The PETA Files

PETA to Philippine Airlines: Ground the Monkey Business!

Jeff Mackey — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Check out these pictures from two recent protests held by PETA and PETA Asia-Pacific outside Philippine Airlines' offices in San Francisco and Manila, respectively. At stake: the lives of primates shipped by the airline to the U.S. for delivery to experimenters, who will imprison, abuse, and kill the terrified animals.

Philippine Airlines is one of only three major airlines still transporting primates to laboratories. According to documents obtained by PETA, Philippine Airlines shipped 190 macaque monkeys—crammed into tiny crates—from Indonesia to Los Angeles in 2012. All the monkeys were transported in dark, terrifying cargo holds below the feet of unsuspecting passengers.

From L.A., the monkeys were trucked to a Texas quarantine facility run by infamous Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories before being finally transported to the University of Washington in Seattle. Monkeys at this laboratory are commonly infected with diseases, have holes drilled into their skulls, and are deprived of food or water in order to force them to cooperate in experiments.

For the past few months, PETA and PETA Asia-Pacific have been trying to work with the airline to end this practice. Now that talks have broken down, PETA and its affiliates have launched an international protest campaign by holding demonstrations and asking supporters to call the airline's San Francisco office to press officials to end shipments of primates to laboratories. (At one point, the airline was so overwhelmed with calls that it stopped answering its phones!)

How You Can Help

PETA and its international affiliates will continue to protest outside Philippine Airlines' offices worldwide until the carrier bans the transport of primates for experimentation. Please politely urge Philippine Airlines to stop shipping monkeys to laboratories by calling airline officials at 415-217-3150 and by participating in PETA's online action alert.

Celebrities Protest at Miami Seaquarium to Free Orca Lolita

Michelle Kretzer — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Forty years is a long time to be stuck in a bathtub.

But that's reality for Lolita, an orca who has been imprisoned in the tiniest orca tank in North America—at the Miami Seaquarium—since she was captured and torn away from her family more than four decades ago. She has no other orcas for companionship.

But two of Latin America's brightest stars have set their sights on freeing Lolita, and they won't stop until she has been liberada.To show the Seaquarium that they mean business, actor and TV host Natalia Villaveces and her friend actor Patricia De León led a spirited bilingual protest at the Seaquarium.

Natalia also released a new public service announcement in English and Spanish urging everyone to boycott attractions in which marine mammals are held captive. "They [are] forced to swim in circles and perform meaningless tricks for people who probably have no idea how sad and miserable they are," she said.

Please join Natalia, Patricia, and animal advocates around the world in spreading the message that marine-mammal parks are where happiness tanks.

An Adoption That Was Meant to 'Bea'

Alisa Mullins — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Remember Bea, the extremely cute dog we told you about last month?

After we featured her on this blog and on our Facebook page, a kind woman spotted her irresistible mug and, well, couldn't resist it. But what really sealed the deal was the fact that Bea was the woman's grandmother's name, so she figured that adopting this winsome little gal was "meant to Bea."

The only hitch in the plan? The adoptive family lives in Massachusetts, 550 miles from Bea's foster home near PETA's headquarters, the Sam Simon Center in Norfolk, Virginia. But PETA fieldworker Kelly Kercheval rose to the challenge and volunteered to make the 12-hour drive to Bea's new home. Fortunately, the pup proved to be an eager traveler and seemed to relish the chance to relax and see the sights.

Bea now has a spacious new 1-acre fenced yard that she enjoys running around in. She has three canine siblings to play with and has already claimed the prime real estate on the couch. Her family reports that she loves having her tummy scratched more than just about anything else in the world.

What You Can Do

If you are interested in adopting an animal, visit your local shelter or keep an eye on this blog for available animals. E-mail Adopt@peta.org if you would like to be added to our list of potential adopters.

Man Who Chained Dog in Garage Barred From Owning Animals

Alisa Mullins — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:00:00 GMT

For at least three long years, Nigel's "home" was a dark, waste-filled, and dank garage in Hampton, Virginia. Chained to a wall, the dog was never let out of the garage—ever—and was forced to live amid his own urine and feces.

The chain had become rusty and corroded after years of being dragged through his waste, and his feet were covered with sores and urine burns. His eyes oozed pus, probably from irritation caused by ammonia fumes from the urine-covered floor.

After the home was foreclosed on, Nigel's owner moved out—but Nigel was left behind. His owner stopped by occasionally to dump some kibble into a plastic tub. A compassionate neighbor alerted PETA's Community Animal Project to Nigel's plight, and our fieldworker, finding the elderly dog surrounded by pools of urine and piles of feces, unable to reach his food, and with only brackish water to drink, immediately got permission to free him from his prison and swore out cruelty charges. After taking Nigel outside to give him some food, she realized that his back legs were so atrophied from lack of exercise that he could barely stand.

