Written by PETA
Hey, everyone! You may remember my previous post about the bearskins investigation. Well, this has generated a ton of media coverage, which is excellent, but this article in particular really caught my eye.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was quoted in the article as saying, "Some alternatives to real fur are already in use by the Royal Artillery and others, and we are in discussions with PETA to identify an improved fake fur."
Wha?! If by discussions, they mean PETA Europe talking and the MoD isn't listening, then yeah … I guess you could say there've been some awesome discussions.
Thanks, MoD, for pulling out the PR train on this one, but we know better! Click here to see the letter that PETA Europe sent to the MoD today, and don't forget to take action on this issue!
It looks like Dickerson Park Zoo had a loose kangaroo on its property last week. But don't fret: He wasn't escaping—he was protesting! In fact, it was actually a PETA member dressed as a kangaroo, but hey, now we're just splitting hairs.
Documents received by PETA reveal that in 2007, the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri, "donated" a kudu and a kangaroo to Buddy Jordan, a notorious animal dealer who has been featured in numerous media investigative reports, all of which documented that Jordan sold animals to hunting ranches, operators of exotic-animal auctions, exotic-animal breeders and dealers, unaccredited zoos, and pet owners. Check out the news story about this demo here.
PETA animals in entertainment specialist (and my "donkey basketball"-fighting pal) Daniel Hauff was quoted at the protest as saying, "Investigative reports show that Buddy Jordan sells these animals to exotic-animal auctions, breeders, and dealers; hunting ranches; and unaccredited facilities."
To read more about this issue and to take action, please click here.
While we at PETA obviously would prefer if people never chained their dogs and always let their dogs inside, we acknowledge that this is not a reality in many situations.
It's this amazing commitment and selfless passion from our staff that makes me so proud to work for PETA. For example, check out this story from my good friend Sarah about her recent straw delivery trip:
"A few weeks ago, we were delivering straw in North Carolina and came across this one house that had two male pit bulls chained up outside. Their names were Tyson and Ali, (go figure, right?). Ali was very healthy and pretty buff, and then there was Tyson—I could see from 20 feet away that he was underweight. Tyson was maybe 30 pounds, and he is 3 years old. He was the sweetest dog in the world. The moment we touched him, he knew we weren't there to hurt him and he hugged us. He looked up at us with the saddest eyes, as if they were asking us to save him.
"As I was standing there giving him probably the first loving touch he'd ever had, I noticed that there was blood on my hands. As I looked down, I saw it was all over his neck under his chain collar, which had dug into his neck and was cutting up his skin (probably starting to grow around the collar). We were able to switch the collar. We wanted to give him a longer tie-out, but we couldn't because if he got within Ali's reach, Ali would attack and more than likely kill him.
"We filled both doghouses with straw to keep the dogs warm for the rest of the winter, and as we were leaving, we saw Tyson snuggle in his wonderfully warm doghouse. This is why I spend my free time delivering straw to outside dogs. It makes a world of a difference to them."
To see how you can help chained dogs in your area, please click here.
The AP story points out that human waste and animal waste from factory farms contaminates water with drugs, but back in July 2006, PETA discovered that animal laboratories are also contaminating water with pharmaceuticals. Our report showed that at places like Covance, animals are pumped full of massive quantities of test drugs that still haven’t even been approved by the FDA. The animals pass some of the drugs out of their bodies when they pee and poop and this waste is hosed down the drain–toxic drugs and all–and ends up in our water supply.
Now with all the attention on water safety, we’re doing our best to convince Chandler, Arizona (where we've been working with activists on this issue for some time now) to not let a Covance facility set up shop in their city.
Check out this awesome letter that our senior researcher Alka sent to Chandler, Arizona, and check out our official PETA report on this issue too.
This could be a great victory for animals if we can convince residents and government officials in Chandler, Arizona, not to allow this hellhole in their city! Thanks to Alka and the anti-vivisection team for all their hard work!
Leave it to music legend Sir Paul McCartney to launch one of PETA's best veggie testimonials yet!
