People who recently purchased mice, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs from a pet store might have gotten more than they bargained for—such as vomiting, chest pain, testicular pain, meningitis, paralysis, fluid on the brain, or even children born with birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating an outbreak of lymphocytic … Read more »
Update: On August 20, Carole Van Wie, the operator of Bunny Magic Wildlife & Rabbit Rescue, Inc., was charged with 13 counts of cruelty to animals. The charges follow an August 8 raid on the facility—prompted by a PETA complaint—in which law-enforcement officers seized 222 rabbits. Officials reportedly had to don masks to rescue the … Read more »
Following PETA’s undercover investigation into Triple F Farms, a massive ferret-breeding operation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has fined the company nearly $17,000 for violating at least eight regulations under the Animal Welfare Act. A Bad Business The violations were discovered during USDA inspections conducted in response to PETA’s submission of video footage and … Read more »
When this orphaned baby pigeon was brought into a parks department office, the woman who accepted the hatchling did the right thing and contacted animal control—but unfortunately, animal-control officers didn’t do the right thing. Although they said they’d come get the bird, they didn’t show up. So the tenacious lady made another smart move: She … Read more »
While we don’t know exactly how Emma’s life began, her story starts the way that too many dogs’ stories do: She was wandering the streets, homeless, thin, petrified, and alone. Her luck changed when a PETA Community Animal Project (CAP) staffer found her on a neighbor’s front stoop, soaking wet and trembling, and cajoled the … Read more »
Q: How many lawyers does it take to save a dog’s life? A: In this case, two, but they didn’t need to use their law degrees to do it. PETA attorneys Jeff Kerr and Jared Goodman (who work for animals’ legal rights every day) were on their way to talk about our landmark lawsuit in … Read more »
The following graphic shows some of the things that we have in common with our animal friends—and some of the differences that humans can only envy.
Our animal companions give us all the time, attention, and affection that we want, and in return, they deserve the best care that we can provide. Here are the top six ways to return the favor: 1. Suppertime Just like people, animals need high-quality, nutritious food, which is the basis for good health. They also … Read more »
After residents complained about a smell coming from a neighboring apartment, the building’s management company left several notices and tried to contact the tenant. But after getting no response, company staffers entered the apartment, where they found this abandoned puppy, less than 5 months old, who had been left tied to a radiator. So they … Read more »
As part of the cast of The Real L Word, Whitney Mixter and Sara Bettencourt are all about being out and proud. And the couple says that it’s everyone’s responsibility to be out and proud advocates for animals. While Showtime offers T-shirts that proclaim the wearer’s crush on Whitney, she thinks wearing an animal rights … Read more »
“I just think about these animals that are there for months …. And the way they kill them—it’s just not needed, it’s not a necessity,” said actor Mayte Garcia, speaking out against fur farms on the set of the new ad she shot for PETA. “Doing this shoot and getting into the cage and putting … Read more »
If he had any shame or decency, federally convicted dog murderer Michael Vick wouldn’t dream of suggesting that it is somehow “unfair” (his word) to suggest that he shouldn’t have another dog. But now he’s out in TV Land promoting a book and expressing his desire to give his son a dog. Perhaps he’d have … Read more »
Animal advocates are up in arms over San Francisco’s new plan for keeping panhandlers off the streets. The city wants to pay panhandlers who are staying in publicly funded housing $75 per week to foster “problem” dogs from San Francisco’s animal shelter. But as a letter that PETA sent to Mayor Edward M. Lee points … Read more »
It’s officially summer—the season of cookouts, parks, and beaches. Many of us enjoy taking our dogs along for summer fun, which is fantastic, except when people forget that dogs’ bodies aren’t nearly as well equipped as ours are to handle the soaring mercury and think that leaving their dogs alone in a hot car “for … Read more »
One day 18 years ago, I was out walking my dogs along a bike trail when I saw a bicyclist stop and do something peculiar: He took out his water bottle, and instead of taking a swig, he opened up the top and dumped a pile of cat kibble onto the ground. He was immediately … Read more »