Written by PETA
Two-time-Grammy-nominated songwriter KT Tunstall has just lent her voice to the campaign against KFC, firing off a letter to the managers of every KFC in Scotland encouraging them to pressure the company to stop its suppliers' worst abuses of chickens. You can read the full letter here. For the full experience, I highly recommend that you do it while listening to KT Tunstall’s latest smash hit, “If Only.” I’ve provided a video for you below so you can get the multimedia.
Thanks for taking a stand, KT. We really appreciate it.
-Jack
It's not too often that you hear about a chicken who is the center of attention rather than the center of a dinner plate. That's why I was so psyched to run across this article about Mr. Joy. A therapy chicken who visits assisted-living centers around Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr. Joy totally digs it when people pet and coo over him. And from the sound of it, people totally dig this cock-a-doodle dude too!
Also a patron of the arts and an animal rights activist (I kid you not), Mr. Joy and his adopted mom, Alisha Tomlinson, are on a mission not only to spread cheer but also to spread the message that chickens are smart, interesting animals who don't deserve to be turned into nuggets.
In fact, when he's not working the rest-home circuit or kicking it with his two wives in their spacious coop condo; he can usually be found in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. Sticking up for all his fallen peeps who have been abused, butchered, battered, and thrown into buckets, Mr. Joy charms the crowd from the safety of the car while his mom hands out leaflets about factory farming.
Want more Joy? Check out his Web site here. On a more comical note, check out a video showing Mr. Joy getting the beauty-shop treatment below:
-Amy
Posted by Amy Elizabeth
Father's Day is this coming Sunday, and I am absolutely certain that most people reading this are still procrastinating about buying their gift or planning their day. The good people at PETA (read: I) put together this list of some of the best things to do with or for Dad this year, so you really have no excuse to just buy a card or issue a pile of IOUs for mowing the lawn.
10. Get Dad a nonleather belt or wallet. You can find great alternatives at Eddie Bauer, Timberland, Vans, or just about any other retailer or online shopping site imaginable.
9. Clean up Dad's home office or the garage. He's got more important things to do on Father's Day than stand among his clutter and play "find the floor." For advice on what your weapons of choice in this endeavor should be, go through our list of cruelty-free companies.
8. Put together a gift basket full of small treats for Dad. Consider throwing in some homemade or store-bought vegan cookies, meat-free jerky strips, and a new coffee mug (I'm partial to this one) filled with a bag of shade-grown coffee. The best thing about gift baskets is that they're very do-it-yourself, so get creative!
7. Go back to basics and get Dad a nice, silk-free tie: the staple of Father's Day gifts. You can find polyester or other synthetic fibers everywhere, so get Dad an accessory not made from insect cocoons (barf!).
6. Dog lovers can go grab a picnic lunch and a few four-legged friends and head to the dog park. Although any safe spot with a patch of grass, water, and a Frisbee will do, you should check our list of the best dog parks in the country in case you're lucky enough to be within driving distance to any of them.
5. Help Dad fight the battle against scruff with a shaving kit from Jack Black. None of their products is tested on animals, and many are completely free of animal-derived ingredients. They've even put out an amazing shave brush made of synthetic materials for men who aren't fond of rubbing their faces on a big mound of badger hair.
4. Bust out the grill! There are a ton of animal-free grilling options that he'll happily devour. My Dad is crazy about mushrooms, but faux meats such as veggie burgers are a simple, foolproof fallback for the inexperienced chef.
3. If you're intimidated by open flames, propane, or the thought of expending effort, take Dad out to lunch or dinner. You can find vegetarian options at pretty much any chain restaurant. No muss, no fuss, and no second-degree burns.
2. Your dad should love absolutely anything made by Herban Cowboy. I found their all-natural soap at an organic grocer and spent a solid 10 minutes sniffing it through the packaging before employees started to stare. Guys, be sure to buy one for yourself too.
1. Sports fans can head to the ballpark. More and more baseball stadiums (and other venues) are carrying veggie dogs so that you can go enjoy the traditional pastime without all the cholesterol and general nastiness of eating a tube of flesh of unknown origin.
-Sean
Posted by Sean Conner
I love this.
There’s more info on the exotic skins industry here.
Joel, whom regular readers will know from his often rather lowbrow but occasionally inspired posts on this very blog, is the brains behind PETA’s online marketing strategy, and—to be fair—OMMA (which stands for Online Media Marketing and Advertising) magazine were right on in recognizing him for his work. Because he really is infuriatingly talented. Here’s what they said:
"In his five years at PETA, Joel has used his online marketing savvy to throw haterade on the Olsen twins, flaunt some sexy vegetarians and boost PETA's advocacy campaign participation by 90 percent last year alone. But he's particularly fond of "Super Chick Sisters," PETA's online video game spoof, for "calling kfc out for the company's abusive practices, like cutting off chickens' sensitive beaks, all while staying fun."
