Written by PETA
Pamela Anderson was as perplexed as we were to learn that despite Denmark's recent ban on cruel fox-fur farms, some in the country's royal family still wear fur. Perhaps the Queen is harking back to her girlhood, when fur was integral to the royal robes, but since she enjoys all the other trappings of a modern life, it’s time to lay cruel stodgy fashions to rest. Pam penned a letter to Queen Margrethe II explaining that all fur means animal suffering:
Undercover investigations into fur farms have shown cruelty to animals across the board, from Denmark to the United States. Most fur comes from China, where animals—including dogs and cats—are bludgeoned and even skinned alive for their fur, as seen in this short video. Minister Eva Kjer Hansen of Denmark stated, 'Mink breeders break animal welfare rules. And that is unacceptable.' Animals trapped in the wild are no better off: Many suffer for hours and even chew off their own limbs to escape.
Hopefully, Queen Margrethe II will join the scores of leading ladies, including Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni, who refuse to wear fur. Until she does, we have a feeling she hasn't heard the last from Pam.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
It was unseasonably hot on Capitol Hill when PETA's Lettuce Ladies arrived for the annual Congressional Veggie Dog Giveaway. The leafy lovelies were greeted by a long line of people anxiously awaiting their arrival, ready for food and photo ops.
Joining the Lettuce Ladies in the wearing of the green were Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door winner Kate Veltkamp and runner-up Udara Perera. Kate's costume, made of real lettuce leaves, was a huge hit.
Patriots would have been proud to see so many members of Congress and their staff lining up for healthy veggie dogs and faux-chili dogs. While the crowd was waiting, they chatted with PETA staff, learning about how pigs suffer on factory farms and that flesh-based hot dogs contain noses, toes, anuses, and other "undesirable" body parts, while veggie dogs are made of healthy (and tasty) plant protein.
Everyone agreed that the food was delicious, and some told us that they were ready to go vegetarian or vegan.
The just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture food guide, "MyPlate," turns the old food pyramid on its meaty, fatty head and replaces it with a dish loaded with fruits, veggies, and grains. Meat has been replaced with "protein," which includes beans, nuts, and seeds, and milk has been booted to the side, with soy milk suggested as an option.
"We know that there are significant health benefits from consuming more fruits and vegetables, and that's an opportunity for us to sort of move away from some of the meals that we've been preparing in the past," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "It doesn't take a lot [of effort] to [fill] your plate with half fruits and vegetables." And vegetarians enjoy lower risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters do, according to the American Dietetic Association.
Finally—some government nutrition guidelines that are easy to swallow! Learn more about filling your plate with healthy veggies by ordering a free PETA vegetarian/vegan starter kit.
One of the things that I like most about Michelle Obama (besides her penchant for home-grown veggies and her rockin' biceps) is her sense of style. A fashion icon who has been compared to Jackie O, Michelle O is notably fur-free.
In the hopes of persuading the FLOTUS to banish all skins from her closet, PETA sent her a stylish faux-leather jacket from asos.com.
In a letter accompanying the jacket, we explained how cows raised for their flesh and skin endure branding, dehorning, castration, and tail-docking, all without painkillers. At the slaughterhouse, many are improperly stunned, meaning that they are skinned and dismembered while still conscious.
I look forward to seeing how great the perennially polished patriot looks in her cruelty-free coat and the example that she'll set for stylish and conscientious American women.
Michelle Obama's promotion of the IRS's breast-pump tax break is getting mixed reviews. Tea Party star Michele Bachmann, who one would think would be in favor of any measure that lowers taxes, blasted the new rule, saying that it gives new meaning to the term "nanny state." Sarah Palin, who, as governor of Alaska, declared October "Breastfeeding Awareness Month," now apparently believes that encouraging breastfeeding is a plot to divert Americans' attention away from the high price of cow's milk. (Good news, Sarah: The prices of soy and almond milk are coming down!)
But the IRS ruling does have its supporters, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups that lobbied for the breast-pump tax deduction.
Numerous studies indicate that babies who are breastfed are healthier. Conversely, babies who are fed cow's milk "receive inadequate amounts of [v]itamin E, iron, essential fatty acids, and excessive amounts of protein, potassium, and sodium," according to the AAP. (In fact, the AAP recommends against feeding cow's milk to children under 1 year of age.)
Cow's milk has been found to cause or aggravate many common childhood ailments, including runny noses, allergies, ear infections, bronchitis, and asthma. For the many children who are lactose-intolerant, milk consumption can lead to stomachaches, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Studies have also linked cow's milk to more serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, autism, juvenile diabetes, and even cancer.
