to have their babies, to leave them to bask in the sun, feeling that they are totally safe, being miles and miles away from man. Not realizing that the boats will come, that human greed will catch up with them and reduce them to a bloody pulp. Humans don't belong there at all. We must go there to confront the seal killers, to film what they do, to report their indefensible acts of unspeakable cruelty to the world, to witness their despicable acts that violate the International Seal Protection Act. We see an entire world of white turn to red as the seals' blood runs across the ice. There are suddenly carcasses everywhere as the babies are killed with the blunt or sharp ends of the Hak-a-piks, and stomped, kicked more than once, sometimes six times or so with the sealers' cleated boots. During the hunt, I found myself running from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They're there on the ice to protect seal killers, not seals. I had video evidence, and I didn't want them to seize it. But they tackled me and knocked me to my stomach. I lay there, practicing passive resistance, my arms held behind my back. And as I turned my head, there, just two or three meters away, was a pup. I was so close to her, and her eyes and my eyes were linked together. I do believe she knew the difference, she knew I was not a sealer. As long as I lay there, she was safe. On a good day, we can stop sealing, but the hunt is massive, and they keep coming back. When I know I have saved a seal, it is an extremely personal experience. I don't care then if I am locked up for years! We're often assaulted, but we have to stand our ground. Our clients are the marine animals who have no way to fight for their lives; no power. I think Captain Watson (founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and founding director of Greenpeace Foundation) speaks for all of us, whether we are on the ice floes or the high seas. When he was challenged about sinking an empty whaling vessel in Iceland, he said, "The hell with you. I didn't do it for you. I did it for the whales. Find me a whale who would disagree and I'll stop." These sea animals have real intelligence, which means they absolutely want to live in harmony with the world. Even the "stupidest" of animals wants that. Captain Watson was once confronted by a whaling boat captain who told him that the reason it is acceptable for human beings to slaughter these magnificent mammals is because "we" have moral reason and intelligence. Captain Watson just stared at him. What is the good of reason and intelligence if all you do is use it to harm others?
The Canadian seal slaughter that I witnessed still gives me nightmares. People call it a "hunt" but I have yet to meet a single hunter who would call bashing baby seals over the head with clubs, "hunting." I was there in 2005. The ice is absolutely surreal, heavenly, like a world made of broken fragments of mirrors that sparkle in the light, that reflect the colors of the rising and setting sun. It is a wonderland where mother seals come to have their babies, to leave them to bask in the sun, feeling that they are totally safe, being miles and miles away from man. Not realizing that the boats will come, that human greed will catch up with them and reduce them to a bloody pulp.
Humans don't belong there at all. We must go there to confront the seal killers, to film what they do, to report their indefensible acts of unspeakable cruelty to the world, to witness their despicable acts that violate the International Seal Protection Act. We see an entire world of white turn to red as the seals' blood runs across the ice. There are suddenly carcasses everywhere as the babies are killed with the blunt or sharp ends of the Hak-a-piks, and stomped, kicked more than once, sometimes six times or so with the sealers' cleated boots.
During the hunt, I found myself running from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They're there on the ice to protect seal killers, not seals. I had video evidence, and I didn't want them to seize it. But they tackled me and knocked me to my stomach. I lay there, practicing passive resistance, my arms held behind my back. And as I turned my head, there, just two or three meters away, was a pup. I was so close to her, and her eyes and my eyes were linked together. I do believe she knew the difference, she knew I was not a sealer. As long as I lay there, she was safe.
On a good day, we can stop sealing, but the hunt is massive, and they keep coming back. When I know I have saved a seal, it is an extremely personal experience. I don't care then if I am locked up for years! We're often assaulted, but we have to stand our ground. Our clients are the marine animals who have no way to fight for their lives; no power. I think Captain Watson (founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and founding director of Greenpeace Foundation) speaks for all of us, whether we are on the ice floes or the high seas. When he was challenged about sinking an empty whaling vessel in Iceland, he said, "The hell with you. I didn't do it for you. I did it for the whales. Find me a whale who would disagree and I'll stop." These sea animals have real intelligence, which means they absolutely want to live in harmony with the world. Even the "stupidest" of animals wants that. Captain Watson was once confronted by a whaling boat captain who told him that the reason it is acceptable for human beings to slaughter these magnificent mammals is because "we" have moral reason and intelligence. Captain Watson just stared at him. What is the good of reason and intelligence if all you do is use it to harm others?
Written by Missy Lane
I am super-excited to reveal to you our brand new "Rather Go Naked" ad, starring none other than gorgeous reality TV star Khloe Kardashian!
If you've ever watched Keeping Up With the Kardashians—and who hasn't?—you've probably noticed that Khloe can be the most outspoken of the Kardashian clan. She's never afraid to tell it like it is, and that's why we're so proud to have her speak up about fur. As you may have guessed, she's so against fur that she'd rather go naked!
There was a live unveiling of Khloe's ad in L.A., and Khloe has invited all her local fans to came out and support her. Check out the photos and video from the unveiling here:
You can also enter to win your very own copy of Season 1 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. So go, enter, and enjoy the new ad!
Written by Amanda Schinke
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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