PETA has asked the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to open a criminal investigation after as many as 70 animals endured prolonged agony and died in the October 6 crash of a cattle transport truck container in Seattle. The request also urges WSP to bring cruelty-to-animals and unsafe-animal-transport charges against the person or people responsible if criminal actions are discovered.

Negligence Can Be Deadly

In a jarring reminder that the trucks used to transport farmed animals are no less cruel and treacherous than the factory farms and slaughterhouses that they travel between, the cattle container came unhinged on Interstate 90 and slid 200 yards along the road when the driver, hauling for J & H Express, Inc., rounded a curve. Video of the gruesome scene shows struggling survivors kicking their limbs and hooves, which were stuck in the container's grated sides. Photos by WSP responders reveal cattle piled on top of one another and covered with feces.

The animals were apparently denied emergency veterinary care. About three hours passed before the cattle—who had already endured many hours of transport from Hawaii—were driven three additional hours to Sunnyside, Washington, where at least 20 of the injured were reportedly discovered to have died. The driver was cited for traveling too fast and failing to secure his load. WSP personnel found that he had "failed to lock down all four corners" of the container given that two of its locking pins "had no damage or marking on them."

Taking Cruelty on the Road

According to Washington law, inflicting needless suffering on an animal through recklessness or criminal negligence or failing to provide one's animals with necessary medical attention constitutes second-degree cruelty to animals if the animal suffers unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain. State law also makes it clear that causing animals to be transported in a way that jeopardizes their safety or that of the public is a misdemeanor.

Even without the flagrant and possibly illegal actions that lead to truck accidents (which happen frequently) and the misery that they cause, transport is hell on animals, who are often beaten or shocked to get them to cram into the trailer of the 18-wheeler. During the trip, they are often deprived of food and water for the entire journey, which may take days. They suffer from heat exhaustion in the summer and freeze to the sides of the truck in winter, and they're forced to inhale diesel exhaust and ammonia fumes from their own waste—if they can breathe at all. After the trauma of the farm and the truck, many animals are so ill or injured that they're unable to stand and walk on their own, so they're kicked or dragged off the trucks to their deaths.

What You Can Do

From birth to slaughter, the life of every animal used for food is a long procession of indignities and injuries, which are funded with each dollar spent on meat, eggs, or dairy products. Don't buy into animals' misery—go vegan today!

Some folks made Christmas merry, while others are in need of making some serious New Year's resolutions to shape up:

• Kisses to hip international clothier Mango. The retailer will no longer sell fur or exotic-animal skins.
• Hisses to Essence magazine for featuring real animal pelts alongside their far more attractive—and humane—faux counterparts in a gallery of "opulent furs."
• Kisses to the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative for working to designate the waters surrounding the Cook Islands as a sanctuary where sharks won't have their fins cut off for soup.
• Hisses to San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini for sending disturbing Christmas cards showing his family standing alongside taxidermied animals.
• Kisses to the Seattle City Council for protecting animals in Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean by banning plastic bags from groceries and other retail stores, which can kill birds, turtles, and other marine animals when the bags wash into the water and animals ingest them or become entangled in them.
• Hisses to forever flip-flopping Drew Barrymore for betraying animals by ditching her vegetarian diet to please her boyfriend.
• Kisses to Israel for making cat declawing a crime punishable by up to one year in prison and a $20,000 fine.
• Hisses and gag reflexes to Wendy's for adding a $16 foie gras burger to the menu in its Japanese restaurants.

If "fantasy football" for you means a stadium where healthy foods are more abundant than foam fingers, check out this year's ranking of the top five most vegetarian-friendly stadiums in the NFL.