"Many years ago, I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realized, 'I am killing him—all for the passing pleasure it brings me.'" So says Sir Paul McCartney in his brand-new ad campaign for PETA. "And something inside me clicked," he continues. "I realized as I watched him fight for breath that his life was as important to him as mine is to me." The ad concludes, "I Am Paul McCartney, and I Am a Vegetarian."
Paul's new ad is also kicking off PETA's newest Web feature where fans can go to hear what their favorite stars have to say about kicking the meat habit. Check it out here!
Hey, everyone! I wanted to tell y'all about A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World, a new documentary by the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA). The film has several scenes depicting very powerful footage of animal suffering. According to JVNA's Web site, A Sacred Duty reminds viewers that it is "our responsibility to apply Jewish teachings to how we obtain our food, use natural resources, and live among other creatures whom God created. It offers simple, practical measures for reducing our impact on the planet."
JVNA is offering free DVD copies of A Sacred Duty to religious groups, educational institutions, environmental organizations, cultural clubs, the media, Jewish film festivals, and others who will arrange showings. Click here to contact JVNA and request a copy.
You can view the film in its entirety online. Check it out here.
Thanks, JVNA, for showing everyone that the suffering of animals raised for food should be taken into account by those concerned about the environment and for reminding people about Jewish values of compassion for animals.
My mom is a Cajun woman straight from the dirty south. She's loud and proud and makes food so spicy it'd make you slap your grandma. When I was 13-years-old I announced to my parents that I had made the life decision to never eat meat again (ya know, the whole decomposing animal flesh just didn't appeal to me). My parents were both very supportive, but one question remained… what on Earth would I eat?? We were so used to the heavily meat-based world of Cajun delicacies that it was tough at first.
However, being the wonderful mother that she is, my mom and I started inventing vegan versions of the most delicious soul food that I'd been used to for so long. One of the recipes even made it to VegCooking.com (check out my mom's vegan gumbo recipe by clicking here). Dirty rice, gumbo, jambalaya, cornbread dressing, every traditional Cajun dish eventually gained a vegan version. I was thrilled! No more side-dish-only-Thanksgivings for me!
When I moved to Norfolk to start my job at PETA, I discovered another world of delicious vegan substitutes for other traditional dishes (which you can read about here). My point is, vegetarians and vegans are hot and we deserve the best. I urge you to remember one of your favorite meals from before you took the pledge to be veg and recreate it vegan-style because I guarantee that not only will it be delicious, but it'll be way better for you this time around (not to mention there'll be no animals harmed in the process).
Bear baiting is so cruel it has been banned in British Columbia and in many U.S. states, and is condemned by the majority of Canadians and by numerous hunting and conservation groups as being cruel and unsportsmanlike, yet black bears continue to be cruelly slaughtered in Canada.
Alexia over at the PETA UK blog has all the latest on conservative MP Ann Widdecombe's public unveiling of this shocking footage at the House of Commons. Click here to get the entire scoop!
Please click here to join us in contacting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and ask him to help end bear baiting in Canada. Plus, I created this action alert, so you know it's an important one!
I'm sure ya'll remember Jack's tease on this sexy new ad from last week … well lucky you! The time has finally come.
Click here to read the full feature and enter to win the pleather bikini that Jenna wore in the ad! Jenna will unveil the new campaign, which was shot by top celebrity photographer Gavin Bond, as part of Los Angeles Fashion Week.
What's up PETA Files readers! You may be familiar with our recent University of Washington action alert (made by yours truly, so you know it's a good one). Well, PETA recently threw a demo in regards to this alert causing an attention-grabbing article to come about.
Nearly 100 PETA supporters gathered in front of a University of Washington animal research laboratory last week for a very compelling protest. So compelling, in fact, that it persuaded Seattle-Pi columnist Robert Jamieson Jr. to write this excellent article, comparing the torture that primates go through in labs to the horrors of Abu Ghraib.
Check out the article here and if you haven't yet, please take action on this important campaign here and ask the National Eye Institute to stop funding these cruel experiments at the University of Washington and everywhere.
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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