Recent

Let's Fight for Hens: Tell Legislators to Oppose Cages

Michelle Carr — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:05:00 GMT

IRS Harassed PETA, Too

Michelle Carr — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:04:00 GMT

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.

PETA to Bring Factory Farm to Oregon State University

Jinnine-P — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:54:00 GMT

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.

Fashion Friday: Prints, Not Skins!

Vanessa-C — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:42:00 GMT

Order FREE Stickers!

Ashley-P — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:44:00 GMT

Order FREE Stickers!

Ashley-P — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:44:00 GMT

Canine Murder Mystery on the James River

Michelle Carr — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:27:00 GMT

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.