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles)
   Defending last year's title, Lincoln Financial claims top honors again with a "dream team" of tasty, healthy vegetarian options for Eagles fans. Their taste buds get some Philadelphia freedom from boring burgers and dogs, with faux-steak and "chicken-steak" sandwiches, a brand-new seitan brisket, veggie dogs, black-bean and garden burgers, and vegetable wraps. In premium dining areas, fans can also choose a grilled vegetable hoagie, fresh roasted vegetables, hummus with pita chips, fruit, or a vegetable platter. 
2. O.co Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
   With the Raiders showing signs this season of turning things around, it's the perfect time for fans to turn around their health by enjoying low-fat, protein-packed, delicious vegetarian meals. The team already has one "super bowl" this year: the delicious veggie burrito bowl. The stadium also offers the classic veggie burrito, veggie dog, and veggie burger in concessions and a chipotle black-bean burger, grilled portobello sandwich, grilled vegetables, hummus, crudités, and fruit in premium areas.
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
   Packers fans might be inspired to do the Aaron Rodgers championship belt touchdown dance after sinking their teeth into a mouthwatering, meat-free bratwurst or veggie burger. They can also stay lean and green with such choices as the grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, vegetables with hummus, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, baked potato, and the classic PB&J.  
4. Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)
   Gillette Stadium has more delicious vegetarian options than the Pats have weapons on offense. This is the stadium's first time on our list, but we're betting that with foods like these, it won't be the last. Choices include a veggie burger and veggie dog, hummus with vegetables, and fruit cups, and in premium areas, a vegetable gyro and a fresh fruit plate.
5. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
   Between sampling the delicious vegetarian options and watching Tony Gonzalez climb the all-time receptions list, Georgia Dome is the place to be for animal-friendly football fans. Birds of a feather are flocking to the concessions stands for veggie burgers, veggie dogs, PB&J, vegetables with hummus, salads, and fruit cups. In premium areas, fans can order grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, or an Eden Organic berry mix.

Scoring honorable mentions are the San Diego Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks' CenturyLink Field, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.

Football fans don't have to leave their health to a last-minute Hail Mary. They can start and finish strong with foods that don't cause unnecessary roughness to their bodies or to animals and that taste so good that fans won't care if they get fined for excessive celebration.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Protesters in the (in) defense (of donkeys) zone!

Last night, high school students, parents, and PETA supporters gathered en masse outside Snohomish High School in Snohomish, Washington, to inform people who were attending a donkey basketball fundraiser that exploiting animals for a cheap thrill is both cruel and far from educational.

During donkey basketball "games," participants often drag, kick, and punch the animals in order to get them to "play." Full-grown adults ride on the backs of animals who are only able to bear a little more than 100 lbs., and this is dangerous for both the donkey and the rider. The only thing that spectators and participants learn from events like these is that it's OK to dominate, torment, and humiliate those who are weaker than they are.

Dunk tanks and bake sales are just two of the many fundraising opportunities available in which all participants are willing participants. If you are a student or a parent at a school that wants to host a donkey basketball game, don't let event organizers resort to cruelty in order to cash in—take action by contacting your school district's superintendent and asking for a policy that bans the use of live animals in fundraisers forever.

Written by Logan Scherer

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) held its annual convention in Seattle this weekend and—despite public outcry—allowed attendees to participate in a dead-fish toss.

I don't know about y'all, but when I'm looking for an "outrageously fun" time, I go dancing. I don't throw around corpses. So to remind the AVMA that sea kittens feel pain just as dogs and cats do—and to provide a memorable image of the suffering that the AVMA willingly supports—we held a stunning demonstration in front of the conference for all attendees and Seattleites to see:

Our eye-catching display reminded people that the AVMA was responsible for suffocating sea kittens.

Is it just me, or did the guy in the middle kind of luck out with the seating arrangement?

Weekend shoppers and media personnel spent much of their time admiring these "dead fish."

In the words of PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, "The AVMA is a trade group that often sides with animal abusers, not with animals. People expect more from the very people who are charged with helping and protecting animals."

Hopefully the attention-grabbing demonstration armed people with some future lifesaving knowledge.

Written by Christine Doré

warkscol.wordpress / CC

The American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) annual conference starts July 10 in Seattle. On the agenda is a pitch for the AVMA to change its current opposition to ear-cropping and tail-docking and give a thumbs-up to the painful procedures.

Say what?!

