Tragedy Seal, the socially conscious friend of Socially Awkward Penguin, has really gotten people's creative juices flowing. PETA supporters have been flocking … err … swimming(?) to our website to submit their own inspired Tragedy Seal slogans protesting Canada's annual slaughter, during which thousands of baby seals are bludgeoned or shot. 
 

 
You can see the rest of the Tragedy Seal images and share them, "like" them, and tweet them at CanadasShame.com.

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

Celebrities took to Twitter yesterday to make a huge splash for seals. We asked compassionate celebrity supporters to tweet a message to their fans telling them that the Canadian commercial seal slaughter had begun and including a link to our "It's Time to End the Seal Slaughter" donation page. So many of them responded that our Twitter page looked like an A-list party.
 

 
Supporters who spoke up for seals who are bludgeoned and sometimes skinned alive for their fur include Ellen Degeneres, who also posted it on her blog, Pink, Sophia Bush,  Daniella Monet, Jayde Nicole, Lea Michele, Vida Guerra, Alicia Silverstone, Dave Navarro, Stephanie Pratt, The Veronicas, Bill Maher, Ian Somerhalder, Diablo Cody, Sasha Grey, and, of course, Honorary PETA Director Pamela Anderson.

Get in on the action! Tweet this link to your Twitter followers: http://bit.ly/gNMLOJ. Or go to our donation page to help stop Canada's barbaric seal slaughter.

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

 
In an effort to further delay the phase out of the commercial seal slaughter, Canada has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to hold a hearing about the ban on seal products by E.U. member countries. As usual, Canada is expected to argue that its annual massacre of baby seals (who are tortured by being hooked in the eye or mouth and dragged them across the ice, where they are then bludgeoned and skinned, sometimes while still alive), is "humane." And as usual, Canada will want to keep the hearings behind closed doors.

Canadian-born singer Sarah McLachlan, who sported PETA’s seal tee on Canada Day last year, penned a private letter to Canada's minister of international trade, Peter Van Loan, urging him to make the hearings open to the public and make the materials submitted to the WTO publicly available when filed. 
  

It could take several months for the WTO panel to issue a ruling, but there is no doubt the E.U. will hold firm to its right not to buy the skins of tortured seals. You can exercise your rights by sharing a pro-seal message with your friends on Facebook or posting it to your MySpace page. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

A new viral e-leaflet is urging people to "avenge" WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whom the leaflet describes as "the prime focus of a global manhunt." We're sure that Mr. Assange has his share of woes, but hey, at least he isn't having his head bashed in. Canada's harp seals are, however, which lead us to launch a similar "infowar" on their behalf.

You can help save baby seals from being hooked, bludgeoned, and skinned alive just by re-posting PETA's new virtual seal slaughter leaflet. It's easy—just use this link to "leak" the image to your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter account. Julian Assange supporters: Feel free to join us in "kicking back" for Canada's seals.

Written by Michelle Sherrow 

 
In  Canada, you can have your pie—you just can't throw it too. PETA supporter Emily McCoy is saying au revoir to Canada after a certain tofu cream pie left her hand and wound up in the face of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. 
 
McCoy appeared in an Ontario courtroom yesterday to face charges of assault after she pushed the pie into Shea's face as part of a protest against Canada's annual seal slaughter. McCoy was spared jail time, but the judge sentenced her to two years of probation during which time she is banned from Canada, its embassies, and contact with all Canadian officials.

A New York resident, McCoy doesn't generally visit Canada all that often, although she is sorry that she won't be able to protest the seal slaughter on Canadian soil for the next two years. Hopefully, by the end of her probation, Canada's bloody seal massacre will be nothing but a sad memory, and she will be able to visit Canada as a tourist, not a protester.

If you would like to bring attention to the seal slaughter sans pastry, visit CanadasShame.com. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow                                                      

Perez Hilton, a distinguished veteran of PETA's "Best-Dressed" list, now has a new jewel for his crown—a PETA Proggy Award. His website TeddyHilton.com (named for his canine buddy) covers all things furry, scaly, and feathery, delivered with the same sass and pizzazz that Perez is known for over at PerezHilton.com. "Teddy" talks turkey about amazing animals, animal rights victories, and compassionate celebrities. 

We've been fans of the faux-fur–flaunting phenom for some time. When he learned about the barbaric clubbing of baby seals in Canada, he spoke out for the cause in our "Save the Seals" T-shirt (looking very dashing, we might add).

During Perez's photo shoot, he told us, "Everyone in their own small ways can help make the lives of animals better—on a daily basis." He and Teddy certainly are.

Congrats, Perez and Teddy! And as you would say, We Love U, BB.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Although it's not as well known as Canada's massive annual slaughter of baby harp seals, the yearly gray seal massacre in Hay Island, Nova Scotia, is just starting—and it's just as horrible and unnecessary as the other bloodbath. As Rebecca Aldworth of Humane Society International/Canada aptly describes it, "I have no other way of saying it than on Hay Island, seals are beaten to death with what looks like baseball bats in front of each other."

Last year's slaughter was called off because of a lack of support. This year, unfortunately, the seal killers lined up buyers in advance. This is why PETA campaigns year-round against the Canadian seal massacre. It's also why we (and, more importantly, seals) desperately need your help in bringing the carnage to a permanent end—especially if you live in Canada!

Written by Jeff Mackey

Just when the Canadian government thought it had figured out a way to put the money-losing seal slaughter in the black by selling seal meat to China …

Hmmm … if China doesn't want the spoils of the world's largest marine-mammal massacre, what's Canada to do? How about, um, don't club seals? Just an idea …

Written by Michelle Sherrow

And so, there I am, enjoying some vegan pancakes and perusing the morning paper, when all of a sudden I realize—that's me on the front page!

Of course, I'm fine. The blood and the bashed-in head at PETA's recent demonstration weren't real—but I truly wish that I could say the same for the suffering of my brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles …

They could really use your help, too, you know?

Written by Sammy the Seal

The European Union's historic ban on the sale of seal products was set to take effect tomorrow. This ban was poised to end the sale of all fur torn from the bodies of seals who are killed during Canada's commercial seal slaughter. But in the 11^th hour the ban was suspended by the European General Court, which was responding to a challenge launched by an Inuit group (The court decided to intervene even though the ban provides exemptions for some of the products that come from traditional Inuit hunts).

Of course, these twists and turns are expected in legal wrangling involving governments—especially the shady ones who are trying to market seal heart valves—but we're confident it'll be upheld in the end.

It's times like these that I like to turn to PETA Senior V.P. Dan Mathews, who said this about the decision:

Written by Shawna Flavell