• A Word With Jenna Bush

    Written by PETA

    It’s no secret that first daughter Jenna Bush is a bit of a wild child and as you know, we here at PETA can get as wild as anyone. But when the Bush twin switched from MGD and bong hits to foie gras, Ingrid Newkirk pulled out her pen and let Dubya’s rebellious daughter know what’s up.

    You can read Ingrid’s letter here.

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  • WWF Sells Fish Sticks to Save Fish

    Written by PETA

    WWF.JPGYup, it's about as dumb as it sounds. Apparently the World Wildlife Fund's German affiliate has accepted 225,000 Euros for its fish conservation campaign that was raised by Unilever through the sale of fish sticks. I'll spare you the letter we wrote them, since it feels like I've been putting a lot of letters on the blog lately, but the gist of it is that the WWF needs to send this blood money right back where it came from. As our letter points out,

    "Selling fish sticks to raise money for fish conservation is like selling poodle burgers to raise money for a dog shelter."

    That pretty much sums it up. Come on now, WWF. I know you guys can do better than that.


  • PETA India Strikes Again

    Written by PETA

    Our counterparts in India just sent me these pics from a stunning photo shoot starring Indian supermodel Malaika Arora Khan. Malaika's outfit was created by fashion designer Wendell Rodricks to depict a white macaw, and her ad is part of PETA India's ongoing campaign to draw attention to the horrific conditions for the wild birds who are made to perform in Indian circuses. I’ve been inspired by these lovely images to rent the film Kaante this evening. Not only does it star the beautiful Malaika, but it's billed as Bollywood's answer to Reservoir Dogs. It doesn't get much better than that.

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  • No, No, Speed Racer

    Written by PETA

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    So the Wachowski Brothers (the geniuses behind The Matrix) have been holed up for a while working on a live action version of the '60s cult cartoon Speed Racer. Sounds pretty awesome, except that they've made the decision to use a real chimpanzee to portray Speed Racer's simian friend Chim Chim. And, as always when a primate is used in filming, it is an absolute guarantee that there's behind-the-scenes abuse—even when those half-awake film enthusiasts at the American Humane Association are on the job. The fact is that while the original, animated Chim Chim never had any trouble mugging for the camera, the new guy on the job can think of about a million things that he'd rather be doing than performing for the Wachowski brothers. For most chimpanzees used on set, this natural aversion to stardom means that severe beatings, intimidation, and all-round lousy treatment are standard tools of the trade for the trainers who are paid to make them perform. And according to our source on set, the chimp being used for this movie is no exception, which may well explain why he recently deviated from the script and bit a child actor.

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    We've been communicating back and forth with the movie's producer, Joel Silver, asking that he make the humane decision and use animatronics instead of live animal actors. I'll keep you posted on any developments with this one, and you can read more about how that discussion's been going here. Incidentally, my favorite movie blog, I Watch Stuff, also covered the story, which pretty much made my day.

    And finally, please click here to learn more and to ask that the Wachowski brothers use animatronics instead of live animals.


  • Sir Roger Moore Speaks Up For Geese

    Written by PETA

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    Since proclaiming Roger Moore the best 007 ever last week, I’ve heard from people on all sides of the debate, and though some of you make some decent arguments for Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton (admittedly, License to Kill and The Living Daylights are pure genius—definitely two of the best Bond flicks ever) I’m sticking to my guns on this one. I’m even more a fan of Sir Roger after hearing from friends at PETA Europe that he is all over the UK media for pushing Parliament to ban foie gras.

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    Here’s a quote from the ITN story, “I wholeheartedly support this (Peta's) campaign, and with your help I believe that we will soon see an end to this brutal and inherently cruel 'delicacy'.” You can check out the full story here.

    Mmmm hmmm, now who is your favorite 007? If your answer isn’t Roger Moore, check out this exposé he narrated for us and see if you change your mind . . .

  • Victory! Giant Eagle Will No Longer Sell Foie Gras

    Written by PETA

    Giant Eagle.bmpGiant Eagle, which has more than 200 grocery stores in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio, has just announced that it will no longer sell foie gras! The company's decision was prompted by nearly 250,000 e-mails and countless phone calls from customers and members of the public who expressed their concern that the store was selling a product which is made by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell up, and which has been banned in the city of Chicago and the state of California—not to mention the fact that it is illegal in numerous progressive countries—because of the cruelty involved. In an e-mail to PETA just a few moments ago, a Giant Eagle representative confirmed that “Giant Eagle Market District stores have stopped the sale of foie gras.”

    A huge thank you is due to everyone who took the time to contact Giant Eagle about this issue and bring about this massive victory for ducks and geese. Now that more and more major grocery chains like Giant Eagle and Whole Foods are taking a stand against the cruelty of foie gras, and given that the pope himself has spoken out against it, it won't be long before foie gras is nothing more than a nasty little piece of history. Don't hesitate to make anyone you know who still eats the stuff aware of that fact.


REPORT CRUELTY

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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Chicken Photo: © Rommel Manuel