Written by PETA
Shortly after PETA's German affiliate received information from a Bosnian whistleblower who claimed to have identified the girl caught on video hurling puppies into a river, Bosnian police reportedly also identified the girl, whose actions had prompted an international outcry. In the video (which was allegedly shot by the girl's brother), she can be seen cheerfully chucking the whimpering puppies to an almost certain death.
Earlier this week, PETA offered a $2,000 reward—and film director Michael Bay offered a $50,000 reward—for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this heinous act.
If convicted, the puppy abuser would face a fine of $6,400 under a newly adopted Bosnian animal-protection law.
Written by Alisa Mullins
PETA is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for drowning a litter of helpless puppies in the video above. Members of 4chan were able to track down the owner of the Bosnian YouTube account that originally uploaded the video and we currently have six possible leads, but the identity of the girl has yet to be confirmed. If you have information regarding this case, please contact PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department.
Written by Shawna Flavell
On Friday, Valley Meat Co. of Modesto, California, recalled approximately 1 million pounds of ground beef because of possible E. coli contamination. Frightening? Yes. Shocking? Not if you take a look at the numbers.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a typical steer will yield about 450 pounds of edible meat. Let's do a little math:
1 million pounds of ground beef ÷ 450 pounds per cow = approximately 2,222 cows
Also according to the USDA, cattle are usually slaughtered when they are around 2 years old. According to a New York Times article from 2008, a cow who is raised for beef can produce about 14.6 tons of manure each year.
14.6 tons of manure per year × 2 years = 29.2 tons of manure in a lifetime 29.2 tons of manure × 2,222 cows = 64,882 tons of manure
14.6 tons of manure per year × 2 years = 29.2 tons of manure in a lifetime
29.2 tons of manure × 2,222 cows = 64,882 tons of manure
Take a minute and process that—64,882 tons of waste! All of it carrying E. coli, a fecal bacteria. It seems inevitable that some of this nastiness would end up in the food supply at some point, doesn't it? Factory farming and the microorganisms it breeds are deadly to humans and animals, so how about reducing the waste by going vegan?
Last Monday, popular vlogger Dan Brown (not to be confused with the Da Vinci Code guy) started a new online show, Dan 3.0, which allows viewers to submit ideas and vote to determine what Dan should do over the course of the next year. One person has wisely suggested that Dan give up meat for a month, which could be a great opportunity for his more than a quarter million fans to get a taste of what it's like to go vegetarian.
To vote for Dan to give meat-free living a go, you'll have to register with the site (I did, and it's quick and easy), and then jump over here and click "Yeah, do it Dan!" And if that puts you in the mood to help other folks go veg, we can hook you up.
Written by Jeff Mackey
Meat is murder, and disturbing new facts released last week about the case of convicted British Columbia pig farmer turned serial killer Robert Pickton show just how dead-on the saying is.
The Province reports, "In Pickton's freezer were eight packages of meat both chunked and ground, some wrapped in plastic, some in butcher's paper. These were the last remains of Inga Hall and Cindy Dawn Feliks." The provincial health officer also warned in 2004 that the remains of some of Pickton's victims may have been mixed in with pig flesh sold from his farm.
It should go without saying that no one—whether they have two legs or four—deserves to be tortured, killed, cut up, and eaten, and that's why PETA ran this billboard in Edmonton after the murders:
So … who are you having for dinner? I think I'll stick to food that didn't have a face.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Eating meat can be a real pain in the behind—literally. A new study from France found that women who consumed the most protein—particularly animal flesh—had nearly three times the risk of being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and other nasty conditions that cause severe inflammation in the digestive system and often abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Researchers think that meat could contribute to IBD because digesting animal flesh produces hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and other potentially toxic "end products."
I have a gut feeling that IBS sufferers—and everyone else—would be better off switching to a diet that's kind to our digestive systems and to animals!
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
"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
As if cutting off chickens' beaks and scalding birds alive weren't dirty enough, KFC has broken some pretty foul food-hygiene rules at one of its busiest branches in the U.K. In 2008, health inspectors found mice, flies, and cockroaches during an inspection of the carry-out restaurant. Originally denying this and other violations (including failure to provide hygienic conditions for hand-washing), KFC finally 'fessed up to the charges in a recent hearing.
From mold- and dirt-covered floors, walls and ceilings in food-preparation areas to trays of bread and raw chicken caked with black grease, this KFC let it all hang out. And did I mention the three KFC employees who were photographed having a hot-tub party in another KFC's sink? That image is almost as sickening as the images in this video, which have prompted hundreds of thousands of people to sign our petition.
Written by Amy Elizabeth
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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