Written by PETA
A Donna Karan Boutique in Manhasset, New York, received some negative attention yesterday, when PETA's "Grim Reapers"—holding signs that read, "Donna, Bring Out Your Dead!"—greeted pedestrians and passing cars. The purpose of the protest was to spotlight DK's continued use of fur in her collections—even after we've made several attempts to educate her on the hideous cruelty of the fur industry. Check out photos from the demonstration below!
Our Grim Reaper didn't take any lives, but as DK's fatal record shows, she can't claim the same. Her refusal to drop fur from her collections only continues to support cruel practices such as anal electrocution and drowning.
Donna Karan needs to take a hint from her compassionate fashion counterparts and go fur-free. Because seriously, DK, how many animals are you going to kill to make your ugly fur coats?
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
Like pretty much everyone else on the planet, we at PETA have a YouTube account. Unlike (most) other accounts, we use ours to broadcast and share PETA's funny and provocative ads and public service announcements. Turns out that some of our ads may have been a little too hot for TV YouTube.
After uploading our "Sexy Celebs" video—which features some of our best, hottest, and "nakedest" celebrity ads—we found that, within the week, the video had been rejected and our account temporarily suspended. Oops! Sorry, YouTube! We knew that PETA's ads are often too hot for TV—but we didn't know that you would object to a little friendly side-boob too!
Though YouTube might not be too happy with our video (maybe we'll work on one using burkas soon), we're still more than happy to show it to you if you promise to pass it on. Behold—a video you won't find anywhere else!
It's not just side-boob that YouTube has recently banned. They have also banned other videos of ours in the past, including our (actually pretty tame) "When I Grow Up" video and footage from our Turkey Farm Investigation. Give them a look and judge for yourself! Do you think YouTube was right to ban these videos?
Written by Sean Conner
The tabloids are constantly filled with breathless speculation about who various celebs might be sleeping with. But we already know who a few lovely stars are taking to bed: their mutts!
Some celebrities who are hooked on rescued mutts include Sandra Bullock, Simon Cowell, Kristen Bell, and—hopefully—even the next president of the good ol' U. S. of A. And according to ecorazzi, actor Kate Bosworth is so used to sharing her sheets with her mixed-breed rescue dog that any man who can't deal with those sleeping arrangements will find himself bounced. Of course, mutts are so cute that it's hard to resist a snuggle.
Even if you're not a star—and so many of us aren't these days—you can still get in on the mutt-loving action by entering your mixed-breed dog in PETA's Cutest Mutt Alive contest. PETA is celebrating mutts because they are typically healthier and live longer than their purebred cousins who are pumped out by puppy mills and other breeders. Plus, every mutt is one of a kind!
Written by Jeff Mackey
Our friends at ecorazzi have pointed out one of the coolest auctions going on at eBay right now—the auction to win those ridiculous (in an awesome way) faux-fur boots that Stephen Colbert wore in his Christmas special.
That's right—the next time you find yourself in your log cabin, hiding from a bear and singing a duet with Willie Nelson, you can be doing so in classic Colbert style! Stephen apparently claims that the boots are made of yeti fur—and fur from make-believe animals is the kind that I like best.
The auction ends tomorrow, so act now! The costume pieces worn in "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All" are being auctioned off one at a time, and all of the proceeds are going to Feeding America. Pretty sweet, right?
Of course, the auction has already raised more than $1,000, so if you don't have an extra $1.5K to shell out on some memorabilia but still want to look snazzy, you might consider these vegan faux-fur boots from MooShoes. Um, holiday wish list, anyone?
Written by Amanda Schinke
Last Friday, as you know, was a very special Friday—Fur-Free Friday! In the hope of stopping people in their tracks if they were about to buy fur, PETA members all over the world were busy encouraging shoppers to cross the cruel stuff off their shopping lists.
In Aspen, Colorado, a pair of rockin' "snow bunnies" snowboarded on 6 inches of fresh snow and straight into people's hearts. Snowboarding in a bikini? Now that's dedication! And check out those boards—where can I get one of those?
Meanwhile, more "bunnies" were on hand in all parts of the world, including Moscow, Helsinki, and Reykjavík, asking passersby to "love us, don't wear us." Oh, bunnies, how could anyone wear you?
And finally, PETA activists in New York were giving away fur coats to the only people who have any excuse to wear them—the homeless. PETA held a "fur kitchen" at a Manhattan homeless shelter, where they gave donated fur coats to men and women who can't afford to buy their own sources of warmth.
If, by the way, you're still wondering what to do with the fur coat you haven't worn since you found out how cruel the fur industry is, you might consider donating it to PETA, where it might become part of an education display, provide bedding for an animal in need, or keep a homeless person warm on freezing nights.
Great job and a big thanks to all the activists who took part in Fur-Free Friday events! If you participated in any of the festivities in your city or town, post a comment sharing your story!
Our recent demo in Kansas City was really, really crappy. Which was good, considering that we were handing out toilet paper. You see, we staked out a local steakhouse and greeted patrons with T.P. that was embossed with a special meaty message. Why give away this fly two-ply? Someone needs to tell meat-eaters that they're full of crap.
