April 2003 A Virginia Beach, Virginia, resident was the first felony conviction under that state’s newly strengthened animal protection law. A drunken man beat his wife’s cat against a wall, inflicting five broken ribs, a broken sternum and front leg, and head trauma. She died from her injuries soon after. The Virginia Beach SPCA worked with … Read more »
April 2003 Since a tiger escaped in 1999 from a New Jersey tiger menagerie called Tigers Only Preservation Society (TOPS), the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife had been working to have the dozens of big cats moved to a facility in Texas. State and federal agencies found that the current enclosure was too small … Read more »
April 2003 Whistleblowers in Madison-Jefferson County, Indiana, contacted PETA to report that cats were found crawling over dead animals in the county animal shelter’s freezer after they were presumed dead. Cats slated for death at the facility were being piled into a metal box pumped full of nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), a substance not recognized as … Read more »
January 2003 PETA found a pot-bellied pig at a Suffolk feed store in poor condition, all alone in a small pen. He had probably never seen another pig in his life. In a collective effort, we relocated the animal to a western Virginia sanctuary where he could live comfortably in spacious conditions with lots of friends. … Read more »
January 2003 When the general manager of a popular Los Angeles nightclub contacted PETA about getting on board with the club’s idea to put monkeys on display, we quickly responded, highlighting the myriad problems associated with keeping exotic animals, particularly primates, in captivity. We outlined the public safety issues, the public outcry that would surely ensue, … Read more »
January 2003 PETA received countless complaints about an incident in Cleburne County, Arkansas, in which four lions roaming freely near an exotic animal menagerie had to be shot to death because there was no effective method of capture available. The owner of the menagerie claimed that the lions were dumped on his property and took no … Read more »
January 2003 In 2000, PETA worked to stop the federal government from adopting a proposed rule that would allow the Hopi tribe to kidnap golden eaglets from their parents on National Park Service lands in Arizona and sacrifice them in a religious ritual. The proposed rule has not officially died, but because of an enormous public … Read more »
January 2003 The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has a history of asking only for animal-testing methods when soliciting proposals for new methods of testing chemicals for toxicity. After persistent contact with the organization, PETA convinced the NTP to include a request for non-animal methods in future solicitations. Read about the safe and effective alternatives to animal … Read more »
January 2003 PETA received a flood of calls from members of Greystone Association, a civic organization in Raleigh, North Carolina, about the board of directors’ decision to trap and kill a colony of beavers who had dammed a culvert and had been chewing down trees. In response, we sent a letter to the community manager asking … Read more »
January 2003 PETA received a call from a San Francisco, California, woman desperate for help in rescuing nine pigeons from a neighbor’s garage. The neighbor had exploited the birds in racing events and, once they were no longer useful, banished them to a life of confinement in his garage. Reputable bird sanctuaries are scarce, and pigeon … Read more »
January 2003 When a puppy named Caesar snatched a loaf of bread from the kitchen table, his owner beat the dog until he was bloody, then buried him alive, his head and upper torso in the ground. The owner sent his buddy to find gasoline so that they could burn the puppy alive. Good Samaritans managed … Read more »
January 2003 When PETA received calls of concern from employees of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) about armadillo races that were planned for its national conference, we immediately contacted officials of the organization to ask that they cancel the cruel and ridiculous spectacle. We supplied information about the horrible lives endured by animals who are treated … Read more »
January 2003 A couple in Lower Towamensing Township, Pennsylvania, applied to their local zoning board for a permit to keep a cougar in their backyard. The couple planned to profit from the cougar by using her in television commercials. We contacted the members of the zoning hearing board to provide them with information about the dangers … Read more »
January 2003 In Lexington, South Carolina, last summer two lions repeatedly escaped from a resident’s property and frightened neighbors. PETA sent packets of information to members of the City Council, called each member individually, and rallied citizens to speak at the City Council meeting. After considering their options, the council voted 6-2 to ban the private … Read more »
January 2003 In March 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) rejected an application from Six Flags Marine World to import and put on display at the amusement park two endangered baby Asian elephants. When Six Flags Marine World requested that USFWS reconsider the denial of the permit, USFWS reversed its earlier decision and granted … Read more »