America's cows are definitely on board with efforts to boost breastfeeding. They'd prefer to nurse their own babies, thank you very much.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Donna Karan is thumbing her nose at compassion by launching a clothing line that's dripping with dead rabbits. And so PETA's finest, armed with protest signs and toy bunnies, held a demonstration outside a political fundraiser that was being held in New York City yesterday. The fundraiser had been organized by both Karan and "fur-free and fabulous" first lady Michelle Obama. The animal defenders made sure that everyone within earshot learned that Donna Karan is a "Bunny Butcher."
There was a tremendous amount of interest in this anti-fur demonstration—the first of its kind in New York this fall. The protest was covered by Gothamist and NBC, and follow-up stories continue to emerge.
Written by Karin Bennett
Maine might be known for its harsh winters, but you'll never catch first lady Karen Baldacci wearing a real fur coat, no matter how far the mercury drops. PETA recently sent surveys to first ladies across the country asking whether they've joined Michelle Obama and France's Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in shunning fur, and Baldacci was the first to respond, stating, "I am an animal lover. Absolutely no fur. I do own faux [fur] but don't wear it often." She added, "[PETA] is a wonderful organization."
For her refusal to support an industry that profits off the anal and vaginal electrocution of dogs, cats, foxes, minks, and rabbits, we're sending Baldacci a box of vegan chocolates donated by Maine's own Harbor Candy Shop.
Written by Logan Scherer
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. —Martin Luther King Jr.
Countless prominent African Americans throughout history have used their influence to stand up for animals, and this month we celebrate their inspiring efforts. Civil rights leader Coretta Scott King extended her kindness toward humans to animals by going vegan. The late comedian Richard Pryor, who won our Humanitarian Award in 1999, tirelessly urged KFC and McDonald's to treat chickens humanely and spoke out on behalf of the elephants abused by Ringling and other circuses.
Today, fur-free First Lady Michelle Obama and awareness-raising media mogul (not to mention PETA's 2008 Person of the Year) Oprah Winfrey continue the historic trend of African Americans defending animals. Author and social thinker Cornel West, record producer Russell Simmons, and community leader Rev. Al Sharpton are among the many who have ensured that Richard Pryor's legacy lives on by asking KFC to stop abusing chickens. And many more—including Tyra Banks, Tony and October Gonzalez, John Salley, Nia Long, Gilbert Arenas and Amar'e Stoudamaire—have worked with PETA in campaigns to stop the exploitation of animals. Join us this month in honoring these generous and compassionate black men and women.
If you're left scratching your head after reading this blog's title, allow me to translate: That friendly greeting is Kiswahili for "What's the news?" The response, "Ujima," is today's Kwanzaa value.
Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days during the week between Christmas and New Year's. Each day is marked by a do-gooding ideal called by its Kiswahili name. Today is day three, Ujima, which means collective work and responsibility. (Saturday and Sunday were Unity and Self-Determination, marked by the "unifying determination" of my family to nab the last bit of Grandma's famous holiday sweet potatoes!) The idea of Ujima is to take on the problems of our neighbors and work together to solve them. In the spirit of this lovely holiday, we thought it apropos to focus on how to help those who can't help themselves.
Please be encouraged to take action anytime you see an animal in distress. Volunteer at your local animal shelter to give animals in need a bit of holiday cheer, or call the authorities about that dog in your neighborhood who is chained outside without proper shelter in this unforgiving weather. And of course, always remember to make sure that the animal companions you're lucky enough to share your home with are given proper care and all the cuddles they can handle!
Another Kwanzaa tradition is to pay respect to someone of African heritage who has contributed something significant to society. Today, I choose the generous Richard Pryor for his unending efforts to stop the abuse of animals. Who do you pick?
Joyous Kwanzaa everyone!
Written by Missy Lane
When I hear "Christmas spectacular," I think snow, lights, and a tree—really, it doesn't take much to make me happy. For the twisted folks at Loro Parque in Spain, however, it's apparently not Christmas without some animal exploitation. Wholesome and heartwarming? Yeah, right.
There was nothing festive about the death of a captive orca's trainer during the rehearsal for the zoo's Christmas performance. The whale hit the trainer, who drowned after being underwater for several minutes.
Freedom must've been first on this orca's Christmas wish list. Orcas swim up to 100 miles a day in the open ocean, so confining them to tanks in theme parks is like confining a person to a bathtub. Captured from their ocean homes by boats that chase orca pods to shallow waters so that the animals can be surrounded with nets that are gradually closed and lifted onto the boats, some orcas die from shock or stress. Others slowly succumb to pneumonia when water enters their lungs through their blowholes. After they are torn away from their homes and families, these animals are then forced to learn circus-style tricks from trainers who withhold food and isolate animals who refuse to perform.
At the top of my New Year's wish list? A PETA theme park in which the only "animals" forced to perform are the animatronic kind.
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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.