April 2003 PETA received a complaint from a former employee of Six Flags, the second-largest amusement park operator in the world. The whistleblower described horrific conditions at its Wild Safari facility in New Jersey, including an incident in which a baboon had been hit by a vehicle in the drive-through safari and dragged approximately 150 feet. … Read more »
April 2003 State health departments across the country keep sentinel chickens in barren cages as mosquito bait to help detect pathological organisms like the West Nile virus. PETA wrote to health departments in every state asking them to discontinue the programs, which involve regularly subjecting the birds to painful blood tests. Testing dead wild birds and … Read more »
April 2003 During congressional hearings on animal deaths at the National Zoo and on the importation of exotic animals for the pet trade, members of Congress asked questions that PETA had submitted for the witnesses.
April 2003 PETA was contacted by residents and students who were upset that three area schools in the Merced Union High School District had participated in a donkey basketball game that was held as a fundraiser for the district’s Future Farmers of America [FFA] program. Photos printed in local newspapers showed participants pulling and yanking on … Read more »
April 2003 PETA posted an action alert when we learned of plans by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to kill 1,500 mute swans who the agency said were an environmental hazard. Bombarded with public opposition and a lawsuit filed by the Fund for Animals, the state canceled the swan hunt. Read about how to deal … Read more »
April 2003 Following PETA’s testimony to the Appropriations Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, both committees officially advised the Environmental Protection Agency to develop chemical-testing methods that reduce and/or replace the use of animals.
April 2003 PETA received complaints that Festival Foods in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, allowed Bridgeport Nature Center to operate in its parking lot. The Nature Center, in reality a traveling tiger exhibit, has been cited numerous times by the USDA for putting animals and the public at serious risk of injury, for transporting tigers in poorly ventilated cages, … Read more »
April 2003 Students from a Bel Air, Maryland, high school contacted us when they learned that their school planned to hold a donkey basketball game. We immediately contacted the school’s principal and the district superintendent to alert them to the cruelty associated with the spectacle. We sent an alert to our area members asking them to … Read more »
April 2003 PETA got an anonymous call about two iguanas being kept as decorations at a restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. The complainant reported that the iguanas were being kept in a filthy enclosure and that they appeared ill. We immediately contacted officials at the local animal control bureau asking them to check on the welfare of … Read more »
April 2003 Visitors to Guam contacted PETA after spotting banners with Miller’s trademark promoting cockfighting at a local festival. We immediately contacted Miller to ask that the company disassociate itself from the cruel bloodsport and posted an action alert on the Web. After corresponding with PETA, Miller issued a statement to its distributor in Guam stating … Read more »
April 2003 More than 20 goats were found dead on private property in Montello, Wisconsin, and approximately 32 emaciated goats and sheep were found still alive. Included in the dead pile were mother goats with their dead babies halfway outside of their bodies. The attending veterinarian reported that these animals died of starvation and neglect. Initially, … Read more »
April 2003 When PETA learned that goldfish were being used in beer funneling contests in a Miami, Florida, bar, we contacted the Department of Business and Professional Regulations to ask that it investigate the bar for health code violations. Reports indicated that goldfish were being dropped into funnels, and bar patrons were being encouraged to swallow … Read more »
April 2003 PETA received a call from a Milwaukee activist who was desperately trying to get live turtle races canceled at a local bar. We immediately contacted the Milwaukee Health Department to provide documentation of the risk of salmonella contamination associated with reptiles, especially in a food-service establishment, and we asked the agency to investigate. We … Read more »
April 2003 Chemical company, AmeriBrom, planned to kill 900 rabbits to retest a chemical already known to be hazardous. Thanks to calls and letters from PETA and activists, AmeriBrom and its parent company, the Dead Sea Bromine Group, reconsidered the proposal and, based on existing data, have decided against performing this test. Read more about unnecessary … Read more »
April 2003 Police in San Francisco, California, were alerted by neighbors to the smell of decay in an apartment five weeks after its resident moved out. Police found a dead dog in the closet. The owner had tied the dog up, closed him inside, and barricaded the closet door with a barbell. Neighbors told police they … Read more »
