Written by Michelle Kretzer
Rutgers University Athletic Director Tim Pernetti has admitted that he should have fired men's basketball coach Mike Rice sooner. Pernetti terminated him after a video showing Rice hitting, kicking, and verbally abusing players went viral—but Pernetti had seen the video in November and had only temporarily suspended Rice and fined him. Players say that the coach's abusive behavior continued throughout the following months.
Rice has learned that bullies aren't winners, and now PETA wants to help the institution promote an abuse-free campus. That's why we're sending the school free anti-bullying posters to display in its athletic facilities:
Bullies' victims cross all species barriers. A study conducted by nearby Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. PETA hopes our posters will remind students and faculty to help stop violence by immediately reporting abuse to authorities—no matter who the victim is.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations just released preliminary data of America's most violent cities, and Flint, Michigan, had more reported crimes per capita than any other large city. Number two, Detroit, trailed by a wide margin. So to help Flint stop resembling scenes from The Godfather, PETA has made the city an offer it can't refuse—or at least it shouldn't. We offered to pay the cash-strapped city to display this banner across City Hall and other government buildings:
As we explained in our letter to Mayor Dayne Walling:
The violence inherent in producing meat, eggs, and milk today would shock all but the most hard-hearted person. Chickens and turkeys have their throats cut while they're still conscious, piglets are castrated without being given any painkillers, fish are suffocated or cut open while they're still alive on the decks of fishing boats, and calves are torn away from their mothers within hours of birth. Buying meat, dairy products, and eggs means paying for these practices to continue—effectively, hiring the hit man.
But eating vegan means making a conscious effort to be compassionate three times a day.
And because people who deliberately abuse animals often go on to commit violent acts against human beings, Flint might also help stem the flow of violence by advocating respect for animals—and encouraging citizens to report any suspected acts of cruelty.
Reducing violence in Flint means helping people to put down their weapons, starting with the steak knife.
Written by PETA
Yesterday, a military court convicted U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs of the "thrill kill" murders of three Afghan civilians and sentenced him to life in prison. He was also convicted of 12 related charges, including taking fingers and teeth from the victims as trophies, which he compared to "keeping the antlers off a deer you'd shoot."
Like virtually every known serial killer, Gibbs reportedly killed animals before moving on to human victims: Other members of his unit, one of whom called him "evil incarnate," said Gibbs took pleasure in gunning down stray dogs.
Psychiatrists, FBI profilers, and law-enforcement officials have repeatedly documented that people who are cruel to animals are likely to turn that violence against humans. A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans.
It may be that Gibbs' acts of cruelty to animals started long ago, probably in childhood, just as was the case with school shooters Kip Kinkel, Luke Woodham, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold. That's why it is vital always to take acts of cruelty seriously, even when the perpetrators are children.
To save animal and human lives, report every instance of cruelty to animals to authorities. Today's puppy torturer could be tomorrow's thrill killer.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
Imagine having your ears crudely hacked off and then being tossed outside to recover from your wounds as best you could without so much as an aspirin to dull the pain. That appears to be what happened to a pit bull puppy in Hampton, Virginia, and PETA is now desperately trying to find out who inflicted the wounds in order to bring the perpetrator to justice.
After a concerned passerby spotted the injured puppy in a yard without any shelter, her ears crusty, bloody, and obviously infected, the person contacted PETA, and we in turn contacted animal control. But so far, all we have been able to determine is that the puppy was apparently purchased from a local breeder, who we believe inflicted the injuries. The puppy's owner was ordered to provide her with vet care but allegedly refuses to divulge the breeder's name, so we are offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever hacked off the puppy's ears.
Home "crop jobs," in which scissors, knives, and other sharp instruments are used to hack off pit bulls' ears to make them look "tough," are often associated with dogfighting. Such procedures are illegal both because they violate anti-cruelty laws and because they could be considered practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Even if performed by a veterinarian, ear-cropping and tail-docking are purely cosmetic (read: unnecessary) and cause extreme pain to the victims.
Cases like this one are not isolated incidents. Animal abusers are usually repeat offenders, and studies show that they often "progress" to committing violence against humans. If you live in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area and have any information about this crime, please call PETA at 757-962-8370.
Written by Joe Taksel
Dogfighters are cowardly scum. Just ask the "Scumdogs of the Universe"—better known as thrash-metal band GWAR, whose lead shrieker Oderus Urungus unleashes his wrath on dogfighting in a new peta2 video.
