Written by PETA
Phew! PETA's "BOYCOTT PETCO" brick* survived the 5.7-magnitude earthquake that shook San Diego's PETCO Park on Monday—and here's a photo snapped by an activist last night to prove it:
Don't get me wrong—PETA loves the stadium's tasty, animal-friendly eats but hates the massive suffering that PETCO causes by buying animals from shady dealers and selling them to anyone who walks in, intentions be damned. Animals like the poor fellow below who are bred for and shipped to PETCO and other pet stores get their world shaken to pieces every single day by being mishandled, abused, or even thrown into the trash to die. They are crammed en masse into crowded, filthy containers at animal distributors such as U.S. Global Exotics and Sun Pet, and they're often denied basic necessities, including food, water, adequate air, and veterinary care.
Let's shake things up for PETCO (the store—not the stadium!) by telling it to stop selling animals immediately or we'll shop elsewhere for our dog beds, cat trees, toys, and treats.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
*Line up the first letter of each word to find the brick's hidden message!
Mamma Mia! It's official: Suave film star Pierce Brosnan is a man of many talents—and much compassion for animals.
The actor's whimsical portrait of his own adopted animal companions, Shilo the dog and Coco the kitty, is gracing California's new spay-and-neuter license plate. Proceeds from sales of the special plate will help fund efforts to educate the public about the need to spay and neuter companion animals and will help provide free or low-cost surgeries throughout the state.
Whether all dogs get to have their day (and all cats theirs as well) depends on every caring person to educate others about the companion animal overpopulation crisis and its cure, both in California and beyond.
Via Ecorazzi
Written by Karin Bennett
The suffering that is being caused by the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is heartbreaking, and this brand-new PETA T-shirt speaks volumes about the crisis.
The most valuable thing about this touching, tell-it-like-it-is T-shirt and related merch is that the proceeds will go toward PETA's work to save wildlife from all sorts of horrors. So, for the love of Kevin Costner and wildlife in peril, buy a T-shirt and give BP a piece of your mind at the same time.
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Kudos to Kevin Costner. Haunted by images of the animals who were covered in oil after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Kevin has been funding a team of scientists for the past 15 years to develop a device that can help clean up oil spills by separating oil from ocean water. BP tested six of these machines last month in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently the company was impressed by the machines' nearly 100 percent success rate at separating oil from water, because it has just ordered 32 more. Our hats are off to Kevin for his compassion and generosity. We hope that his machines will save many animals by preventing more oil from reaching the shore.
If you participate in demonstrations, you might have experienced a bit of frustration at the occasional rude comments or less-than-perfect weather conditions. Next time that happens, spare a thought for Edward, a PETA Asia campaigner who was arrested as he got out of a cab dressed as a chicken for a Kentucky Fried Cruelty protest in Singapore. Here's Edward preparing for another KFC demo in Malaysia:
Edward, who is originally from Seattle, was essentially placed under house arrest in his hotel room because Singapore has some very harsh and archaic laws against protests. He is expected to be able to leave Singapore as scheduled, without charges. He says that the interrogation was frightening, but that it is nothing compared to how KFC treats chickens. That's our kind of guy.
If you'd like to show solidarity with Edward, why not organize a KFC demonstration yourself?
Written by Jeff Mackey
The Hawaiian word "aloha" means:
If you answered "F," you're correct—and this week the Aloha State welcomed a new law that embodies peace, mercy, love, and affection for seals. Now anyone who intentionally harasses, harms, or kills a Hawaiian monk seal—or any endangered or threatened Hawaiian species—can be charged with a class C felony and face a fine of up to $50,000 and five years in prison.
So, in Hawaii the sight of a seal waddling up the beach draws volunteers to make sure that beachgoers leave the animal in peace. In Canada, the sight of seals lying on ice floes draws hunters to bash their heads in. I'm pretty sure that this is a no-brainer, but I still have to ask: Which destination would you rather visit?
The following post was originially published on PETA Prime.
Just in time for "Adopt a Shelter Cat" Month comes some great news: In an Associated Press-Petside poll, more than half of respondents said that they plan to adopt their next cat or dog from an animal shelter—that's more than seven times the number of people who say they would be likely to purchase an animal from a pet store. And with age comes wisdom, apparently—people over age 30 were the most likely to adopt an animal from a shelter.
