In what will now stand as the case that future generations will look back on as the one that broke legal ground for animals, captive orcas were represented in a U.S. federal court in a lawsuit that PETA filed against SeaWorld seeking to establish that five wild-caught orcas deserved protection under the Constitution’s 13th Amendment, … Read more »
It was a landmark day in the U.S. District Court in San Diego today. For the first time ever, a federal court is considering whether or not the 13th Amendment, which prohibits slavery, applies to five orcas—Tilikum, Katina, Kasatka, Ulises and Corky—who are now incarcerated at SeaWorld amusement parks. PETA, three marine-mammal experts, and two former … Read more »
If you saw CareerBuilder’s latest Super Bowl ad, you probably thought it was as lame as we did, which is why we came up with an ad of our own in response. Unfortunately, we received a “thanks, but no thanks” from Clear Channel Outdoor in CareerBuilder‘s hometown of Chicago, after we asked to place this … Read more »
PHOTO OF THE DAY Dawn Forsythe and Herman the Chimp This cartoon comes to us courtesy of Dawn Forsythe and her friend “Herman the Chimp.” Ms. Forsythe, whose father was a chimpanzee trainer at the Detroit Zoo, is an outspoken critic of the use of great apes in entertainment—be sure to visit her blog at … Read more »
PETA has named CareerBuilder the 2012 “Ass-Backwards” Corporation of the Year. The job-search company earned this (dis)honor for proving that it’s obliviously behind the times, having decided to run yet another Super Bowl ad that features exploited infant chimpanzees—even though it knows how great apes suffer at the hands of the “entertainment” industry. Face: © … Read more »
For two horses on the new HBO series Luck—which is set in and around the horse-racing industry—it was only bad luck. While filming the show’s pilot, a horse suffered a severe fracture after falling during a race sequence and was euthanized. Another horse was killed while filming a later episode. Two horses died for a … Read more »
Chadica| cc by 2.0 There’s good news today in a case we told you about in May 2010: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has hit the Texas Biomedical Research Institute—formerly the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research—with a fine of more than $25,000 over serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The facility has repeatedly allowed … Read more »
At PETA’s urging, a major thoroughbred auction company has made a crucial change at this month’s sales event that could reduce the risk of injury to horses forced to participate in “under tack shows“—dangerous sprints that thoroughbreds are forced to run just to impress potential buyers. A PETA undercover investigation documented that 2-year-old horses—whose bones … Read more »
Animals have voices. They cry out when they are being skinned alive for their fur, being beaten and forced to perform painful tricks, or having their throats cut before being hacked apart for their flesh. Animals express their pain, but often, people don’t understand or they choose not to listen. As animal advocates, we must … Read more »
Has anyone ever told you that ending animal abuse is your middle name? Meet a man for whom fighting cruelty is his first, middle, and last name. PETA Foundation staffer Dan Carron has legally changed his name to CircusesHurtAnimals.com. As he admired his new driver’s license, we asked him what he thinks life will be … Read more »
irishwildcat | cc by 2.0 A chimpanzee named Cheetah, who reportedly played Johnny Weissmuller’s sidekick in the old Tarzan movies, has died. There is some debate over Cheetah’s credentials, but regardless of whether he ever acted in the Tarzan movies, he almost certainly was torn away from his family and home when he was just … Read more »
PETA has sent Compassionate Legislator Awards to members of the Margate, Florida, City Commission for unanimously voting to ban bullhooks, electric prods, and other cruel devices specifically designed to inflict pain on animals. The move means that the Cole Bros. Circus, which has visited Margate in the past and whose handlers have been caught on … Read more »
Why a rickshaw was on Bourbon Street in New Orleans is anyone’s guess, but for the horse pulling it, it was far from the Big Easy: He fell to the ground and was dead before humane authorities arrived at the scene. A witness reported that the horse appeared to be thin and not well cared … Read more »
derekp | cc by 2.0 Update: Animal friend and philanthropist Bob Barker is paying the entire cost of shipping Toka, Thika, and Iringa from Toronto to the PAWS sanctuary in California. The following was originally posted on November 25, 2011: To thank the three members of the Toronto City Council who spearheaded the vote to send … Read more »
Courtesy of Lelah Foster Having a celebrity as the face of an animal rights campaign has helped PETA achieve huge victories. For instance, vocal protests by Sir Paul McCartney and Alicia Silverstone helped convince NASA not to blast squirrel monkeys with harmful doses of radiation. Celebrities such as Olivia Munn and Sarah Silverman have helped … Read more »