And here’s a close-up from our Columbia demo:
Consider this nasty little nugget of truth: A lot of the flesh from the 10 billion animals who are killed for meat in the U.S. each year is contaminated with E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, and other dangerous bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts and feces of animals. Just think about it: Animals on today's factory farms are crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy sheds and slaughtered on killing floors that are contaminated with feces, vomit, and other bodily fluids. Is it really any surprise that these unsanitary conditions breed bacteria? Um, that would be a hell-to-the-no!
With more than 75 million cases of food poisoning each year in the U.S.—70 percent of which are caused by contaminated animal products—no one can deny that tainted meat is a major health threat. Plus, even if the bacteria in your burger doesn't kill you now, the saturated fat and cholesterol might lead to obesity, heart disease, and certain types of cancer later on down the road.
Our demonstration also made it down to Omaha. Check out these fantastic pictures:
That said, what would you like on your veggie burger?
Written by Amy Elizabeth
Calling all football fans! The results are in, and it looks like this year's contenders for the most vegetarian-friendly NFL stadium fought all the way to the end zone. These stadiums satisfied the hungriest of the hungry with delicious munchies ranging from the oldie-but-goodie veggie burger to the more exquisitely prepared Garden Harvest vegetable crudités.
Get out your pen and paper and jot down PETA's Top Five Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums; because even if your number one team isn't listed, you're going to want to make a point of traveling to these stadiums! Get ready! Drum roll, please ….
5. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers) In fifth place is the home of the Green Bay Packers. These fans really know how to "pack" in the vegetarian bratwurst and PB&J! My question: Does that bratwurst come with a heaping side of sauerkraut? Delish!
4. Metrodome (Minnesota Vikings) Sittin' in fourth place is the Metrodome, where vendors offer Gardenburgers and Blimpie's vegetarian sandwiches and salads.
3. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles) Philly might have taken home top prize for having the number one vegetarian-friendly baseball stadium this year, but on the football side of things, the city ranks third with hungry helpings of the classics: veggie dogs and veggie burgers.
2. McAfee Coliseum (Oakland Raiders) Just out of first place is McAfee Coliseum. One could eat for days here snacking on veggie dogs, veggie burgers, baked potatoes, and fruit cups!
1. Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego Chargers) And congratulations to … Qualcomm stadium! With bean burritos, veggie sushi rolls, vegetable wraps, veggie hot dogs, and Gardenburgers, the avid sports fan can pile his or her lap high with mouth-watering goodies. Heck, you can buy enough in one trip to last the whole game!
Of course, two more contenders deserve honorable mentions: Fed-Ex Field (Washington Redskins) for its black-bean veggie burgers and vegetarian wraps and Paul Brown Stadium (Cincinnati Bengals) for its Gardenburger, hummus with pita bread, and various salads.
Whether you're a soda and veggie dog kinda sports fan or lean more toward a fruity wine and grilled bratwurst, these stadiums will have something to satisfy even your strongest fourth-quarter hunger pangs. So, go on and cheer—now you really have something to shout about during Monday Night Football!
Thanksgiving is over and everyone is getting in the wintery, "Christmassy" spirit … but hey, don't forget about my favorite holiday of the year! Fur-Free Friday! While most people are hittin' the shops at 4 a.m. to dig through bargain bins and trample their neighbors to grab those $5 iPods, animal activists are going out of their way to remind holiday sale shoppers not to include fur on their shopping lists this year (or any year, for that matter).
We're working hard today to tell mallgoers that cruel, furry designers like Donna Karan are so out and that awesome, fur-free designers like Stella McCartney are so in.
Since I'm feeling extra faux happy today, I'd like to share with you some pictures of anti-fur street demonstrations from around the globe to get you in the Fur-Free Friday spirit. Enjoy and have a wonderful, safe, and cruelty-free holiday:
Written by Christine Doré
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope your Tofurky was excellent—I know mine was. Since it's a holiday and all, we've got a little something for you. Check out our fantastic Thanksgiving e-card below, and enjoy the rest of your day. (And don't forget … tomorrow is Fur-Free Friday!)
In this letter dispatched to the real President Bush, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk asks him to send this year's "pardoned" turkeys to a proper Washington, D.C.–area sanctuary rather than to a theme park or working farm, where pardoned turkeys are traditionally sent and where they usually die from their painful genetic defects within the first year—or even within days of arrival.
You've probably guessed that pardoned turkeys aren't as "blessed" as this tradition hints at. Like all factory-farmed turkeys, the birds are pumped full of drugs and bred to grow so large so fast that their little legs aren't able to support their massive, unnatural size. As a result, the birds suffer crippling injuries and painful deformities—serious and sometimes fatal conditions that theme parks and working farms don't handle appropriately. Footage released earlier this month from an undercover investigation at a turkey factory farm in West Virginia shows the tremendous stress put on these birds' bodies and the pure hell these animals are put through.
So, President Bush, please give these birds a fighting chance rather than a sad show for the nation, and in return, we'll send you and your family a delicious cruelty-free Thanksgiving meal including Tofurky, meat-free stuffing, and all-American vegan apple pie with vanilla soy ice cream. Oh, and as a bonus, we'll try to forget some of your pronunciation slips and speech mishaps through the years. After all, Thanksgiving is about forgiveness and giving thanks.
Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky
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.
Follow PETA on Twitter!