Written by PETA
Knowing that we adore animal-friendly cartoons and that we're often quick to embrace the bizarre, you can be sure that we're dancing in the hallways here at PETA HQ over news that artist Dan Piraro, the compassionate genius behind "Bizarro," won the highly coveted Cartoonist of the Year award at the Reuben Awards this weekend.
Bizarro has taken on a slew of animal rights topics, including cruel cat labs, horse-drawn carriages, the caging of birds,and betrayals of "man's best friend." And imagine how thrilled we were to receive this shout-out!
Seriously, you could spend an afternoon looking and laughing at Dan Piraro's many pro-animal "cartoomentaries" (that's cartoon + commentary = cartoomentaries)—or you could get your daily dose delivered right to your iPhone. I'd say doing both would be time well spent, but before you do either, use the comments section below to tell us which Bizarro cartoon is your all-time fave.
Written by Karin Bennett
Sure, Apple banned our Be Nice to Bunnies app after catching a glimpse of sexy Stephanie Pratt in the buff, but PETA doesn't hold it against Steve Jobs. In fact, we think that Jobs and the rest of the Apple crew are pretty great after learning that the App Store said "no way" to an app called iSealClub—a game in which users wield a metal-tipped club and earn points by bashing seals to death.
We'll stand side-by-side with Apple in declaring that it's "objectionable" to make light of the bloody slaughter of tens of thousands of baby seals in Canada, and we're sending Apple CEO Steve Jobs a thank-you note along with some yummy vegan chocolate seals as a token of our appreciation.
People all over the world—including President Obama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the entire European Union (EU), and so many others—have condemned the seal hunt, and the market for dead animals' skins has tanked. It sounds like Canadian seal killers would be better off playing iPhone games than spending their time bludgeoning baby animals. In fact, I can direct them to a list of apps that could teach them a thing or two about compassion.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
When it comes to all things animal-friendly, as they say, "There's an app for that." PETA's new "Be Nice to Bunnies" iPhone app featuring sexy Stephanie Pratt is the essential guide for cruelty-free shoppers. And there are oodles of other apps out there to help us with everything from finding a tasty vegan meal on the road to picking the perfect dog park. So after downloading Pratt's buntastic app, check out PETA's favorite animal-friendly apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Happy apping!
Stephanie Pratt, star of MTV's The Hills, bared her own buns for the cover of PETA's new "Be Nice to Bunnies" iPhone app, a searchable database designed by Hot Frog Creative that makes it a snap for shoppers to find cruelty-free products while they're on the go. The racy cover was deemed too risqué by Apple, though (it's OK to shed a tear) so we had to replace it with a PG version. Now the only place to see the controversial ad is here.
Want to know why Stephanie only wears fake fur and products that weren't tested on animals? Watch our exclusive interview with the future (fur-free) designer:
You can also enter to win some of Stephanie's favorite cruelty-free products. We love her—and we'd love it if you'd take her advice and follow PETA on Twitter.
Written by Heather Moore
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as "overly broad" a law meant to ban the distribution of videos depicting illegal conduct such as "crush" videos, in which animals are slowly killed under a high heel or bare foot, and videos in which animals are forced to fight or tortured in other ways—but we fully expect the Court to uphold a narrower federal statute barring distribution of vile videos that depict indisputable cruelty to animals. The bill is already in the works. And in case anyone out there who takes pleasure in others' pain is rejoicing, please take note: Abusing animals or inciting others to do so is still illegal and will result in jail time.
Caring people agree that video depictions of cruelty to animals should only be legal when their purpose is to expose—not promote—cruelty to animals. PETA's undercover footage—which shows elephants as they are beaten by circus trainers, chickens as they are scalded to death in slaughterhouses, and snakes as they are skinned alive—truly motivate, rather than titillate, viewers and inspire them to get involved and help stop the suffering. Case in point: You and me. Tell us which PETA video inspired you (and then please do a good deed by forwarding it to someone who doesn't realize what's going on in the world).
The prestigious Telly Awards "honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions." And guess who just won four—yes, count 'em, four—Tellies this year for outstanding public service announcements (PSAs)? You got it: PETA!
Eli Roth's spot about the link between animal abuse and violence against people took the bronze in the Public Service category.
Both our Thanksgiving PSA, reminding viewers that the holidays can be murder on turkeys and our too-hot-for-TV "Veggie Love" ad took silver awards in the Nonprofit Campaign category.
And my favorite, PETA's "Stolen for Fashion" ad featuring the voices of Pink and Ricky Gervais, also won Nonprofit Campaign silver:
Check it out, and then tell us which PETA PSA is your fave.
Written by Paula Moore
Just in time for barbecue season comes a new study about meat eaters showing that eating charred meat, doubles the risk of bladder cancer. Even eating fried fish and chicken can significantly increase the odds.
Other studies have already shown that eating charred meat may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Kind of makes a few ants and some clouds seem like trivial problems, huh?
So, given that well-done meats can form chemicals that can increase the risk of cancer and undercooked meats can cause food poisoning, you might want to grill some mouthwatering veggies and mock meats at your next gathering. You want to keep your guests happy and healthy and save the lives of animals—don't you?
Oh, snap! Yesterday, tattoo artist extraordinaire Brian Johnson—a hardcore vegan and PETA supporter—hit our headquarters to take pics of two "pretty in ink" ladies for his upcoming book, Tattoo Fetish Vol. I. The book won't be out until early next year, but here's a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot featuring Daniella and Shan with their rescued dogs Datona and Zoe:
Tats are all that. Check out the celebs who've stripped for PETA's "Ink, Not Mink" campaign and show that you're comfortable in your own skin by pledging to go fur-free.
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Because Anna Wintour hasn't yet realized that fur is out of vogue and therefore should be out of Vogue—and hideous images of animals suffering on fur farms do not move her—PETA will get the infamous pelt-pusher's attention with a hideous image of … herself.
As Wintour was giving a talk about nuclear physics—wait, sorry, fashion—at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, PETA members held a lively protest outside with signs featuring this picture of the Vogue editor.
We think that "Nuclear" Wintour is the perfect poster girl for the ugly fur trade. What do you think?
The last sardine cannery in the U.S. (located in Prospect Harbor, Maine) is about to close its doors, which is great news for the tiniest fish sea kittens. But another company that cuts up and packages lobsters and other sea animals wants to buy the cannery. As we all know, marine animals suffer when they are snagged on hooks, crushed in massive nets, pulled up from their ocean homes, and even boiled alive. Talk about news that'll make your Monday blue.
PETA is urging Maine Gov. John Baldacci to "can the cruelty" and turn the plant into a blueberry cannery instead. Maine produces a quarter of the country's blueberries, so switching to that business would support the local economy and let the cannery workers keep their jobs—not to mention save the lives of countless lobsters and other sea animals. Let's hope Gov. Baldacci says, "Can we do it? Yes we can (blueberries)!"
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
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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.