Written by PETA
Heard about the "Vegan Before 6" movement? Well, how about the "weekend vegan?" That's what CNN dubbed Jessica Simpson after she tweeted about test-driving a vegan diet:
Hmm, is tofu the "gateway" food to hardcore vegan living? We hope so, and to help Jessica stay "clean," PETA is sending her a copy of our vegetarian/vegan starter kit and Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet.
What advice would you give Jessica to help her stick to her vegan diet?
Written by Paula Moore
Citing research showing that feeding antibiotics to animals on factory farms in order to promote growth "is not in the interest of protecting or promoting public health," the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending that farmers stop routinely mixing antibiotics into animal feed.
Unfortunately, just because the FDA—along with about a gazillion (give or take a zillion) other health experts who are alarmed by the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs"—recommends this, it doesn't mean that factory farm operators are going to meekly flush their arsenal of magic bullets down the drain. After all, the reason why antibiotics are fed to animals on factory farms is to keep them from dying in the filthy, crowded conditions that farmers force these animals to call home. Factory farms are prime breeding grounds for potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter, and the conditions are so putrid that millions of animals die within a matter of weeks before they are even sent to slaughter, despite being shot up with drugs. Imagine how few would survive without them.
So expect factory farm operators to fight tooth and nail to avoid giving up their pharmaceutical cocktails—because the only alternative is to improve conditions on factory farms or … gasp … to stop raising animals altogether.
While Big Ag continues to play Russian roulette with public health, you can get started kicking the drug habit today by ordering a copy of our free vegetarian/vegan starter kit.
Written by Alisa Mullins
It takes guts to challenge the multi-million-dollar-a-year industry that you've made your living from, but award-winning filmmaker and provocateur Chris Palmer has thrown open the curtain on what really happens during the filming of wildlife shows, movies, and documentaries in his new book Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom. His book reveals how corners are cut, animals are harassed, and scenes are staged all in the quest to catch the "money shot." Palmer, who admits that he himself engaged in some unethical practices while filming, is uniquely suited to expose what really goes on behind the scenes.
One of Palmer's targets is the late Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Harasser Hunter. After Irwin died, PETA took some heat for honestly pointing out that the entire premise of his show was based on harassing wild animals. Palmer validates our contention, reminding readers that Irwin invaded animals' homes, netted them, taped their mouths shut, removed them from their natural environment, and used them as living props.
Order a copy of this revealing and thought-provoking book right away, and for loads of other great reads, visit the PETA catalog.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
All the way on the other side of the world, the folks at PETA Asia are tireless in their campaigns for animals. We routinely get e-mails from them at midnight their time (and ours) updating us on their newest campaigns and victories. Recently, PETA Asia gathered a group of sexy supermodels to pose in a new ad protesting the large zoo that's on the sixth and seventh floors of a Bangkok department store!
PETA Asia fights for animals throughout a huge region, from protesting vivisection in a Malaysian laboratory and animal fights in Indonesia to weighing in on China's first-ever animal protection laws.
You can keep up with everything these folks are doing by subscribing to the RSS feed for their recently launched "Hot & Sour Scoop" blog.
With all the buzz about the guest appearance by Bristol Palin—whose unplanned pregnancy sparked controversy during her mother's 2008 vice-presidential campaign—on the July 5 episode of ABC Family's The Secret Life of The American Teenager (a show all about teenage sex and pregnancy), what better time for PETA to bust out our notorious "Sex Talk" ad?
For those of you who somehow missed the ad's previous high-profile airings, it draws the parallel between negligent people who won't spay or neuter their animal companions and parents who take a cavalier attitude toward pregnancy in a chat with their daughter:
So while we ask ABC Family to run the ad during Monday's Secret Life, will you please show it to everyone you know who has not spayed or neutered their animal companion or who might be contemplating breeding their dog? The ad is also a great way to promote conscientious attitudes among teens—and parents—by encouraging them to act responsibly and help all members of the family avoid unplanned pregnancies.
Written by Jeff Mackey
If you're counting down the days until The Twilight Saga: Eclipse hits theaters, here are a few Twi "bites" to tide you over:
Team Edward or Team Jacob? We're not supposed to take sides here at PETA, but after seeing Robert Pattinson's hilarious appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's recent Twilight special—RPattz suggests that the wolf pack has been "spayed and neutered"—I'm rooting for the vampire. You know how much we like spaying and neutering.
And Edward isn't the only member of the Cullen clan speaking out for dogs. Kellan Lutz and his rescued mutt Kola posed for PETA's "Adopt, Don't Buy" ad, and in this exclusive interview, the sexy star explains why buying animals from pet shops or breeders really bites.
If you weren't one of the lucky fans who witnessed Kellan showing off his Calvins at the Eclipse premiere in Los Angeles, here's something even better: Christian Serratos (aka Bella's friend and classmate Angela Weber) in the buff.
