Written by PETA
PETA's party for New York Fashion Week was a smashing success, even by Fashion Week standards. Hosted by Project Runway's Tim Gunn and Olivia Munn, the celebrity guests included Taraji P. Henson, Joan Jett, reality stars Lo Bosworth and Stephanie Pratt, and fashion designers Todd Oldham, John Bartlett, and Marc Bouwer, plus many others. They all partied at Stella McCartney's chic New York City boutique while listening to tunes spun by DJ Lady Bunny and munching on delicious vegan hors d'oeuvres.
Tim, looking dashing as always, screened the riveting anti-fur video that he narrated for PETA and spoke about how killing animals for their fur is never in fashion. "I'm on a campaign to get as many fashion designers as possible to stop using it," said Gunn. "I'd just like to sit with them and have a talk and ask, 'Is it really necessary?'" And when Tim Gunn talks about fashion, people listen.
Henson, the latest beauty to bare it all for animals, unveiled her sexy new ad and told the party attendees that she stopped wearing fur after channel-surfing and coming across the "I Am an Animal" documentary about PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. What she saw changed her entire perspective on fur, and she resolved to help others see the light."You don't have to kill an animal because you want to be hot and fly," she said. And she promised the crowd to keep on pushing to get fur off the streets.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
Snow is great when you're watching it through your window with a soy hot chocolate, but imagine being in harness, dragging a cart full of tourists through slush and ice all day, without even a blanket—despite temperatures in the teens—and with nothing but iron between you and the pavement. Doesn't sound like such a happy holiday to me. And when you call the ASPCA, they mumble that they really can't do much. Go figure! That's why PETA supporters Alec Baldwin, Calvin Klein, Todd Oldham, Kathy Najimy, and our very own Golden Girl, Rue McClanahan, have joined together to sponsor our holiday ad calling on New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages!
You remember our Kristen Johnston ad in which she appears as Lady Godiva on a (fake) horse? That ad reads, "Don't get taken for a ride. Horse-drawn carriages are cruel." With help from our famous friends, our ads are going to appear on the tops of hundreds of NYC taxis throughout the holiday season!
It certainly helps to have kindhearted friends in Hollywood places, especially when you're defending those with no voices of their own. Hopefully, this will remind anyone looking for a ride that there are kinder alternatives! So remember, if you're lucky enough to be in New York for the holidays, make sure to save a horse and ride the subway!
Written by Lianne Turner
The latest spread in Us magazine features our favorite fur-toting trolls as they exemplify the ugly side of fashion. The haggard crones just can't seem to get enough of killing animals for their fur, whether they're wearing it, designing with it, or paying someone to rip it off the backs of animals.
When PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews was asked about a photo of Hairy-Kate dressed in a hideous fur vest, he said, "Fur adds 20 years and 20 pounds. Maybe Mary-Kate thinks this sad vest made of a dozen dead animals will make her look matronly and deflect the gossip about bulimia."
Think you've got a snappier remark? You know we want to hear it, so comment below!
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
We're all about New Year's Resolutions here at PETA. Mine is to quit eating so much delicious vegan junk food and start cooking healthier vegan meals. Pop star Katy Perry had a similar idea when she said, "I try to want to be a vegetarian 'cause I know it would be more of a healthier option for me."
She's right! On average, vegetarians and vegans weigh 10 to 20 pounds less than their carnivorous counterparts, and cutting animals from your diet solves all sorts of other health issues as well. So, if you were thinking about trying to lose weight for the New Year, taking our "Pledge to Be Veg" is a safe bet! Just to give Katy a little extra encouragement, we decided to send her a copy of Skinny Bitch and a basket full of yummy vegan food! Not only that, we sent her a list of vegetarian restaurants to visit on her January 2009 tour. It should come in handy when she's trying to eat healthy on the road.
So kudos to Katy for a smart New Year's Resolution! Not only would her new diet give her more energy to perform, but it's an easy way to save energy, the environment, and animals as well. Happy New Year, Katy!
Do you have an animal-friendly resolution? Let's hear it!
First there were sea kittens. Now, I give you sea puppies:
Volkswagen's commercial for the new SpaceFox car shows a half-dog, half-fish animal and his loving guardian. We think it's sweet that this "sea puppy" (as I like to call him) is his human's best friend, and it even reminded us a little of our campaign! The sea puppy reminds viewers that fish have personalities, just like dogs—even if they aren't so great at playing fetch. And that's why we are nominating Volkswagen for a Glitterbox Award! Glitterbox Awards are given to companies that portray animals in a positive manner, and we think VW is quite deserving in this case.
We know that dogs and fish both need love, so it's awesome that Volkswagen can encourage the world to think of them as intelligent creatures who can be part of the family—not part of dinner.
Every year in Canada, over 330,000 harp seals are bludgeoned to death as the world looks on in horror. Recently, opposition to this cruel industry has been mounting and the international community is speaking out against this bloody massacre. Belgium and the Netherlands have passed laws banning the importation of seal fur, and the E.U. is turning its back on seal skin. Here in the U.S., the sale of seal fur has been banned since 1972.
In an attempt to save this industry, Canada has implemented new standards aimed at making the hunt more humane, including the following:
Talk about setting the bar low.
