July 2002 PETA received calls of concern about bird displays at various Von Maur department store locations. Von Maur is an upscale department store chain with 20 stores in six Midwestern states. We wrote to the president of Von Maur asking that the company consider dismantling the displays and allowing the birds to go to sanctuaries. … Read more »
July 2002 When PETA discovered that the Wild Oats natural foods markets were using glue traps to capture and kill mice in their stores, we wrote the CEO a letter and sent graphic photos of several mice captured and killed on glue traps. We also posted an action alert asking our members to contact Wild Oats. … Read more »
July 2002 When we heard that the Cleveland City Council was considering an ordinance that would ban the possession of exotic animals as “pets,” we wrote to each council member as well as the mayor to voice our support. We sent each official information about the cruelty and dangers associated with “owning” exotic animals and alerted … Read more »
July 2002 For years, the Colorado and Minnesota Renaissance festivals have included an animal exhibit called the Center for Endangered Cats in their yearly events as “entertainment.” We contacted the directors of each festival to make them aware of the cruelty associated with this “attraction,” including the fact that its executive director has been convicted of … Read more »
July 2002 When we heard that the notoriously cruel traveling animal display, The Zoo, had set up in the parking lot of a Tampa, Florida, Kash n’ Karry, we immediately wrote to the store’s manager, providing information about the outfit’s long history of animal abuse and neglect. We also wrote to Kash n’ Karry’s chief operating … Read more »
July 2002 After a Cookeville, Tennessee, police officer shot a dog during a traffic stop last December, PETA immediately sent letters to the police department requesting training for officers in how to deal with animals in routine and emergency situations. We also contacted the governor and an animal-friendly senator suggesting a statewide training program. In response, … Read more »
July 2002 After learning that a Virginia Beach nightclub was holding weekly Fear Factor contests that required contestants to swallow live goldfish, we immediately wrote to the club owner to urge him to do away with the cruel contests. We also let him know that another local bar had recently decided to stop holding similar contests … Read more »
April 2002 PETA had petitioned Kroger and Albertson’s to improve farmed-animal welfare but without success. When Safeway agreed to make improvements, PETA wrote to its main competitors. Two weeks later, both Kroger and Albertson’s agreed to follow Safeway’s lead. The Idaho Statesman reported, “A week after being targeted by an animal-rights group, Albertson’s Inc., along with … Read more »
April 2002 Egg producer Cypress Farms went bankrupt and abandoned more than a million hens in Florida and Georgia, leaving them to starve for 12 days before a court-appointed trustee and the departments of agriculture began efforts to kill the survivors. PETA contacted the company conducting the gas killings and sent them information on the use … Read more »
April 2002 A Texas man, angry with his girlfriend, hung her 4-month-old puppy by his leash in a bedroom closet. He then used toothpaste to draw an outline of the dog on their bed, with the letters “R.I.P.” After the man’s arrest, PETA worked with prosecutors to ensure a successful trial. The jury found the man … Read more »
April 2002 PETA urged Safeway to follow the lead of McDonald’s by instituting higher animal-welfare standards for its suppliers, but 18 months of discussions netted no improvements. In February 2002, PETA launched a campaign against Safeway and its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada. Our campaign included more than 100 demonstrations in 20 states and four … Read more »
April 2002 After being tipped off by a Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) insider that its “Pure 2002” Dallas Collection fashion show was to include a seal fur coat designed by Michael Faircloth (Laura Bush’s designer), we wrote the foundation a letter demanding that all fur be removed from the show. DIFFA executive director called … Read more »
April 2002 PETA contacted the principals of Zionsville Middle Schools and the district’s superintendent after learning that a donkey basketball game was planned at the schools the following week. We and the activists, who had contacted us, implored the principals to replace the cruel event with a more humane one that wouldn’t subject animals to potential … Read more »
April 2002 In late 2001, PETA contacted the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to request that it switch from leather basketballs in its annual “March Madness” men’s and women’s tournaments to cruelty-free synthetics. The NCAA requested more information, and PETA sent a report detailing how the leather industry tortures and kills millions of cows and calves, … Read more »
April 2002 Indiana residents contacted us after learning of a horrible case of animal abuse in which the owner of several dogs hired a man, who claimed to be licensed, to cut the ears of the dogs in a “fighting crop.” The man was not licensed, and he bound the dogs’ legs and mouths and cut … Read more »