It takes a few seconds to fill out their webform, but the full OMMA article is definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in marketing, PETA, Joel, or all of the above. In the meantime, since this post is rapidly degenerating into a Joel Bartlett lovefest, I figured I’d just give in and congratulate him myself. He may never be quite as skilled as I am at medicine-themed, 8-bit Nintendo games, but the guy is unbelievably good at what he does, and he deserves the hell out of this recognition. Nice work, JB.
Last fall, PETA announced a partnership with Helium.com, a site that promotes the open exchange of ideas—something we're all for.
Now we're taking it to a new level. Announcing—drum roll please—the PETA Citizen Journalism Award! Each month, we'll name a title. All you have to do is write an article based on that title. If we think yours makes the best case, not only will you win a customized award plus a $50 gift certificate that you can use to snag swag from the PETA catalog but we'll also feature your article right here on The PETA Files. That's a pretty big deal, right? (Please say yes—those of us who post here have such fragile egos!)
To give you a head start, this month's title is "Would you eat animal-stem-cell–grown 'clean meat' to protect animals and the environment?" If you don't quite get what that's about, be sure to read about our $1 million challenge first. If you need more information to help you write your article, there's a ton of useful, fascinating stuff on GoVeg.com.
-Jeff Mackey
Today is PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s birthday. She will be turning … *muffled screams as blogger is pulled away from the computer by the hair*
Ahem. She will be turning a year older. Please join me in wishing her a very, very happy birthday. I’ll pick one commenter over the next two weeks to give away a free copy of the I Am an Animal DVD to. ‘Cuz birthdays make me feel generous like that. Happy birthday, Ingrid!
P.S. What? Come on, people. Like you guys have never kissed up to your boss? Give me a break.
P.P.S. Click here to read the terms and conditions of this contest. You’ll never guess who made me say that.
It's official in Switzerland at least, where, under a new federal law, failure to provide any "social" animals contact with others of their own kind will be legally defined as abuse. Better yet, the law requires training for prospective dog guardians and sets some common-sense guidelines regarding living conditions for many other animals, including animals on farms.
Of course, there's still room for improvement. No word yet on how the Swiss are going to square this law with the country's appalling cat-skinning trade, which has largely been ignored by authorities. The new regulations also require anglers to learn how to kill fish humanely. While it's encouraging that they're recognizing that fish are social animals, as a former fishing-contest winner, I know that the chances of finding a "humane" way to violently rip these animals from their environment to suffocate to death isn't bloody likely (though it is likely bloody).
Still, this new law is definitely a step in the right direction. It should be recognized and applauded, even while we keep up our efforts to bring about further reforms. Swiss chard for everyone!
In an exclusive interview with PETA, Sir Paul McCartney has a lot to say about why eating meat is the worst thing you can do for the environment. I just want to say this one more time, so I can relish the moment: Exclusive. Paul McCartney. Interview. OK, I’m going to shut up now, and let the man talk.
What do you think is the most personal change a person can make in their own lifestyle to help the environment? Some people often think recycling and taking shorter showers is all they need to do. What wouldyou add?
I think the biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian. Although this may seem to some like an unusual answer, the Global Meat Industry and the land & water required to service it is one of the major contributors to Global Warming. This surprising fact has emerged in research over the past fewyears. So I would urge everyone to think about taking this simple step to help our precious environment and save it for the children of the future.
What do you think about the fact that most major environmental organizations and the most prominent environmental advocates are omitting vegetarianism from their list of the top ways to help curtail global warming?
I think it's very surprising that most major environmental organisations are leaving the option of going vegetarian off their lists of top ways to curtail global warming. Of course there are many powerful businesses which would wish to resist this idea but it is becoming clearer that a simple change in peoples' lifestyles could make a major difference to our environment. What is interesting is that nowadays it is so easy to become vegetarian and so many people are reducing meat in their diet. That is a simple but extremely effective step that many people could take to help the environment and improve their own health at the same time.
How do you feel about the disappearance of birds, other wild animals and natural places around the globe?
It is such a pity that the wildlife and natural places of this beautiful planet we inhabit are being destroyed by thoughtless industrialization. This scandal can be halted and there are hopeful signs that people are starting to realize that this must be done to secure a brighter future for our children and theirs.
What do you feel is the best step for a person who is concerned about over-fishing, marine pollution and the clear-cutting of the ocean floor by commercial fisheries, to take?
Unfortunately many people seem to think that vegetarians eat fish but this is not so and when you consider the over fishing, the marine pollution and the huge damage to our precious oceans that are caused by commercial fishing it becomes obvious that a vegetarian lifestyle would greatly improve our environment and help to save ouroceans. The surprising thing is that even though many of us, including me, were brought up as traditional meat and fish eaters, it is a simple matter these days and an exciting one to consider changing your diet to a healthier one which not only brings benefits to the person who does it but also to the planet as a whole.
MySpace superstar Colbie Caillat, who’s more or less poised to take over the world after her smash hit song “Bubbly” tore up the charts this year, recently sat down with my esteemed colleague Nicole Nuss to talk about what she does to keep the animals in her life happy. She’s adorable.
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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