I'm sorry, but impaling baby animals in the jaw with hooks, dragging them across the ice, and throwing them into a pile where they choke on their own blood before skinning them for the sake of fashion does not fit anyone's definition of "humane." These laws are a pathetic attempt to misguide shoppers, but the industry is not changing at all. Canada, if you really want to improve the lives of seals, won't you please ban the seal hunt immediately?
Written by Liz Graffeo
We all know about the horrific treatment of animals killed for human consumption, but a lot of us dog guardians haven't stopped to think about what we're feeding Fido for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Recently, a University of Florida student investigated Moses Dog Food company (based in Ocala, Florida) to find out what's in your dog's bowl. Check out the video below to see what the student discovered:
The majority of dog and cat food comes from factory farm–raised animals who failed to meet standards for human consumption, falling into one of the "Four D's" categories—dead, dying, diseased, or disabled. Does that sound like something you'd want to feed your dog?
Luckily, there are plenty of humane non-animal alternatives available, such as the legendary V-Dog vegan dog food available on our Web site. We've also got vegan pig ears and treats for you to stock up on—so get shopping!
For the rest of the investigator's photos and contact information for the company so that you can voice your concerns, please visit "The Meat They Eat."
OK. So I'll admit that I'm a sucker for a good list. Grocery lists, "to do" lists, Christmas lists (wait, that was last week)—you name it. Lists are a fantastic source of information (see our favorite lists), as demonstrated by this bit of list gold I found while browsing Time Magazine's "Top 10 Fashion Faux Pas" list: Vogue editor Anna Wintour is number one. Ha!
While she may not have made it into Time for the same reasons that she tops our unfashionable lists, Anna has long been on our radar for her furry ways, and frankly, we're not surprised that she topped Time's list as well. I mean, we've told her time and time again that fur comes from tortured animals who are often skinned alive, but the woman is as cold as her name implies. Check out our ad featuring the faux pas queen herself:
G'day, mates! I'm stoked to tell you that the blokes in Victoria, Australia, have given the flick to cruel mousetraps. It's a rip snorter of a decision, and our hats are off to ya. Onya, Aussies!
Translation: Hello! Great news: The government in Victoria, Australia, just passed its new and improved Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regulations and (drum roll, please) glue traps are now highly regulated and can only be used by commercial pest-control operators and only after they get approval from Victoria's agriculture minister. This is a landmark victory for animals and will significantly cut down on the number of glue traps used in Victoria. Yay!
It seems the whole world is realizing that glue traps are cruel and unnecessary (it's about time!). Animals who become trapped in the sticky adhesive substance suffer for days before succumbing to starvation, dehydration, suffocation, and shock. The torturous conditions drive animals to rip off patches of skin and fur while struggling to escape, and many even attempt to chew off their own limbs. Safeway, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, the Dollar Tree, and now the whole state of Victoria have banned the cruel traps. So come on, Lowe's! Won't you please stop selling them already?
You know what's even more amazing about Victoria's new regulations? The passing of the updated resolutions not only strictly regulates glue traps but also does the following:
You can check out the full version of the regulations here.
Anyone up for a victory barbie?
There's nothing I'd rather do than write PETA's blog while everyone else is dancing and drinking Mojitos … Wait, I mean shoveling their cars out of a snowdrift or still stranded at an airport! Around this time last year, I mentioned once or twice how much I love "Top 10" lists. Well, while some things change, like Paris Hilton's furry ways—my love of lists, however, remains. And it seems I'm not the only one at PETA …
And so, I give you the "Top 10 PETA Top 10 Lists," as agreed upon by consensus by me.
10. PETA's Top 10 Patriotic AdsBecause I was going to put our "Sexiest Vegetarian Soldiers" on this list until I realized that we only announced five winners (one for each branch).
9. Top 10 Best Meals in Norfolk, VirginiaBecause I wrote the list. And I like to eat.
8. Top 10 'Ditch Exotic Skin' CampaignsBecause the cold-blooded exotic skins industry is just as bad as the fur industry.
7. Top 10 Animal-Friendly SuperheroesBecause I'm a nerd. That's right!
6. Top 10 Impotence AdsBecause how many organizations or companies could compile a list of their top impotence ads?
5. Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly PrisonsBecause in some places prisoners get so obese they have to let them go. No joke.
4. Top 10 Most Karmic Moments for Animal Abusers in 2008Because you get what's coming to you.
3. Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly BallparksBecause it's a classic! Come on, Norfolk Tides—let's get you back on the Minor League List next year!
2. Top 10 Most Over-Bred DogsBecause it is shocking and absolutely awful how much breedism is out there. I cringe every time I hear someone ask what type of breed an animal is.
1. Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Tuna or Salmon Because people kill so many fish for food each year. But ya know we also have lists for pigs, turkeys, cows, and chickens.
What's noticeably missing from this list? Along with um … PETA's Top 10 Products to Stock Your Desk With and 28 years' worth of other top 10 lists, you might also notice the absence of peta2's popular annual Top 10 Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges. Well after my alma mater lost in the final round to someone else's, I'm still demanding a recount!
And lastly, if that's not enough for you, I suggest you check out our Top 10 Reasons to Go Vegetarian in 2009.
Written by Joel Bartlett
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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