When you suit up for the big game with leather pads, gloves, shoes, and other gear, have you ever thought about whose skin you’re in? The games we play with leather gear are serious business for the millions of cows killed every year in slaughterhouses.

The animals who wind up as baseballs and soccerballs are kept in crowded conditions and may have their horns and tails cut off without painkillers. They are beaten and crammed onto trucks to be taken to the slaughterhouse. Some animals are trampled or freeze to death in the open trucks.

Most leather comes from the skins of steers, but it can also come from horses, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, and old dairy cows, who are killed when they can no longer produce enough milk. Some leather comes from dogs and cats in China who are killed for their meat!

Because leather products usually aren’t labeled, it’s hard to know where a leather item came from or what animal it was made from. When you buy a leather baseball glove, it may be from a pony, kangaroo, dog, or cat!

The good news is that synthetic sporting equipment is growing in popularity, since high-tech fabrics are tougher, lighter, and water-repellent. Most balls come in synthetic materials, and Nike has a huge selection of synthetic shoes as well.

Synthetic Is Superior!
Soccerball maker Mitre switched to synthetic balls when it discovered that nonleather soccerballs are more flexible, last longer, and repel water better than leather.

Baseball’s Been Bad to Bessie
Believe it or not, baseball actually has a requirement for the use of leather to make balls written into its rules! Rule 1.09: “The ball shall be a sphere formed of yarn wound around a small core of cork, rubber, or similar material, covered with two strips of white horsehide or cowhide, tightly stitched together.” Hey, guys, it’s the new millennium already—time for baseball to shed its skin.

Write to the commissioner of baseball and ask him to change the rules to allow nonleather balls.

Allan H. Selig
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
2455 Park Ave., 31st Fl.
New York, NY 10167

Please ask the NFL to switch, too:
Paul Tagliabue, President
National Football League
280 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10017

<< All of Jilly's soccer gear is fake–for the animals' sake!

They're Out!
The companies below supply balls to the national baseball and football leagues. Ask them to develop synthetic balls:

Howard Keene, Acting President
Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 22000
St. Louis, MO 63126

James Baugh, President
Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
8700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Chicago, IL 60631

If you participate in sports, shop around for nonleather equipment. Contact PETA for our free list of suppliers, or go to our leather Web site at www.CowsAreCool.com. Also, be sure to ask your coach to use only nonleather gear.

By the way some people treat their dogs, you’d think they were afraid Muffin would melt if they brought her inside. If you look, you will see them everywhere: dogs huddling under pick-up truck caps, decks, or pieces of plywood propped up against a fence. This is where some dogs live—all day, every day. When it rains, they’re out there. When it’s 17 degrees and blowing 35 miles an hour, guess what? They’re out there. When a big blizzard comes and you’re home from school drinking hot chocolate and playing Tomb Raider, those dogs are still ... out there ... sitting ... shivering ... wishing they could come inside ... Some people think, “The dog has a fur coat—he’ll be fine.” But dogs’ fur—like your own winter coat—doesn’t make them immune to the cold. Try this experiment. Pick a frosty night, put on as many clothes as you can, and go outside and sit on the ground. How cold will you be after 15 minutes? Imagine staying out there all night with no tent, no sleeping bag, no campfire. That’s what every winter night is like for dogs who live outside. In nature, dogs and wolves dig dens or burrow under thickets. But many dogs who are chained or confined to a backyard or kennel can’t escape the cold. They get frostbite and become dehydrated when their water bowls freeze. Some freeze to death while their owners sit inside, warm and cozy by the fire. Help spread the word! Contact PETA for a bunch of free “chained dog” brochures.

1 Bring ’em inside—especially puppies and kittens, old animals, and dogs with short hair, like beagles, Dobermans, and pit bulls. Buy short-haired animals a cozy sweater. 2 Put a roof over their heads. Doghouses should be made of wood or plastic and positioned in a sunny location during cold weather. Raise the house off the ground several inches, and put a flap over the door to keep out drafts. Use straw for bedding—rugs and blankets can get wet and freeze. 3 Keep Kitty close. During winter, cats sometimes climb up under the hoods of cars to be near the warm motors and are killed or hurt when the car is started. Animals can also lose their way in the snow, which masks scent trails. More animals are lost during the winter than at any other time of year. 4 Chow time! Give animals extra food in the winter (they are burning more calories to keep warm). Also, be sure animals are free of worms—parasites steal vital nutrients. 5 Prevent toxic spills. Ask your mom and dad to buy antifreeze made with propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol, which is a deadly poison. Animals like the sweet taste of antifreeze, so clean up spills right away. 6 Pause for paws. Clean off your dog’s or cat’s legs, feet, and stomach after coming inside. Salt and other chemicals can make animals sick if they swallow them while cleaning themselves. 7 No ice, please. Put out a bucket of water for outdoor animals and wildlife (break the ice at least twice a day). 8 Save the strays. Bring lost animals inside until you can find their guardian or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are wild or scared, put out food, water, and shelter (stray cats will appreciate a small doghouse), and call the local humane society for help trapping them safely.

Grrr! star advice columnist Brandon Brooks (who stars as “Murray” on the hit show Malibu, CA) answers your questions about sticky animal issues. I really, really want to go vegan, but my mom thinks it’s unhealthy. I’m avoiding milk and eggs all I can, but she says I have to eat them. Help! —Stephanie P. Tell her how much this means to you, and also tell her what medical experts say. A tall, cold glass of calcium-fortified orange juice delivers the calcium and vitamin C you need. Sure, milk has calcium, but it’s also full of fat, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics. Compared to milk, calcium-rich OJ is outstanding! And don’t forget, soy milk has as much calcium as cow’s milk. As for eggs—can’t even pretend there’s anything healthy about them. Packed with cholesterol, eggs will make you sick with heart disease—if salmonella poisoning doesn’t get you first. What’s wrong with feathers and down? Don’t birds just shed feathers, like my dog sheds his fur?—Troy R. Down comes from ducks and geese whose deep insulating feathers are ripped out by people called “pluckers.” Many birds are plucked four or five times before they’re killed. Want to get an idea of how it might feel? Use tweezers and pluck one of those little hairs inside your nose. The pain will make your eyes water! Now, imagine how those birds feel when their feathers are yanked out. To sum it up—don’t be down with down!