Written by PETA
It's been a whirlwind week for PETA's seal. To keep pressure on Canada to stop letting people shoot baby seals and bash their heads in, PETA's sombrero-sporting seal followed Mexican President Felipe Calderón around to all his stops during his visit to Canada on Thursday.
President Calderón's visit received tons of media attention, and PETA's seal even got a shout-out from Canwest News Service. The seal almost got to shake hands—er, flippers—with President Calderón, but I'm sure that the seal would have preferred to give him a hug, considering that Mexico banned seal imports years ago.
On Monday, PETA's seal was back in action—this time wearing a yarmulke—while tailing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Canada.
What hat will PETA's seal wear next? Stay tuned for updates. And in the meantime, why not let Canadian officials know that the cruel seal slaughter makes you want to blow your top.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
This week, PETA released never-before-seen footage from our three-month investigation of Sun Pet Ltd.—an Atlanta-based supplier of small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and other animals to stores nationwide, including PETCO and PetSmart. In the shocking video, a Sun Pet worker is seen slamming hamsters against a table in an attempt to kill them—evidently because they were deemed unsalable. At least one of the hamsters was still alive for several minutes afterward, panting in the sealed plastic bag.
Not surprisingly, Sun Pet has released a video of its own, showing conditions for the animals at its Atlanta small-animal breeding farm. It doesn't look all that great to us.
Thank you, Sun Pet, for helping PETA show the world the sort of hellish warehouses that PETCO and PetSmart's animals come from! We are not quite sure which part is supposed to serve as a response to PETA's allegations. Is it the footage of the animals who were crammed into pitch-black, tomb-like bins and wire cages; the footage of the animals who were being packed up for shipping as if they were inanimate objects; the footage of the chinchilla cages that the Georgia Department of Agriculture last month found to be in violation of the law; the footage of the fecal matter that was all over the small animals' bedding; or the footage of the rabbits who were being kept in tiny, barren wire cages with no bedding to protect their tender feet?
In its written response to PETA's video, Sun Pet says that it has dismissed the employee in the video. That's a start—but it's not enough. The manager who approved of the hamster-bashing is apparently still punching the clock down at Sun Pet. That's the same manager who said that one could throw mice against a wall and suggested that PETA's investigator expose small animals' testicles by poking and prodding away at their abdomens as if they were PlayStation controllers.
Every employee who abused animals at Sun Pet should be fired and prosecuted—something that Sun Pet vice president and general manager Barry Wisebram said in an interview that he would "make sure" happened. PETA sent a letter to Wisebram yesterday asking him to stick to his word. (He's apparently been too busy taking reporters on tours around his spruced-up warehouses, crafting misleading media statements, and making cameos in the video to do what's right for the hundreds of thousands of animals in his care—or even to get back to us.)
Oh, and one more thing: In Sun Pet's written response, the company asks for "suggestions or information that would help us."
We think that's a great idea. Please take a few minutes to contact Wisebram and politely suggest that it's time for the company to get out of the animal business altogether:
Barry WisebramSun Pet Ltd.3765 Zip Industrial Blvd.Atlanta, GA 30354
Written by Paula Moore
Many people just don't realize how horrible glue traps are for mice, rats, and unintended victims such as birds and kittens—or that Lowe's refuses to stop selling these cruel devices. Well, PETA's "mouse" enlightened shoppers outside a Lowe's in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday—just in time for the company's annual meeting, which takes place today.
I bet the gal with phone in the photo above is tapping out an e-mail to Lowe's bigwigs. Or she could be reminding her Facebook friends to be nice to mice. Please cover all the bases by doing both. Small, sensitive animals thank you in advance.
Written by Karin Bennett
Our neighbors to the south have been busy bees for animals lately. Last Saturday, more than 9,000 people took part in a massive activist-organized march for animal rights in Mexico City. How inspiring are these pics?!
The event raised tons of awareness, got lots of media coverage, and allowed organizers to gather more than 6,500 signatures on a petition asking the government to introduce tougher penalties—including jail time—for people who are convicted of cruelty to animals. Not bad for a day's work.
