farm2.static / CC After finding out that Renninger’s Farmers and Flea Market in Mount Dora, Florida, was offering rides on a female African elephant named Nosey, we immediately contacted the manager and alerted him to the dangers that elephant rides pose to both elephants and the public. After listening to our concerns and hearing from … Read more »
livinggallery / CC Today, lawyers gave their closing arguments in the court case involving Ringling’s use of steel-barbed bullhooks and shackles on the elephants it forces to perform. Over the course of the six-week trial, the following evidence was presented: Elephants are chained for an average of more than 26 hours at a … Read more »
Considering that Tiger Woods’ life is essentially a media circus, we hope that the superstar golfer can relate to the plight of his namesakes in the circus. That’s why we’ve written a letter to Tiger asking him to tee up for one of our ever-popular naked tiger demos. We’re hoping that Mr. Woods will show … Read more »
Most kids love animals, but not all kids are aware of the horrors that elephants and other animals in circuses face, so PETA and Ellie Elephant decided to tell local kids what goes on behind the big top. Ellie was a huge hit with children and parents, handing out activity books to show kids why … Read more »
thailand / CC No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu. This is the second blog in two days in which we’ve reported that primates have taken aim at humans—literally. In the latest instance, a monkey in Thailand—fed up with performing the thankless task of climbing coconut trees to retrieve fruit for his owner to sell—apparently launched … Read more »
Santino telegraph / CC In case you needed any more evidence that chimpanzees don’t want to be locked up in zoos, a chimpanzee named Santino in a Swedish zoo has been collecting hundreds of stones to throw at zoo visitors. On many mornings, Santino calmly gathers rocks into a pile, waits until the zoo opens, … Read more »
If you aim a wind-up toy at a brick wall, logic would tell you that the toy is going to continue slamming into the wall unless the wall is removed, right? Well, as long as the horse-racing industry exists, tragedy is going to follow. Case in point: Two more horses at the Aqueduct Race Track … Read more »
portland / CC Twelve children were treated by paramedics on Saturday when an elephant who was being forced to give rides at the Indiana State Fairgrounds bumped into the mobile staircase on which kids stood awaiting rides, knocking it down. The rides were being given between performances of the Murat Shrine Circus. Luckily, the kids … Read more »
With Watchmen hitting theaters recently, comics are having yet another moment in the pop-culture sun. And if you’re a fan of the indies, you probably know Bluewater Comics. You may have read their “sequels” to some of your fave Hollywood mythology films—like The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans, and Jason and the … Read more »
When you work for PETA, it’s hard to ever really go on vacation. That’s because everywhere you go, you are bound to encounter people doing not-so-nice things to animals. Take my recent trip to Egypt. Skinny stray cats and dogs were hanging around outside all the hotels and restaurants, camels were living in squalor outside … Read more »
After hearing about the death of Travis, the captive chimpanzee who was shot after mauling a woman in Connecticut, Oscar winner Anjelica Huston—who has long been an advocate for the compassionate treatment of great apes—issued the following statement: I was saddened to hear about the incident involving the chimpanzee, Travis, and my heart goes out … Read more »
On Monday, a 15-year-old chimpanzee named Travis, who was kept as a “pet” by a woman in Connecticut, went on a rampage and mauled a visitor. Travis was stabbed multiple times, “pounded” with a shovel, and eventually shot to death. A former “star” of Coca-Cola and Old Navy commercials and an episode of the Maury … Read more »
gothamist / CC The good folks at the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (CBHDC) teamed up with PETA members to hold a protest outside New York City’s Central Park on Valentine’s Day. They witnessed several disturbing incidents that illustrate a culture of inaction by ASPCA officers charged with monitoring the carriage industry and enforcing regulations. … Read more »
yahoo / CC I had occasion to ride my bike into downtown Houston one evening last week. While it was great to see a lot of nightlife happening in this once-dead part of our fair city, there was one sight that wasn’t so welcome: carriages drawn by sad, exhausted horses. Frequent PETA Files visitors know … Read more »
signonsandiego / CC Unless you’re a die-hard Britney Spears fan and regular visitor to her Web site, you heard it here first: The top-secret stage design plans for Britney’s upcoming “Circus” tour will include no live animals. That’s right, folks, in an “EXCLUSIVE: STAGE DESIGN ANNOUNCEMENT” (seriously, that’s what it’s called, all caps and everything), … Read more »