Because of Nigel's advanced age, his many serious medical problems, and his having gone mad from years of solitary confinement in what was essentially a filthy, stinking cave, it was decided that this terrified old fellow had endured enough, and he was euthanized to end his suffering.

This week, Nigel's owner went before a judge. After seeing the photographic evidence that PETA's fieldworker had provided of Nigel's horrific living conditions, the man pleaded guilty. The judge sentenced him to 90 days in prison but suspended the jail time as long as he stays out of trouble. He was also ordered to reimburse PETA for Nigel's medical care and, most importantly, was prohibited from ever owning animals again.

What You Can Do

If you ever suspect an animal is being abused or neglected, alert the authorities right away. Your call could free an animal like Nigel from solitary confinement and get his or her owner sentenced to jail instead.

Viola Davis: Ready to 'Help' Elephants Abused by Circuses

Jeff Mackey — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:30:00 GMT

Two-time Tony winner and Oscar nominee Viola Davis has sent a letter to state legislators in Rhode Island urging them to support proposed legislation to prevent elephants traveling with circuses from enduring bullhook abuse and long periods of chaining. Davis was raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and attended Rhode Island College.

The star of the hotly anticipated Ender's Game hopes the bill will bring about an endgame for the well-documented elephant abuse by circuses that travel within her home state, including Ringling Bros., Cole Bros., and Piccadilly Circus.

Davis joins Alec Baldwin, Jada Pinkett Smith, Demi Moore, Olivia Munn, and many others—both famous and not so famous—who have spoken out against the use of bullhooks and other practices that cause elephants and other animals forced to travel with circuses to endure great physical and emotional damage.

If you live in Rhode Island, join Viola Davis in asking your state legislators to support the ban on bullhooks and the chaining of elephants. But no matter where you reside, please do your part to end circus cruelty.

USDA Slams Bristol-Myers Squibb With Fine Over Monkey Deaths

Jeff Mackey — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:25:00 GMT

Following a complaint from PETA alleging the painful and horrific deaths of two monkeys at the hands of pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not only confirmed the allegations and cited the company for egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act but also took the additional rare step of fining the facility $2,625 for the violations.

PETA submitted the complaint to the USDA after a whistleblower reported that a monkey and a rat had been scalded to death at a Bristol-Myers Squibb laboratory in New Jersey when their cages were run through the high-pressure cage washer with the animals still inside. The trapped animals endured intense agony and terror as the blistering-hot water burned their flesh.

The whistleblower also reported that another monkey strangled to death after she was attached to the front of her cage—apparently by some sort of tether—then left unattended. PETA's complaint asked the agency to investigate these deaths and to hit the corporation where it hurts—in its bank account.

We hope the fine has gotten Bristol-Myers Squibb's attention, and PETA—which holds stock in the company so that it can raise these issues with the board and stockholders—will continue to push for an end to relying on cruel and unreliable animal tests by switching to superior, modern non-animal methods. Please ask Bristol-Myers Squibb to make sure that these recommendations are implemented.

Kids Put the 'Rad' in Colorado

Alisa Mullins — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Accompanied by his own former "shelter dog", Sky, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law last week naming animals adopted from shelters Colorado's official "state pet." Colorado is the first state to distinguish—and promote the adoption of—animals from shelters in this way.

The law was spearheaded by students at Peakview School in Walsenburg and Rooney Ranch Elementary school in Lakewood as part of a school project to learn about the legislative process. Kids attended a Senate committee hearing to testify in favor of the bill. One legislator's rescued dog, Angus, also took part.

At the hearing, 14-year-old Peakview student Roger Arellano reminded legislators that raising awareness about the need to adopt animals from shelters is "a matter of life and death."

In recognition of their achievement, PETA Kids has honored students at both schools with Compassionate Kids awards, and we've also sent thank-you notes and vegan chocolates to the bill's sponsors as well as the governor.

IRS Harassed PETA, Too

Alisa Mullins — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:45:00 GMT

"Tea partiers" aren't the only ones who've been fixed with the gimlet stare of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Social-action groups such as Greenpeace, the NAACP, and PETA have also been targeted by the agency, and PETA is calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to expand the recently announced criminal probe into the IRS' activity to include several audits that targeted PETA's tax-exempt status.

PETA has been subjected to three lengthy, expensive, and disruptive IRS audits, including a 20-month one during the George W. Bush administration, which IRS agents conducting the audit admitted was the result of the agency's bowing to pressure from members of Congress with ties to the meat, the experimentation, and other industries being targeted by PETA campaigns and/or seeing their workers forced to answer to cruelty-to-animals charges as a result of PETA investigations.

PETA came through each IRS audit with a clean bill of health, but it doesn't say a lot for our democratic process when Congress, at the behest of powerful industries, uses tactics worthy of the East German Stasi to harass and intimidate social-change advocates. For years, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk could not re-enter the U.S. without being escorted into a back room, having her bags rummaged through, and being detained—sometimes for hours—resulting in missed flight connections.