The reasons they give are even more heartening. We're apparently getting the word out—with a little help from our friends—that pet shops usually obtain their animals from puppy mills and that these animals often suffer from a variety of physical and mental problems. By contrast, many respondents say that shelter animals, many of whom are mixed breeds, are less likely to suffer from the congenital defects that plague purebreds.
Colton, California, resident Sandra Toro, 62, summed it up nicely: "I believe [pet shops and puppy mills] couldn't care less about the pets, they're really in it for the money. I think you are more likely to get a pet at a pet store that is ill or has problems." Toro, who is the proud guardian of a rescued mutt, went on to say that she doesn't understand how anyone can buy an animal from a pet store or breeder instead of adopting a homeless dog or cat. "There are so many wonderful pets out there that will be euthanized," she said. "There's no reason for it."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves, Sandra!
How about you? Will your next cat (or dog) come from an animal shelter or rescue group?
Written by Alisa Mullins
Woot, woot—or should I say "woof, woof"?—to the California Assembly for passing a bill last week that would make it illegal for landlords to require tenants to declaw or devocalize their animal companions.
A place that requires its residents to amputate their family members' toes or cut out their vocal cords sounds more like a detainment facility than "home sweet home." But, some properties require renters to put their animal companions through these painful, debilitating, and unnecessary procedures. Let's hope that this bill clears all the remaining hurdles and gets written into law soon. Its next stop is the California Senate—so, Golden State residents, please urge your senator to save animals' toes and throats by supporting AB 2743!
No ifs, ands, or head butts—Bucky is one lucky goat. A California couple won $2 million from a scratch lottery ticket, and they plan to spend it to upgrade their animal sanctuary. They credit Bucky, the first animal they ever rescued, for their good fortune. Their decision means big bucks for Bucky and his buds (who include horses, chickens, and other goats). I'm guessing that Bucky will blow the money on kids, chicks, and a pimped-out pen.
How would you spend the money if you won the lottery? Leave us a comment and let us know. While you're dreaming of all that dough, be sure to watch the video of Bucky and the rest of the brood. Spoiler alert: One of the goats tries to eat the oversized check.
One of the best things about working for the PETA Foundation is the knowledge that we are helping make a difference in the lives of animals every day. Even those of us in support roles (such as Finance and Human Resources departments) have the option to get out of the office and spend a day with PETA's amazing Community Animal Project fieldworkers.
On April 15, I did just that. I traded my heels for work boots, and I took a day off from helping humans so that I could make a huge difference in the lives of some very special dogs in our community.
The experience was as heartbreaking as it was rewarding. These beautiful dogs exist in backyards, exiled from the families they long to love, with little food or water, chained to whatever will hold them. They are kept among the trash, in blocked-off areas only few square feet in area. Sometimes we could barely tell that there were animals in the yards.
At each house we visited, we got right to work. We untangled and replaced heavy chains with lighter tie-outs so that the dogs could have room to move. We relocated doghouses to shadier spots, and we moved crap (both figurative and literal) out of the way so that the dogs would have a cleaner, drier place to lie down.
We were so lucky to come across Fluffy, whose area was so full of feces that it reached the top of his food bowl! I could barely stand the stench for 15 minutes—I can't imagine how he could spend his whole life among it. After a lot of hard work, we were able to move his PETA doghouse under a tree, secure his water bucket, and finally give him some fresh air to breathe.
With that, we were on to the next house. At this house I met an angel. She doesn't have a name and simply exists in a backyard, tied to a tree—and I'm unable to get her out of my head. My mission was to clean her filthy water bowl, but it was clear that what she really wanted was my attention. She could barely contain her excitement. She continually jumped up and down, wiggling her whole body, so happy to have someone notice her. If I tried to leave, she would jump up, grab my legs, and look into my eyes. This girl was starving … for affection.
At the end of the day, I'm not sure which was harder: Seeing the way these animals were forced to live or having to walk away.
If you're inspired by these stories, there are so many ways that you can help. First, you should have your animal companions spayed or neutered so that fewer dogs and cats end up in situations like these. You can volunteer in your community to help backyard dogs or to educate your neighbors about the importance of spaying and neutering. You can also take a moment to donate to PETA's Investigations and Rescue Fund, which supports PETA's outreach efforts.
Written by Vicki Carey, PETA Foundation Director of Human Resources
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!