Written by Jeff Mackey
With so many out-of-control hoarders claiming to be animal rescuers, "rescue" has become a buzzword to beware of—especially when combined with irresponsible "no-kill" promises. The strength of their compulsion also makes it vital that, when convicted, hoarders be stopped from possessing any animals in the future in order to break the cycle of abuse.
The latest reminder comes from Alabama, where Sharlotte Marie Adams, the operator of Animal Aid and Rescue Resources Inc., and her husband were arrested after a complaint was filed alleging misuse of funds and other donations to the "organization." When police searched the Adamses' home, site of the purported rescue, they reportedly discovered atrocious conditions. Andalusia Animal Shelter Director Christin Ball, whose staff is rehabilitating and housing some of the seized animals, said this about their condition:
They were all sick. There's one that we're not sure if he's going to make it or not. They've had no care whatsoever. It's sad. She claimed she'd taken them to the vet, but no one had.
Law-enforcement officials suspect that Adams exploited people's "generosity by using cash donations – solicited under the guise of treating sick animals – to pay for personal items such as electric bills and groceries for the family."
The couple was reportedly booked on charges of theft, endangering the welfare of a child, and cruelty to animals. But while police may have been shocked by what they found inside the house, PETA's investigations often reveal nightmarish conditions at many so-called "rescue" facilities, such as Caboodle Ranch and Sacred Vision. And, as in those cases, it will be critical to seek a prohibition on animal ownership as part of the penalty if the Adamses are convicted.
What You Can Do
If you learn of any hoarding case—whether posing as a rescue or not—please contact the prosecuting agency and/or attorney's office to ensure that any sentence or plea bargain include a clause forbidding the hoarder from owning or possessing animals.
Written by Michelle Kretzer
D.C.'s Washington Humane Society gave away rabbits for pennies recently. As one commenter who read the disturbing news article posted, "I hope this is … [an] April Fool's joke." Sadly, it wasn't. The animals were being adopted out for "29 cents in honor of the Leap Year."
St0rmz | cc by 2.0
Selling animals for less than the price of a pack of gum devalues them and encourages spur-of-the-moment adoptions by people who have not considered whether or not they are ready to invest the substantial amount of money and care that animals need. It would have been easy for people to acquire the cheap bunnies to give as Easter gifts to children, so many will likely join the countless other neglected cast-off Easter bunnies and chicks who live in cramped cages in backyards or are abandoned outdoors, where they cannot survive and die painfully.
Other people's intentions could be much more sinister: Virtually free rabbits are often sought after by those looking for cheap snake food, dogfighting bait, and laboratory victims—even by those wanting to make rabbit stew.
In response to pressure from "no-kill" advocates like Nathan Winograd and well-meaning members of the public, more and more animal shelters are stooping to these kinds of cheap and dangerous gimmicks to reduce their euthanasia statistics, even when it means shoving animals out the door without regard for each individual animal's well-being and safety. But if the number in the "adopted" column represents animals who suffered miserable fates and died at the hands of cruel or irresponsible people who have no idea what a rabbit needs, feels, or wants, that number starts to look pretty ugly.
Written by PETA
Time to check in on a few of the many homeless animals we rescued from overflowing shelters in oil-ravaged Louisiana with the help of our tireless angel for animals, Pamela Anderson.
If there's room in your heart and home—as well as your schedule and budget—consider finding the love of your life at your local animal shelter.
Written by Karin Bennett
Desperate to help a cat who'd been stuck in a tree for a week through the summer's worst thunderstorms, Tanya Lippke of Lewiston, Maine, turned to PETA—who she knew would never turn away from an animal in need. According to the local newspaper,
Tanya had been trying to find a hero all week. She tried the Fire Department. She tried police and an animal control officer. She even called some tree companies directly to implore them for help. "Nobody would do it. They said the cat would come down eventually," Tanya said. "But you know what? It wasn't coming down." Drastic times, as they say, call for drastic measures. Tanya went up as high in the command as she could go. She called the people of PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was a last resort, a Hail Mary. And it worked.
