Written by Michelle Kretzer
The carcass-cooking food trucks that signed up for the barbecue competition at D.C.'s Meat Week got thoroughly smoked—by a pig, a cow, and some meat-free meatballs.
PETA members and their costumed counterparts set out to give Meat Week attendees some flesh-free options, but as it turned out, meat-free was the only way to be: The food truck chefs couldn't handle the cold temperatures and retreated inside. The iron-fueled vegans, however, stayed out to greet passersby and share the secret behind their resilience:
The event's organizers might not have been outside handing out meat, but they did have to hand it to our dedicated demonstrators. And in return, the PETA members offered the organizers a taste of compassionate fare that hopefully left them feeling a little warmer toward animals.
Jerry wasn't the outgoing, center-of-attention type. Even as a young calf, he seemed to possess the peaceful, quiet air of a wise old man, content to spend warm afternoons gazing out across the landscape with his best friend by his side.
Jerry enjoys a quiet afternoon with his friend Patrick. Courtesy of the Cow Sanctuary
But Jerry's early life was anything but serene. Rescued during a PETA investigation of a filthy dairy factory farm that supplied Land O'Lakes, Jerry was crippled, infested with lice and ringworm, and nearly blind from pink eye. He and another calf were taken in by the Cow Sanctuary, and with considerable love and medical care, they healed.
Instead of being killed for veal, as is the fate of most male calves in the dairy industry, Jerry spent his life as every animal should—exploring his surroundings, enjoying the company of friends (especially his pig friend, Patrick), and reveling in treats and love from his guardians.
Last week, with his health declining, Jerry was euthanized. He left this world as quietly as he lived in it, but the steer with the gentle spirit left a permanent mark on the hearts of those who loved him.
Farewell, sweet Jerry.
Written by PETA
In honor of President’s Day, we bring you this account, in Abraham Lincoln’s own words, of a pig he knew as a little boy, which was published in the anthology The Speaking Oak, by Ferdinand C. Iglehart:
“That pig was my companion [at age 6]. I played with him, I taught him tricks. We used to play ‘hide and go seek.’ I can see his little face now peeping around the corner of the house to see whether I was coming after him. After a while he got too heavy for me to carry him around, and then he followed me everywhere—to the barn, the plowed ground, the woods. Many a day I have spent in the woods brushing the leaves away and helping him to find the acorns and nuts. Sometimes he would take a lazy spell and rub against my legs, and stop in front of me, and lie down before me, and say in a language which I understood: “Abe, why don’t you carry me like you used to do?”
“There was talk about the house of the hog being fat enough to kill. At the table I heard father say he was going to kill the hog the next day. My heart got as heavy as lead.
“The next morning … I slipped out and took my pet with me to the forest. When father found out…he yelled as loud as he could, ‘You, Abe, you, Abe, fetch back that hog!’ … The louder he called, the farther and faster we went, till we were out of hearing the voice. We stayed in the woods till night.
“On returning, I was severely scolded. After a restless night, I arose early and went to get my pig for another day’s hiding, but found that father had arisen before me and fastened my pet in the pen. I knew then all hope was gone. I did not eat any breakfast, but started for the woods. I had not gone far when I heard the pig squeal, and knowing what it meant, I ran as fast as I could to get away from the sound.
“Being quite hungry, at noon I started for home. Reaching the edge of the clearing, I saw the hog, dressed, hanging from a pole…and I began to blubber. I could not stand it, and went back into the woods again, where I found some nuts that stayed my appetite till night, when I returned home. They never could get me to take a bit of the meat…it made me sad and sick to even look at it.”
Honest Abe wasn’t able to save that pig, but you can save one today, by going vegan. Find out how to get started by checking out our online Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit.
Here's some free financial advice from MoneyWatch: If you want to save money, go vegan. Beef and dairy prices are expected to rise by 5 percent in 2011. Pig meat—or "pork" to those who like to pretend that they're eating something other than the flesh of a dead, dismembered pig—will likely cost 3 or 4 percent more next year too.
And people who are actually willing to fork over money for a turkey's corpse have to fork over a whole lot more of it this year, largely because of a 56 percent increase in feed costs. (Yet another reason why I'm passing on turkey!)
The real savings of going vegan can't be put in a bank—animals' lives, the environment, and good health (well, unless you count all the money you save on healthcare costs)—but vegans do tend come out ahead in the supermarket check-out lane, so it simply makes cents (get it? sense?) to go vegan.
Written by Heather Moore
Earlier this week, we told you the cautionary tale of a pork rind–munching trucker who nearly choked to death. Now we turn your attention to a report about a man who, after shooting and butchering a domestic pig, took a bullet himself after his dog stepped on the loaded rifle that the man had placed on the front seat of his pickup truck. The man is expected make a full recovery.
