As if their lives on an Iowa factory farm weren't wretched enough, nearly 5,000 pigs perished when a fire broke out in what the media accurately calls a "confinement facility." Locked in gestation crates with no possibility of escape, these mothers and babies could only watch as the flames and smoke approached. 
 

Confined in tiny stalls and gestation crates, pigs have little chance to survive a disaster.

 
Iowa is the number one pig-flesh–producing state in the nation, and in 2008, prompted by a whistleblower's report, a PETA undercover investigation of an Iowa factory farm that supplied pigs for Hormel Foods revealed that workers were beating pigs with metal rods, sexually abusing them with canes, and more.

Hideous cruelty like this will occur out of sight if a bill pending in Iowa's legislature passes. The bill would subject whistleblowers to criminal prosecution for exposing animal abuse on factory farms. Please speak out right now! |
 

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

I have a Twitter account so that I can follow the wisdom of elders, see what the guru of good taste has to say, and, of course, try to keep up with PETA.

I'm just one of 52,710 (and counting) who rely on PETA's tweets for news, events, and updates. That's no small feat, considering that PETA has its paws in anything and everything that's related to animal protection. Now, PETA followers, including some well-known tweeters, are nominating PETA to receive the "Shorty Award" for best nonprofit organization. Some examples:

PamelaDAnderson: I nominate @peta 4 a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because PETA has inspired (more than any organization) so many people to help animals

stephaniepratt (from MTV's The Hills): I nominate @peta 4 a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because they save countless animals http://ow.ly/Ufwx -vote for them!!! Xo

Joel Bartlett: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because they will do whatever it takes.

Maria Burgos: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because I love all the animals in the world,specially my lil bunny :)

Web Hosting: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because...I am vegan and PETA is the best AR group in the world!

Sarah Wright: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because eating meat just for pure enjoyment is inhumane & ridiculous

Izzy Rios: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because....they show the world what they dont want to see.

Yasmina: I nominate @peta for a Shorty Award in #nonprofit because... they have to be #1. I love PETA

I'm going to nominate PETA for a Shorty Award as soon as I finish this post. If you don't already have a Twitter account, now might be the time to sign up. All it takes is 140 characters of your time.

Written by Karin Bennett

What's brilliant, saves lives, and red all over? A fire truck wrapped in one of these ads:

When we heard that KFC was defacing covering fire hydrants throughout Indianapolis with ads for its "fiery" wings, we immediately offered to help the city's fire departments, which are struggling from economic woes, by applying to advertise our Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign on their fire trucks. We want citizens of Indianapolis to know that the only thing "fiery" about KFC is the scalding-hot water that millions of chickens are dropped into—often while they're still conscious.

We're still waiting to hear back from the city—but in other news, we're told that for the first time ever, dogs throughout Indianapolis are terrified of fire hydrants.

Written by Logan Scherer