If you are the mood for a margarita and a march for animals, swing by Mexico City on June 27 to join this stellar group of people for another march in honor of Mexico City's official Animal Rights Day. Or if you are just feeling inspired by all this activism, be an amigo to animals by trying one or two of PETA's easy summer outreach ideas.
To be honest, I haven't really cared about the outcome of a beauty pageant since watching Olive compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" contest. But after learning that Miss New York USA Davina Reeves is vegan, that's all changed. After suffering from health problems, lethargy, and skin flare-ups, Davina decided to try a vegan diet.
Her yearlong trial is now a lifetime commitment: "I just can't go for it and not have the new knowledge affect me. The effects are far beyond my body—it's the environment, my carbon footprint, and treatment of animals," she says.
Sexy and smart: a winning combination. I know what I'll be doing on May 16, when Davina vies for the Miss USA crown. Save the date!
Via Ecorazzi
Apparently, furriers who push their pelts as "green" think that we were all born yesterday.
Members of PETA and Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA) along with our favorite hockey star, Georges Laraque, teamed up outside the North American Fur and Fashion Exposition of Montréal (NAFFEM) yesterday to set the record straight:
Claims that mink coats and fox-fur hats are eco-friendly couldn't be further from the truth. It's estimated that it takes 15 times as much energy to produce a fur coat from ranch-raised animals as it does to produce a faux-fur coat. And not only are fur garments treated with toxic chemicals to keep them from rotting, fur production also pollutes waterways. And while we're on the subject of pollution, I get chills when I consider the noise pollution generated by screaming animals on fur farms and trap lines. Their cries are both harrowing and deafening.
Now won't you raise your own voice and help them?
Officials are scrambling to contain the beyond-massive oil spill that's headed for the Gulf Coast and its wetlands and wildlife areas. At times like this, I know it's popular to blame big business, and that's fair enough. But in a free-enterprise system, business only gets big (and sloppy and greedy) because of consumer demand. This morning, PETA delivered that message to Alabama residents by flying a banner over downtown Mobile reading "Meat on Your Grill = Oil Spill."
Raising animals for food causes environmental devastation on a massive scale, and oil spills can be blamed in large part on the oil-guzzling meat industry—which owes its existence to the meat-guzzling public. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it takes more than 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce a calorie of animal protein as it takes to produce the same amount of plant protein.
This disaster will have a devastating, long-lasting impact on the region and its residents, including more than 400 animal species, but crying over spilled oil and blaming big corporations won't make a difference. To ease tremendous animal suffering, safeguard human health, and help prevent oil spills, go vegan.
PETA's Bea Arthur Dog Park (named for the eternally fabulous Golden Girl) has everything that dogs love: a big, grassy lawn for rolling and romping, a bin filled with toys to chew and chase, a water station, and an easy-access ramp into the Elizabeth River for dog-paddling to their hearts' content! But it's not just dogs who love PETA's park—apparently, Southern Living does too: The magazine included the park in its feature on the South's best dog parks!
Let's raise the woof in celebration by taking our canine companions to the nearest dog park tonight for some tail-wagging fun! And if you're ever in Norfolk, Virginia, check out the Bea Arthur Dog Park:
I guarantee that if you follow the rules, you and your mutt won't be disappointed.
Amtrak is conducting test runs of trains fueled with biodiesel made from beef tallow along its Heartland Flyer route, so PETA is urging Amtrak to get its eco-friendly efforts on the right track, asking that the company instead feature our sexy Lettuce Lady ad:
Amtrak officials might mean well, but burning a product made possible by the environmentally destructive and hideously cruel meat industry isn't Earth-friendly—no way, no how. That's why we're urging the company to opt for animal-friendly sources of alternative energy and to promote vegan cuisine.
We're keeping our fingers crossed that Amtrak will take us up on our offer. If not, its Heartland Flyer route might need to be renamed the "Heartless Flyer."
It's Earth Day, and because one of the most effective ways to fight climate change is to stop consuming animal flesh and other food ingredients derived from animals, we want to know what actions you are taking to help others realize that "meat's not green." Tell us about your efforts in the comment section, and you might score the eco-chic "Tofu Never Screams" tote as well as PETA's reusable, BPA-free water bottle.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Two entries drawn at random will win both the tote and the bottle. The contest ends on April 29, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on May 3, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Happy Earth Day!
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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