So here's some food for thought: If pig-eaters aren't concerned that their habit is cruel to animals. and dangerous to their own health and the environment, will the increasing threat of cosmic justice convince them to drop the chops? Your thoughts?
Written by Karin Bennett
Reality-show contestants Gino D'Acampo and Stuart Manning have been charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly killing and eating a rat in Australia's Outback while filming Britain's I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.
It seems like only yesterday that PETA sent its first plea to television producers, at the time it was for Survivor, begging them to leave animals alone. In fact, the outcry after contestants in a subsequent season chased, stabbed, killed, and cooked a pig on Survivor: The Australian Outback prompted a change in Australia's laws to make it illegal to torture and kill animals for entertainment. Apparently, execs at IACGMOOH missed that memo.
I bet they'll pay attention now, especially since IACGMOOH contestant George Hamilton told the Mirror that execs gave the go-ahead for the kill. (Worth mentioning: Hamilton notes that the rat, who was the main course in D'Acampo's "rat risotto," was a camp worker's companion animal.)
Australia dishes up cruelty to animals in many forms, but it beats the U.S. when it comes to laws that protect animals from television show abuses. Reality-show stars everywhere are hopefully taking note and will think twice next time they contemplate torturing an animal for ratings.
Mike White's dog looks like a pig—and for that, we're grateful. It was Mike's unique-looking canine companion who first inspired him to try a vegan diet—and now the creative mastermind behind such quirky comedies as Year of the Dog, School of Rock, Nacho Libre, and The Good Girl has stepped in front of the camera to star in a brand-new veggie testimonial for PETA.
"You know I have a dog who looks like a pig," Mike explains in the PSA, "and I would look at him and I'd think, 'You know, I cannot eat pig anymore.'"
It's true—there are so many reasons not to eat pigs. One of them is that they are even smarter than dogs.
Mike also sat down for an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview, in which he told us of yet another great reason to go vegan—for your health!
Let's see: Saving animals' lives and drastically improving your health. If you're wondering where you can sign up for such amazing rewards, look no further.
Written by Amanda Schinke
A recent article on UsMagazine.com notes that Octomom Nadya Suleman is considering adding another member to her brood.
No, she's not thinking about having any more babies (at least as far as we know). She's considering bringing a pig into her home.
Actually, into her home isn't quite correct. She wants to buy a pig, put a diaper on him or her, and have him or her live outside—because of the smell.
Pigs are intelligent, social creatures with complex needs. Throwing such a sensitive animal into a mix of 14 kids who won't understand him or her—and expecting him or her to live outside—is no way to treat a family companion.
So, we've written Nadya to ask her to reconsider her plans. Instead of adding another mouth to feed, we hope that she'll focus on the 14 that she already has.
And if compassion doesn't change her mind, hopefully the fear of pig flu will.
Written by Shawna Flavell
The little pig, named Zhu Jianqiang or "Strong Pig," was trapped under rubble and emaciated after only eating charcoal and drinking rain water to survive!
In light of the tragic Midwest floods—in which pigs swam for days to get to safety, only to be shot to death, which is just one horror story among so many—the rescue of Strong Pig from the rubble of such a devastating natural disaster is a beautiful glimmer of hope, right? I told you this was heartwarming. These pigs—who were supposed to be slaughtered in two parts of the world where pork is a staple food—desperately struggled for their lives right along with humans, and it leave no doubt as to pigs' commonality with us.
While knowing that this little guy has a safe place to lay his head from now on is reason enough to love this story, I've got to admit to the little kick that I get out of thinking about the folks who view these intelligent beings as no more than "food" getting a glimpse into the human-like quality of their dinner.
Few things in life go together as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly or pigs and mud, but music and animal rights is definitely one of those perfect pairs.
It's been a sad few years since a little band by the name of Weezer—you may have heard of them—have had any new tunes. Well, the boys with those oh-so-catchy-lyrics are back with a brilliant self-titled album (a.k.a. The Red Album), which was just released on June 3. And here's the really terrific part: The bonus track, "Pig," contains a great animal rights message. Here's an excerpt:
But now, I've got to dieI've lived a good lifeI've got no complaintsI'd like to thank farmer keepFor bringin' me scraps of food that I could eatHe always had a smile on his faceHe didn't want to think of this dayIt's finally here It's finally here They called me pigThey called me pigWhen I was a baby, I was so happyI played with my friends in the mud
Now promise me you'll go out and buy a copy of The Red Album in support of Weezer's animal-friendly lyrics (and their two vegetarian band mates). Thanks, Weezer, for taking on the plight of animals through your songs.
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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