It doesn't stop there—ever more repressive state laws are being proposed, the latest of which are arguably unconstitutional "ag-gag" bills designed to prevent undercover investigations on factory farms and in slaughterhouses as well as bills to prevent "interference" with or new regulations regarding hunting and fishing.

What You Can Do

Please visit our action alerts page for opportunities to combat cruelty on factory farms, in laboratories, and wherever else animals are being abused.

Hot Cars, Supermodels, Cute Dogs, the Cute Beatle, and Vegan Cookies—What More Could You Ask For?

Michelle Kretzer — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

PETA recently grabbed Telly Awards for our raucous "Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom out of Me" cautionary tale, narrated by Kevin Nealon, and Elisabetta Canalis' edgy public service announcement about leaving dogs in hot cars.

Even though IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud has a hot car and a dog, he won't be mixing the two. He is fostering Hufflepuff, a dog from an Indianapolis animal shelter who is looking for a home. And the pup likely won't be Pagenaud's last—he says that he intends to continue fostering for the shelter. PETA sent the pair some congratulatory toys and treats.

Speaking of treats, joining model Jourdan Dunn on a recent segment of her popular Internet cooking series, Well Dunn, was fellow model Karlie Kloss. Together, they whipped up a delectable-looking veggie curry and Karlie's famous vegan cookies (she sells them to raise money for school lunches).

Still hungry? Some lucky person will get to dine on Jared Leto's favorite vegan pancakes after catching some z's in the vegan Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman's bed. The band is hosting a contest called "The Sleepover," in which fans can win a trip to see the "lab" where the guys create their music, and one fan will even get to cuddle up under Leto's comforter and break some cruelty-free bread.

In other music news, Paul McCartney kicks off the North American leg of his "Out There" tour on Saturday in Orlando, Florida, complete with a PETA information table and animal-friendly concert rider.

Like Paul, Constance Marie loves to be animal-friendly in everything that she does. So of course, she's raising her daughter, Luna, to be a healthy vegetarian and an animal advocate, just like Mom.

Paul, Constance, and oodles of other celebrities have been keeping their fans up to date on all their animal-friendly fabulousness on Twitter:

The Twitterverse is also abuzz with the news that Arrested Development will be back on May 26 on Netflix. To tide us over, here's some David Cross hilarity:

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Canine Murder Mystery on the James River

Alisa Mullins — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:30:00 GMT

It was a horrifying sight. The dog's bloated body was spotted off a pier behind a Newport News, Virginia, boatyard. The young black-and-white female pit bull had apparently drowned, as indicated by her clenched teeth and protruding tongue. But most chilling was that she likely hadn't wound up in the water by accident: Tied to her red-and-black harness was an 11-pound weight that looked like the head of a sledgehammer. This dog was almost certainly thrown into the water and left to struggle for air until she could struggle no more.

Since the dog's body was found in the hometown of Michael Vick's "Bad Newz Kennels," where dogfighting and pit bull abuse are still serious problems, we can't help but fear the worst: that she was bred, trained, and/or used for fighting; either wasn't "game," lost a fight, or got sick; and was meant to "retire" at the bottom of the James River.

As we learned from the Michael Vick case, unwanted "fighting dogs" are often killed in the most horrific ways. Vick and his cohorts admitted to hanging, shooting, electrocuting, drowning, and slamming to the ground dogs who didn't "perform" well.

While we may never know if this dog was used for fighting, we do know that someone did not want her body to be found. A necropsy report indicates that she suffered a shattered rib, probably inflicted by the heavy weight when she was thrown into the water. She had recently given birth and may have experienced complications.

We are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime.

What You Can Do

If you ever suspect anyone of participating in dogfighting, alert authorities immediately. Dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states and is often associated with other serious crimes, including domestic violence, gang activity, and illegal drugs, firearms, and gambling. Signs of dogfighting include the presence of multiple pit bulls chained up in a backyard and paraphernalia such as treadmills and heavy logging chains.

The PETA Files

PETA to Philippine Airlines: Ground the Monkey Business!

Celebrities Protest at Miami Seaquarium to Free Orca Lolita

An Adoption That Was Meant to 'Bea'

Man Who Chained Dog in Garage Barred From Owning Animals

Viola Davis: Ready to 'Help' Elephants Abused by Circuses

Smallest State Tackles a Huge Problem

What You Can Do

USDA Slams Bristol-Myers Squibb With Fine Over Monkey Deaths

Playing Fast and Loose With Animals' Lives

How You Can Help

Kids Put the 'Rad' in Colorado

IRS Harassed PETA, Too

Hot Cars, Supermodels, Cute Dogs, the Cute Beatle, and Vegan Cookies—What More Could You Ask For?

Canine Murder Mystery on the James River