Written by PETA
And, this week's 10% Wool "Tag and Release" winner is ... Beth Ann! Congratulations.
Don't forget to check out the archive of past 10% Wool comic strips here. Get more information on the series and the writer here, and learn how to get Jeff's other comic, DeFlocked, into your local paper here.
It's déjà vu all over again, and it'll probably have you wondering: What is PETCO thinking? Other than, "Hey, we can make some money!"
A PETA undercover investigator worked for more than three months at Sun Pet Ltd., an animal dealer in Atlanta that sells hamsters, mice, gerbils, birds, fish, and other small animals directly to PetSmart, PETCO, Pet Supplies "Plus," Petland, and Walmart. He documented that animals were cruelly killed, abusively handled, and kept in severely crowded, filthy conditions. Surprised?
PETA's investigator witnessed numerous abuses. A worker put hamsters in a plastic bag and bashed them against a table in an attempt to kill them. He also reported that many sick and injured animals died after PETCO and PetSmart stores returned them like damaged goods to Sun Pet without enclosing any food or water for the long journey, instead of providing them with veterinary care or ending their suffering.
PETA turned over the investigator's findings to law-enforcement authorities. This morning, officials descended on Sun Pet's massive warehouse.
Sun Pet sells hundreds of thousands of animals annually, just like U.S. Global Exotics (USGE), the exotic-animal dealer that PETA investigated late last year. That investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 26,000 animals, the largest animal seizure in history. (Perhaps also not surprisingly, Sun Pet has ties to USGE. Before that hellhole was raided and shut down, Sun Pet purchased hamsters from USGE and then sold them to PETCO stores, among others!)
This is PETA's fourth exposé revealing the abusive and filthy conditions endured by animals who are eventually sold at PETCO stores and our third exposé revealing conditions for animals who are eventually sold at PetSmart stores. Please tell PetSmart and PETCO in no uncertain terms to stop selling animals in their stores.
PETA investigations amply demonstrate that appalling neglect and abuse is just business as usual for companies that buy and sell living beings, so please tell your coworkers, friends, and everyone you know not to shop in their stores.
Written by Alisa Mullins
It's Earth Day, and because one of the most effective ways to fight climate change is to stop consuming animal flesh and other food ingredients derived from animals, we want to know what actions you are taking to help others realize that "meat's not green." Tell us about your efforts in the comment section, and you might score the eco-chic "Tofu Never Screams" tote as well as PETA's reusable, BPA-free water bottle.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Two entries drawn at random will win both the tote and the bottle. The contest ends on April 29, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on May 3, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Happy Earth Day!
Written by Karin Bennett
Move over, Smart car: There's an even smarter car in town. Unlike some so-called "green" carmakers that offer leather seats and trim, Wheego Electric Cars will not use a stitch of cow (or any other) hide in any of its models. That's why we go for Wheego, and we're awarding it our Proggy Award for the Best Green Car Company of 2010.
Including real leather in a car that's touted as "eco-friendly" is pretty fake (yes, we're talking to you, Smart car). Most leather is chrome-tanned, even though the Environmental Protection Agency classifies chromium as a hazardous waste. Studies have also found that groundwater near tanneries is tainted with everything from arsenic and lead to cyanide and PCBs and that human cancer rates are higher in those areas.
If you want to green your ride this Earth Day, why not give leather-free Wheego a spin?
Written by Paula Moore
Honorary PETA director Bea Arthur had no intention of letting a little thing like, say, death stop her from speaking out against cruelty to animals. The Golden Girl is taking on the Golden Arches' chicken abuse in a full-page PETA ad in Thursday's Chicago Tribune—paid for by Bea herself through a gift in her will.
PETA members dressed in black will also hold a spirited protest outside a downtown Chicago McDonald's to mark the ad's debut and the one-year anniversary of beautiful Bea's passing.