In the video, a chained GWAR "slave" is pitted against Guy Kozowyk of metal masters The Red Chord in a WWE-esque, no-holds-barred match. Unlike dogfights, in which dogs are forced to tear each other to shreds, no real blood is shed in this match, and the willing participants live to fight against dogfighting another day.
The Supreme Court recently struck down a law banning the distribution of videos depicting illegal conduct such as dogfighting, but that doesn't mean that you have to be an intergalactic humanoid barbarian (unless you're into that) to combat this blood sport. If you find evidence that dogfighting is taking place in your area, please contact your local humane society or police department right away. You might also want to contact neighborhood watch groups in your area to encourage them to keep an eye out for possible dogfighting rings. Whatever you do, please declare "GWAR" on dogfighting!
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
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.
Written by Karin Bennett
Behold: a visit from Captain Obvious. As if the world needed another example of the proven link between violence against animals and violence against humans, Ghulam Rasool Khan—a suspected al-Qaida member jailed in India—refuses to eat the vegetarian food served to him, instead demanding "two kg of mutton and one kg of chicken daily."
Khan has threatened to go on a hunger strike if he doesn't get his carcasses. But if PETA India's recent request that all jails serve only vegetarian meals is honored, then the bloodthirsty terrorist will be starving himself indefinitely.
Written by Logan Scherer
Perez Hilton reported Monday that an Ohio woman got into a flap when she was told that McDonald's was out of McNuggets—and was apparently arrested after she punched out the drive-thru window. This altercrazion* is just the latest in a recent rash of fights, stabbings, and shootings that have taken place at various McDonald's restaurants across the country.
We know that a diet full of meat and dairy foods can make people limp, lumpy, and, er, well, dumb. And we know that McDonald's, aka McCruelty's, hideous treatment of animals makes caring people mad. But dare I say that a McDonald's-heavy diet may make people violent? Ladies and gentlemen, consider the following:
On the flip side, I don't recall ever having read about vegans duking it out for flesh-free Southern Fried Drumsticks at Brooklyn's Foodswings or getting into nunchuck battles over mock chicken fingers at Venice Beach's Good Karma (although I'll admit that my husband and I once thumb wrestled for the last bite of "meat loaf" at The Chicago Diner—I won, BTW).
McDonald's fast-food fights are so common that I'm thinking about suggesting that the PETA Files introduce a new semi-regular feature called "McDonald's Mayhem"—that is, unless you can think of a better title for it?
*"Altercation" + "crazy" = "altercrazion."
We know that the Boston Strangler did it. So did Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Like so many others, all these serial killers tortured animals before "graduating" to humans.
That link has raised suspicions about an Oklahoma teen, Nikolas Kerr, who is accused of torturing and killing a 2-month-old kitten. A witness claims that she saw Kerr set the kitten on fire, repeatedly slam the tiny animal into a piece of furniture, and swing the cat by the tail. When asked why he did it, Kerr allegedly said, "'Cause I'm a sociopath." Those actions and words have piqued the interest of prosecutors who are trying to determine the extent of Kerr's involvement in the death of a homeless man known as "Bicycle Bob."
The link between violence against animals and violence against humans is well-established: It's why PETA developed a special booklet for law enforcement officials and prosecutors. It's also why actor Julie Benz—who played the wife of a serial killer who killed animals before moving on to people on Showtime's hit show Dexter—spoke out in a PETA public service announcement. And it's why we always urge anyone who knows of a violent crime against an animal to report it to authorities, pronto.
Every day, PETA receives reports from across the country detailing hideous acts of cruelty to animals for which law enforcement officials have no leads. Very often, PETA will offer a reward for information leading to an arrest, knowing that witnesses who might otherwise never come forward could be enticed to offer information.
PETA recently rewarded a tipster who offered information about a case of cruelty to animals that occurred last fall in Dillon, South Carolina. Brace yourself for the details: While Teofilo Falaniko was ransacking Bonnie Bowens' home, he forced her dog, Penny, into the oven and turned it on. To ensure that Penny's frantic pawing at the oven door didn't allow her to escape, Falaniko propped a chair against the door. When the elderly woman arrived home later that day, she and police discovered that her beloved dog was dead in the oven.
Because our tipster came forward and reported hearing Falaniko bragging about his heinous crime, Falaniko was arrested and charged. He was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison on burglary and cruelty-to-animals charges. Would Falaniko have been caught without the tipster's information? Who knows? But I get chills when I consider how many more victims—four-legged and two-legged—this violent criminal might have gone on to attack had he not been convicted of Penny's cruel killing.
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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