Written by PETA
Not since The Brady Bunch has a butcher seemed cuddly, and even then, Sam was pushing it. Now De Vegetarische Slager—the Vegetarian Butcher—is open for business in the Netherlands, and the owners are keeping animals alive and people's tummies full with their scrumptious "cuts" of faux meat. The glass cases are filled with lean, protein-rich options made from soybeans and lupin beans. Leg of lupin, anyone? Side of soybean? Finally, there's a butcher shop worth loving. While we wait for the owners to open a location across the pond, most grocery stores and health food stores stateside carry a great variety of meat-free options that aren't made by people wearing gross bloodstained aprons.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
As a seitan worshipper, I got a kick out of a recent letter that found its way to PETA's inbox: A PETA supporter (who wishes to remain anonymous) was preparing to barbeque some seitan—also known as "wheat meat"—when an image of Jesus Christ on the cross appeared in the godly gluten. Here's the photo he/she sent us:
It makes me wonder, WWJD if He knew that billions of animals live miserable lives and die violent, bloody deaths to sate our addiction to the taste of their flesh? Considering that His message is one of love, kindness, and mercy for all of God's creatures, I think that Jesus would say to hell with meat.
Right now, I'm going to practice the compassion that Jesus preached and grab some vegan eats …
OMG, there's an image of SpongeBob SquarePants in my block of tofu!
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Yes, it is, according to an audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General, which reveals that beef containing dangerous pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, and other toxins is showing up on supermarket shelves because the government has neither set limits for the chemicals nor is it routinely testing for them. Perhaps they think that people will just buy the stuff regardless!
Potentially toxic substances that can be found in meat include arsenic; flunixin, an anti-inflammatory drug that can cause stomach ulcers, intestinal bleeding, and kidney necrosis; and antibiotics such as penicillin, which can cause life-threatening reactions in people who are allergic and also contribute to the development of deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
These unregulated chemicals and drugs are just the toxic icing, if you will, on a beefcake that is already loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol and is often contaminated with deadly bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.
Sounds like a good time to mosey on over to VegCooking.com and check out some savory seitan recipes, doesn't it? For your family's sake?
Thanks to PETA Files reader Laura for sending this story our way
Written by Alisa Mullins
"Canada, if you cancel the seal hunt, I will dress up like Justin Bieber and sing one of his songs on YouTube." —Kelly Osbourne on what she's willing to do to stop the seal slaughter. Go, Kelly, go!
Kelly Osbourne really, really wants to convince the Canadian government to end the senseless seal slaughter. We're not really surprised that she chose Justin Bieber, though: The young star is Canadian, überhot, and animal-friendly.
Sign our petition and then leave a comment letting us know which Justin Beiber song you hope Kelly will cover if Canada ends the slaughter.
Written by Paula Moore
A couple celebrating their wedding anniversary in New Bern, North Carolina, got stuck with the memory of a lifetime when the horse-drawn carriage in which they were riding was struck by a car, sending them and the carriage driver to the hospital. (Needless to say: open carriage, no seat belts, no air bags.) The horse, Suzi, was also injured.
Horses like Suzi have a bad life, trying to dodge traffic—but traffic doesn't always dodge them. This couple may now have a cautionary tale to tell their grandkids, but for Suzi and other horses who are forced to bear the weight of carriages and tourists in traffic day and night in all weather extremes, carriage rides are a hard trip down memory lane. New Bern needs to join cities around the world that have put these rides out to pasture for good.
Send a polite note to New Bern Mayor Lee Bettis Jr. asking him to ban horse-drawn carriages.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
When real-estate flipper Geoffrey King heard that a 101-year-old church in the struggling town of Cairo, Illinois, was going up for sale, he came up with a plan to benefit the community. King spent a year fixing up the church and then listed the building on eBay for $50,000.
His plan? Donate half the profits to build a pool for local kids.
The heartbreaking part? Nobody bid on the church.
Well, PETA knows a little something about compassion—so we've written to King and offered to rent the church until it sells. If he agrees, we'll rename the church the "Praise Seitan Center" (because delicious wheat "meat" is truly heavenly) and use it to educate Cairo residents about how the Bible imparts a reverence for life—and a loving God could not help but be appalled by the way that animals are mistreated today. People can put Christian principles into practice three times a day, seven days a week, by eating healthy and humane vegetarian foods.
Our offer will help King save up funds for the Cairo pool and create a more kind community. I really hope he doesn't let this opportunity pass by.
Written by Liz Graffeo
In a new ad for PETA Europe, Britain's top-notch squash player James Willstrop is out to unite vegetable fans and sports fans around the world.
Once he kicked animal flesh out of his diet, James noticed a surge in his energy levels and his speed. He's used these newfound super-vegetarian powers to squash not only obesity but also the competition at several major world tournaments.
Willstrop joins other athletes—including Prince Fielder, Georges Laraque, NBA stars Raja Bell and John Salley, MMA fighters Mac Danzig and Dale Hart, and Olympic great Carl Lewis—who have risen to the top of their games on a vegetarian diet. Taking PETA's "Pledge to Be Veg" can help you do the same.
Written by Shawna Flavell
All right, I tried to resist, but it's just too easy: In honor of James, check out this delicious squash recipe.
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