Our sympathies go out to the family of Kalei Welch, who died in an Illinois hospital after falling ill with E. coli poisoning. Health officials believe that the 5-year-old girl contracted the deadly bacterial infection at a petting zoo at the Hendricks County Fair. PETA has been warning parents for years about the dangers of … Read more »
Lazy 5 Ranch is an apt name for a roadside zoo in Mooresville, North Carolina, as the operators appear to be too lazy (read: downright neglectful) to provide even minimal care to the animals stuck there. PETA has filed complaints with the county animal control department and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking … Read more »
The new documentary film Buck chronicles the life of real-life “horse whisperer” Buck Brannaman and his work to help, as he calls them, “horses with people problems.” The film follows Brannaman as he tours the country, giving guardians a deeper understanding of their horses and, at the same time, insight into themselves. Brannaman, whose own … Read more »
What inspired the makers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which opens in theaters everywhere today, to create what MTV calls “perhaps the most expensive PSA against animal testing ever filmed”? The film’s writers and producers, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, told us in this exclusive interview about the real-life apes who convinced them that … Read more »
Things are getting muy caliente at the PETA office during National Hispanic Heritage Month. We rounded up some of our favorite ads starring Latino supporters and created a slideshow hotter than the month of August. From fighting fur and “fixing” animal homelessness to goring bullfighting and getting gorgeous with veggies, these Latin stars are … Read more »
I hope you’re as stoked as I am to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which opens this Friday, August 5. The movie’s message and CGI special effects are so animal-friendly that PETA has given director Rupert Wyatt a Proggy Award for recognizing that real great apes don’t belong on production sets. … Read more »
After aggressive campaigning by PETA India—including a lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of India—the Ministry of Environment and Forests has added bulls to a directive that lists animals (bears, monkeys, tigers, lions and panthers) who are prohibited from being used in “performances.” This means that bulls will no longer be tormented in a cruel … Read more »
UPDATE: Victory! As the Chief Saunooke Bear Park struggled, a private benefactor offered to purchase all of the bears. The park quickly accepted the offer and the bears were finally retired to a spacious sanctuary. Read more about the victory and how the bears are doing now here. Originally posted July 29, 20011: Thanks to … Read more »
Great news on the circus front from our colleagues at Animal Defenders International: Peru’s president, Alan García, has signed a law banning wild animals in circuses. The decision comes right on the heels of the British Parliament’s unanimous vote to direct the government to introduce a similar ban. Legislation is also pending in Scotland, Brazil, Ecuador, … Read more »
A horse named Check Mate was euthanized this past weekend after suffering a broken back and collapsing during a saddle bronc riding event at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Wyoming. In saddle bronc riding events, horses are made to buck wildly through the use of painful “bucking straps” cinched tightly around the animals’ … Read more »
The list of accidents involving horse-drawn carriages just got longer. On Monday night, a taxi knocked over a carriage, resulting in injuries to the carriage driver and passengers. Witnesses said the horse was lying in the street beneath the carriage. The extent of his injuries are unknown. Horses used for carriage rides are forced to … Read more »
Update: PETA has filed a complaint with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regarding Rocky’s suffering, and the agency has confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the matter. We have not received word from the commission on their findings yet, but members of the boxing community are weighing in on the matter … Read more »
Sarah Silverman doesn’t think there’s anything funny about hurting animals. The comedian and provocateur has fired off a letter on behalf of PETA to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking that four ailing elephants traveling with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus be seized. These four girls are still on the road and … Read more »
Former bear wrestler and longtime PETA foe Sam Mazzola was found dead recently, handcuffed to a waterbed and bound with chains and padlocks. He apparently choked to death on a sex toy that was lodged in his throat and that obstructed his breathing. He was also wearing a leather mask with the eyes and mouth zipped shut … Read more »
PETA has obtained copies of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection reports that describe repeated citations against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for failing to adhere to the bare minimum regulations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. According to the most recent USDA inspection report, Ringling has failed to provide adequate veterinary … Read more »