So tell us, who should be the next Twilight star to pose for PETA?
With the passing of Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, animals and the people who care about them have lost a longstanding and true friend. The senior senator, who was a meat cutter in his youth, evolved into a tireless advocate for animals.
Sen. Byrd's soft spot for animals, fueled by his love for his little dog, Billy, was as legendary as the passionate speeches he often made on their behalf. No one who saw it can forget the speech he gave in response to the Michael Vick scandal, in which he condemned dogfighting as "Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!"
In 2001, Byrd gave a moving speech in defense of a bill addressing cruelty to farmed animals, saying,
"Our inhumane treatment of livestock is becoming widespread and more and more barbaric. Six-hundred-pound hogs—they were pigs at one time—raised in 2-foot-wide metal cages called gestation crates, in which the poor beasts are unable to turn around or lie down in natural positions, and this way they live for months at a time. … These creatures feel; they know pain. They suffer pain just as we humans suffer pain."
A year later, Sen. Byrd led an effort to convince the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide $5 million—a record amount—for improving enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act.
In 2005, Sen. Byrd coauthored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would prohibit the transport, purchase, and sale of horses for human consumption. Versions of the bill, now called The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, have been introduced every year since then, but have yet to pass both houses. As a tribute to Sen. Byrd, please urge your U.S. representatives to at last pass this important law.
PETA named Sen. Byrd our 2007 "Person of the Year" to recognize his defense of animals throughout six decades of public service. Sen. Byrd gave a powerful voice to those with none of their own. His passionate and inspiring dedication to helping animals will be sorely missed.
One of my favorite vegan actors, Casey Affleck, is currently starring in a controversial new film, The Killer Inside Me. In it, he plays a small-town cop who turns out to be a psychotic killer. Casey always draws raves from film critics for his understated performances—and adoration from his caring fans who applaud his compassionate vegan lifestyle, a huge contrast to that of the bloody character he plays in this role.
We're giving away one five-pack of the actor's best films on DVD, including Gone Baby Gone, Chasing Amy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Ocean's Eleven, and an exclusive autographed copy of Lonesome Jim. To win it, simply create your own film title that describes the animal-friendly secret person inside you. Confused? This might help: Mine would be The Three-Tofutti-Cuties-in-One-Sitting Snarfer Inside Me. That film title might not be Oscar-worthy—but your title might land you the Casey Affleck DVD pack.
The contest ends on July 9, 2010, and we'll pick a winner (based on the most creative film title submission) on July 13, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Good Luck!
Written by Karin Bennett
It takes a big man to admit he's made a mistake, and they don't come any bigger, at least in the travel world, than Arthur Frommer. In a blog post earlier this month, Frommer expressed regret for the times that he recommended SeaWorld in his popular travel guides:
"In doing so, I was as heedless of our treatment of the animal world as most of us who traipse to zoos and never think of what it means for such cognizant animals to be contained behind bars or in tiny spaces. I received this past week a letter from an official of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), one Debbie Leahy, that makes such an irrefutable point that I, for one, am ashamed at the shallow perspective of my earlier reaction to SeaWorld.. . .Ms. Leahy is clearly right, and I have reconsidered my position. I am ashamed, I apologize for my former statements, and I will no longer recommend that tourists patronize the various SeaWorld parks."
Click here to read the letter that had such an impact on Frommer. And after you've visited his Web site to share some love, send an e-mail to SeaWorld and ask its officials if they're big enough to admit that they were wrong too.
Meet Johnnie, a badly injured black-capped chickadee who was at least lucky enough to be found by a compassionate Illinois family that called us for advice. This young bird had a broken back. PETA caseworkers guided the family through safely containing Johnnie and made sure that he was rushed to a veterinarian for assessment. Johnnie's injuries were terribly painful and debilitating, so the vet did right by him and quickly ended his suffering. Even though Johnnie couldn't be saved, the family could rest assured that they did the right thing by not hesitating to help an animal in need.
You'd have to have a heart of stone to see a struggling fledgling or other small animal and not want to help. Of course, in most cases, letting the animal's mother take care of business is exactly the right thing to do. If you see a bird or other small animal and wonder if he or she is in trouble, stand back, wait, and watch before doing anything. If the animal is alert, upright, and calm, then he or she is probably healthy and Mom is likely nearby. But if the animal is lethargic or has an obvious injury, like Johnnie, stay with the animal and call your local humane society, the SPCA, animal control, or a reputable wildlife rehabilitator for advice. If you still need help, call our emergency response team at 757-434-6285 pronto! (We are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.)
Other birds need your help right now, like the grackles who are frequently poisoned in Odessa, Texas.
Our emergency tips will give you everything you need to know about helping injured wildlife.
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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