Our friends at NYCVet.org alerted us to a recent issue of the Journal of the AVMA, which revealed that the Utah Veterinary Medical Association (UVMA) wants the AVMA to reword its official position on ear-cropping and tail-docking. Instead of opposing these practices across the board, UVMA wants the AVMA to change its stance as follows:

Ear Cropping and Tail Docking of Dogs
The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. Although cosmetic ear cropping and tail docking of dogs has little or no therapeutic basis, it is a procedure that is condoned by the American Kennel Club and by many members of society. It is imperative that the procedures be performed by trained, licensed, and caring veterinarians using current standard of care. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from in breed standards. Members of the AVMA will conform to all state mandates concerning the procedures.

Um, here's a newsflash—cruel ear-cropping and tail-docking have been banned in countries around the world because they are purely cosmetic, hurt like hell, and have no benefit whatsoever to the animal. We hope that the AVMA holds strong and doesn't decide to become even less caring about animals than it already is.

Written by Karin Bennett

agrip / CC

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)—the same group that refuses to denounce the cruel force-feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras or the confinement of mother pigs to metal crates barely larger than their own bodies—have yet again proven that their hearts are as cold as their stethoscopes.

The AVMA plans to team up veterinarians and employees of Pike Place Fish Market for a dead fish sea kitten toss at its upcoming convention in Seattle. The event organizers promise that the event will be "outrageously fun."

Come again?

My gut tells me that the AVMA wouldn't dare try to organize a dead cat toss—so why not show the same consideration for sea kittens? The AVMA is turning a blind eye to the deaths of billions of sea kittens who suffocate on boat decks or are cut open while they are still conscious—all thanks to the cruel fishing industry. And those sea kittens feel pain, just like land kittens do.

Conventiongoers could get a uniquely Seattle experience by spending a few hours at the Experience Music Project and then visiting the Space Needle—a fun and cruelty-free afternoon.

Written by Karin Bennett

bingogamingnews / CC

Just last week, Neal Wanless, a 23-year-old rancher from Todd County, South Dakota—the seventh poorest county in the country—claimed a whopping $232.1 million Powerball prize in one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.

Now that he's roped himself some serious coin, we're asking him to spare a little change (career change, that is). We wrote to Neal asking him to put his family's 320-acre ranch out to pasture and retire the remaining cattle, sheep, and horses to a sanctuary. We're really hoping that Neal's generosity is as big as his oversized check, cuz ranched animals get a seriously raw deal that can include neglect, mutilation, genetic manipulation, and drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling.

So Neal, here's our appeal: Kick up your heels, go for bust in Branson, do Dollywood, buy a closet full of those two-toned Garth Brooks shirts—whatever—enjoy life—you deserve it. Just don't forget about all those animals back at your ranch. They deserve to enjoy the rest of their lives too.

Written by Amy Elizabeth

Everyone is sexiest when sporting compassion, and Charlize Theron proves the point! Out for a stroll on a Malibu beach the other day, not only did Charlize take along her two lucky rescue dogs, she also brought out a message to help all dogs by sporting PETA's newest "Fight Breedism" T-shirt.

Smokin' body and a love for shelter mutts? Now that's hot.
Credit: X17online

Want to mimic Charlize's style? You can buy one of our "Fight Breedism" tees here.

Written by Shawna Flavell

dailyblabber.ivillage / CC

Listen up, ladies! You know how there's a never-ending list of female celebs willing to take it off to save animals, but sometimes men seem to be in short supply? Well, we're proposing that one more gentleman be added to the ranks of guys like Steve-O and David Cross, who have participated in our "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign: rapper and producer T.I.

Before T.I. reported to prison last week to serve his sentence for federal weapons charges, he sought some advice from PETA friend Martha Stewart on how to pass the time while incarcerated.

Well, if we don't just have the best idea ever.

Just after Martha was released from jail a few years ago, she narrated a public service announcement explaining the truth about the fur industry. So we've sent a letter to T.I. asking him to join Martha in the fight against the fur industry by posing for one of PETA's iconic ads after his release.

In the letter, we let T.I. know that we understand how he'll "[experience] firsthand what it is like for the millions of minks, rabbits, and other animals who are confined to filthy sheds on fur farms. But unlike inmates who are freed when they finish their sentences, these animals are beaten, have their necks broken, are electrocuted, and are often skinned alive for their fur."

Hopefully, T.I. will give it some thought and decide to show us his birthday suit after losing his orange jumpsuit.

Written by Lianne Turner