Tanya had been trying to find a hero all week. She tried the Fire Department. She tried police and an animal control officer. She even called some tree companies directly to implore them for help. "Nobody would do it. They said the cat would come down eventually," Tanya said. "But you know what? It wasn't coming down."
Drastic times, as they say, call for drastic measures.
Tanya went up as high in the command as she could go. She called the people of PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was a last resort, a Hail Mary.
And it worked.
Within hours the kitty was safely down.
You hear about PETA's lettuce ladies storming Capitol Hill and our undercover investigations that shake up entire animal-abusing industries. You don't always hear about PETA saving cats from trees—but, yup, we do that too.
Aren't you proud to be a PETA member?
Written by Joel Bartlett
P.S. Just a reminder: Please keep cats indoors where they are safe.
It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!
Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …
We were already crushing on The Biggest Loser's tough-love trainer Bob Harper after he went vegetarian and then signed on to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program. But we're in full-on love after learning that Bob adopted his new canine companion from an animal shelter, saying, "It just kills me when people spend money on a dog when there are dogs in shelters waiting for someone to take them," adding, "I want to tell them, 'No! Those are puppy mills!'"
We couldn't have said it better ourselves!
Whether she's in the wacky world of Syfy's Eureka or the witchy universe of Eastwick, actor Jaime Ray Newman is always an angel to her rescued pooches. Now, in an exclusive interview, Newman gushes over her adopted dogs, explains how spaying or neutering companion animals can save millions of lives each year, and shares her own theory about how to achieve world peace:
Written by Logan Scherer
We're relieved that a "chicken" who was shot at by passing motorists outside a Burger Barn in Wichita wasn't seriously injured.
We wish we could say the same for the cows whom the "chicken" was encouraging people to eat. (The "chicken" was actually a man named Robert Hatter, who was holding a sign reading "Eat More Beef!") Destined to be turned into beef patties, cows on factory farms suffer painful dehorning, branding, and castration without being given any painkillers. They feel terror, hunger, and thirst during their treacherous trek to the slaughterhouse, where they are hoisted upside down and slaughtered.
We're hopeful, however, that his harrowing experience will cause Hatter to think twice about promoting violence toward other animals. I can't think of a better way to do that than by ordering a copy of our vegetarian/vegan starter kit.
Nine-spined stickleback, genius of the sea, allow me to introduce the rocket scientist of the air: the pigeon.
Scientists have discovered that pigeons are better than humans at solving statistical problems such as the Monty Hall Problem (named after the original host of the game show Let's Make a Deal). In the problem, a person, or in this case a bird, is given three doors to choose from. One of the doors has a prize behind it, and the other two do not. After the player makes a guess, one of the remaining doors that does not contain the prize is opened and the player is given the option of staying with the initial guess or switching to the other unopened door. Studies show that humans typically fail to collect any supporting data and stick with their original guess ("classical probability"), while pigeons double their chances of winning by switching choices. It turns out that these smart birds learn to make predictions by tracking outcomes and narrowing the possibilities ("empirical probability").
I consider this to be yet another example of why I'd be honored, not insulted, if anyone ever called me a "birdbrain."
We were inundated with precious pics of your too-cute-for-140-characters animal companions in our Valentine's Day Twitter contest, and now we're featuring the winners in four V-Day e-cards:
At the top left, meet Meeme and Mochi, who may have been watching too much Twilight before their picture was taken. The cutie in the top right is Fifi and in the bottom left is Cricket, the eye patch–sporting dog who was rescued from a trash bin. Last but not least, meet Lucia and James, who apparently can't get enough of each other.
Choose your favorite card and send it to your valentine with a personalized message. Oh, and not to worry—you're not limited to 140 characters!
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.
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