Will Bea's plea from beyond the grave inspire McDonald's to lessen the hellish suffering of the chickens who are killed for its restaurants? Please join Bea and PETA by taking action and urging McDonald's to demand that its suppliers switch to a less cruel slaughter method called controlled-atmosphere killing. If Bea's eternal activism has inspired you, please also consider joining PETA's Augustus Club (which Bea helped launch) to ensure that your efforts to help animals live on long after you've gone!
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
I'll take a Venti soy mocha Frappuccino with no whip, please. (Oh, how I've longed to utter those words.) Apparently, Starbucks has been getting all those requests that I've been stuffing into its suggestion boxes, because it's introducing vegan Frappuccinos nationwide starting May 5!
Frappuccinos − dairy = frozen dream come true. And did I mention that Starbucks also carries yummy vegan cookies? Sweet.
Via Quarry Girl
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Where is my dog Henry's ball? If only it glowed in the dark like a Galaxy Glow dog toy from Premier!
Sure to please your pup, these easy-to-find-even-in-the-dead-of-night toys are perfect for an after-hours game of fetch. Want to fetch one? Just tell us about something your dog does that makes you glow (with love, of course). The two people whose comments most make us go "aww" will score a football. Your comment should also include the size of your dog, so that we can hook him or her up with the right-sized weird and wonderful toy.
While I'm checking under the couch cushions for Henry's ball, please read the fine print: The contest ends on May 5, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on May 7, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Good luck!
Scarlett Johansson and Tobey Maguire have already let their congressional representatives know that they support HR 4870, the Healthy School Meals Act, which would require schools to offer more vegetarian options in cafeterias. Now it's your turn: Today, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is hosting a School-Lunch Lobbyist Call-In Day. Please call your representative and politely ask him or her to co-sponsor HR 4870. You might also want to mention that you can't stomach cruelty to animals or greasy, cholesterol-laden mystery meats and pizza boats—and that you're sick of hearing your classmates chant, "Fatty, fatty two-by-four, can't fit through the classroom door."
Anyone can call—students, parents, teachers, and everyone else who's ever set foot inside a school cafeteria or shuddered to think what they're being served in one. It only takes a minute and it's much easier than a math quiz.
Written by Heather Moore
Stephanie Pratt, star of MTV's The Hills, bared her own buns for the cover of PETA's new "Be Nice to Bunnies" iPhone app, a searchable database designed by Hot Frog Creative that makes it a snap for shoppers to find cruelty-free products while they're on the go. The racy cover was deemed too risqué by Apple, though (it's OK to shed a tear) so we had to replace it with a PG version. Now the only place to see the controversial ad is here.
Want to know why Stephanie only wears fake fur and products that weren't tested on animals? Watch our exclusive interview with the future (fur-free) designer:
You can also enter to win some of Stephanie's favorite cruelty-free products. We love her—and we'd love it if you'd take her advice and follow PETA on Twitter.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as "overly broad" a law meant to ban the distribution of videos depicting illegal conduct such as "crush" videos, in which animals are slowly killed under a high heel or bare foot, and videos in which animals are forced to fight or tortured in other ways—but we fully expect the Court to uphold a narrower federal statute barring distribution of vile videos that depict indisputable cruelty to animals. The bill is already in the works. And in case anyone out there who takes pleasure in others' pain is rejoicing, please take note: Abusing animals or inciting others to do so is still illegal and will result in jail time.
Caring people agree that video depictions of cruelty to animals should only be legal when their purpose is to expose—not promote—cruelty to animals. PETA's undercover footage—which shows elephants as they are beaten by circus trainers, chickens as they are scalded to death in slaughterhouses, and snakes as they are skinned alive—truly motivate, rather than titillate, viewers and inspire them to get involved and help stop the suffering. Case in point: You and me. Tell us which PETA video inspired you (and then please do a good deed by forwarding it to someone who doesn't realize what's going on in the world).
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.
Follow PETA on Twitter!