Written by PETA
Starting with Tricky Dick, every president in office has issued proclamations supporting America's "sportsmen and women," i.e. wildlife killers. President Obama recently followed suit by naming September 26 "National Hunting and Fishing Day."
In response, PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk has asked President Obama to declare a "National Wildlife Amnesty Day" in honor of the 95 percent of us who prefer to shoot wildlife with cameras, not guns. That's right: Only a puny 5 percent of Americans stalk, maim, and slaughter deer, bears, and other animals—and many former fishers have cast their rods aside after learning that fish sea kittens feel pain.
Folks, "wildlife management" and "conservation" are euphemisms used to describe programs that ensure inflated numbers of animals for hunters to harass, maim, and kill. If left alone, animal populations would regulate their own numbers. Those who truly care about wildlife donate money to save habitats—without expecting a dead body as a trophy in return.
Written by Karin Bennett
McDonald's billboards boast "Billions [of patties of slaughtered animal bits] Served." But in a recent New York Times article, the restaurant chain tries to downplay the slaughter of millions of hoki, a breed of fish sea kitten, for its restaurants each year.
Why is McCruelty so shy all of a sudden?
The fast-food giant, which refuses to ease the worst cruelties inflicted on the billions of chickens killed for its restaurants, now finds its Filet-O-Fish Sea Kitten under scrutiny. Hoki, the main ingredient in McDonald's fish sandwich, are dragged (along with other "unintended" victims) from the depths of their ocean homes by huge factory trawlers off the coast of New Zealand. Now alarm bells are ringing as environmentalists realize that hoki populations are dwindling.
Considering McDonald's indifference to the suffering of the factory-farmed animals who are killed for the cheap, unhealthy crap it sells, we suspect that the company won't give a hoot about hoki either.
But there is hope for hoki (and other animals)—if you go vegetarian and join our McCruelty campaign.
Lookin' fierce with her new do, Freeda Fish—er, I mean Sammy the Sea Kitten—has hit the road and is handing out plush sea kitten toys across the country to children visiting aquariums. She wants the kiddies (and their parents) to know that sea kittens, like land kittens and puppies, are sensitive, intelligent animals who feel pain and deserve respect—and who definitely shouldn't be cruelly confined to aquariums, violently killed for food, or painfully hooked for "sport."
So far, kids have been eager to embrace Freeda's new persona, but who do you prefer—Freeda Fish or Sammy the Sea Kitten?
Written by Liz Graffeo
Caravans of caring Phish phans are sure to put their phins, er, hands together and cheer when they learn that PETA has asked the legendary jam band to change its name to Sea Kittens.
After all, sea kittens are phriends, not phood—they are intelligent beings who have unique personalities, and they feel pain, just as puppies do. People would be outraged if billons of Phidos were dragged out of their homes in massive nets and left to suffocate to death.
I'm crossing my fingers that Phish will agree. Check out these lyrics from the band's live track, "A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing":
(Run away, run away, run away, run)A song I heard the ocean sing(Run away, run away, run away, run) Shining light in darkness deep
Swap "run away" with "swim away" and it appears that Phish is warning sea kittens to escape the fishing trawlers, doesn't it?
Orlando Magic center Dwight "Superman" Howard recently revealed that his favorite movie is Finding Nemo. (Pause for the resounding "aww" as readers imagine this 6' 11" Defensive Player of the Year watching the animal-friendly animated classic.)
While that's great all by itself, Howard has also reportedly said, "Fish are friends." Dwight, we couldn't agree more, and we hope that your kind words will inspire fans and other athletes to realize how awesome sea kittens are.
Maybe Dwight's next step will be to consult John Salley about fish-free cuisine …?
Written by Christine Doré
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)—the same group that refuses to denounce the cruel force-feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras or the confinement of mother pigs to metal crates barely larger than their own bodies—have yet again proven that their hearts are as cold as their stethoscopes.
The AVMA plans to team up veterinarians and employees of Pike Place Fish Market for a dead fish sea kitten toss at its upcoming convention in Seattle. The event organizers promise that the event will be "outrageously fun."
Come again?
My gut tells me that the AVMA wouldn't dare try to organize a dead cat toss—so why not show the same consideration for sea kittens? The AVMA is turning a blind eye to the deaths of billions of sea kittens who suffocate on boat decks or are cut open while they are still conscious—all thanks to the cruel fishing industry. And those sea kittens feel pain, just like land kittens do.
Conventiongoers could get a uniquely Seattle experience by spending a few hours at the Experience Music Project and then visiting the Space Needle—a fun and cruelty-free afternoon.
Just last week, Neal Wanless, a 23-year-old rancher from Todd County, South Dakota—the seventh poorest county in the country—claimed a whopping $232.1 million Powerball prize in one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
Now that he's roped himself some serious coin, we're asking him to spare a little change (career change, that is). We wrote to Neal asking him to put his family's 320-acre ranch out to pasture and retire the remaining cattle, sheep, and horses to a sanctuary. We're really hoping that Neal's generosity is as big as his oversized check, cuz ranched animals get a seriously raw deal that can include neglect, mutilation, genetic manipulation, and drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling.
So Neal, here's our appeal: Kick up your heels, go for bust in Branson, do Dollywood, buy a closet full of those two-toned Garth Brooks shirts—whatever—enjoy life—you deserve it. Just don't forget about all those animals back at your ranch. They deserve to enjoy the rest of their lives too.
Written by Amy Elizabeth
Everyone is sexiest when sporting compassion, and Charlize Theron proves the point! Out for a stroll on a Malibu beach the other day, not only did Charlize take along her two lucky rescue dogs, she also brought out a message to help all dogs by sporting PETA's newest "Fight Breedism" T-shirt.
Want to mimic Charlize's style? You can buy one of our "Fight Breedism" tees here.
Written by Shawna Flavell
On Sunday, a group of visitors to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium took part in what can only be described as one of the most morbid lessons in fish appreciation that we've heard of.
After aquarium patrons had had their fill of staring at aquatic animals in glass prisons, they were taken to a back room and taught how to cut up and make raw sushi out of the dead cousins of the fish and crabs they'd just oohed and aahed over.
It's all part of the aquarium's "Right Bite" program, which aims to teach people that they can continue eating fish as long as it's not an "overfished" species. What the program fails to teach its students is that all ocean animals, whether bluefin tuna or Dungeness crabs, feel pain when they are drug up from their watery home in a net and forced to suffocate on the deck of a ship. Did they miss the recent study about crabs?
This institution says it "connects people to the living world," but it actually teaches visitors—including children—that fish are just things: food without feelings. Any way you slice it, that's just plain wrong.
From the category of "Well, duh" comes this story out of Copenhagen: A Danish journalist was found guilty this week of deliberately killing 12 guppies and, logically, of violating animal protection laws.
In an effort to demonstrate the toxicity level of a shampoo, TV host Lisbeth Koelster poured shampoo into an aquarium and, lo and behold, almost all the guppies were poisoned to death.
I'd say that's about as far from protection as you can get.
Of course, the journalist's lawyer argued that the charges were erroneous—I guess sea kittens don't warrant protection? "Fish are killed by suffocation in industrial fisheries and we throw live lobsters into boiling water," he said, "but we don't press charges against fishermen or restaurant owners."
Well! If that doesn't just give us ideas ….
Written by Amanda Schinke
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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