Written by PETA
And, this week's 10% Wool "Tag and Release" winner is ... Beth Ann! Congratulations.
Don't forget to check out the archive of past 10% Wool comic strips here. Get more information on the series and the writer here, and learn how to get Jeff's other comic, DeFlocked, into your local paper here.
Thanks to a recent undercover investigation in which PETA revealed that the University of Utah (the U) had bought more than 100 homeless animals from animal shelters and subjected them to invasive, painful, and deadly experiments, a law was passed so that shelters in Utah are no longer required to turn animals over to laboratories. There is now only one animal shelter in the entire state—the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter (NUVAS)—that voluntarily continues to betray homeless dogs and cats by selling them to the U. The NUVAS is signing the torture-followed-by-death warrant for animals it hands over, as most are likely to suffer in the sort of archaic experiments documented by PETA's undercover investigator. A recent demonstration outside NUVAS sent the message loud and clear that this betrayal of trust cannot go on:
The demonstrators handed out leaflets to passersby, warning them about NUVAS' "pound-seizure" policy. They begged people who were surrendering animals to take their cats and dogs to a different shelter and personally rescued two surrendered cats, Angel and Libby, who might have otherwise ended up being tortured in the U's experiments. Let's keep the pressure on NUVAS and press for an end to its release of animals for experimentation.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Eating meat can be a real pain in the behind—literally. A new study from France found that women who consumed the most protein—particularly animal flesh—had nearly three times the risk of being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and other nasty conditions that cause severe inflammation in the digestive system and often abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Researchers think that meat could contribute to IBD because digesting animal flesh produces hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and other potentially toxic "end products."
I have a gut feeling that IBS sufferers—and everyone else—would be better off switching to a diet that's kind to our digestive systems and to animals!
Here's some good news: The thoroughbred racing rag The Blood-Horse reports that the TV ratings for last weekend's Belmont Stakes (the last "jewel" in the Triple Crown) were the lowest ever in the 50 years that ratings have been tracked. Apparently, Saturday-evening TV viewers have better things to do than watch a dozen horses get flogged for a mile and a half.
In a New York Times blog post the following day, Bennett Liebman, a member of the New York Racing Association's board of directors, opined on the many reasons for "the decline of horse racing," among which, he says, are corruption, drugs, and "the use of whips on horses and the catastrophic injuries we have seen in major races," all of which "have contributed to the public perception that horse racing is a cruel sport which has little concern for the health or the safety of the horse."
I think Liebman is on to something. Do you agree that horse racing is on its last (broken) legs?
Written by Alisa Mullins
Shrek may not be the first one who comes to mind when you think of style (or hygiene), but you've got to admit, the ogre's one cool color. And even if green's not your shade, with OPI's limited-edition Shrek-inspired shades such as "Rumple's Wiggin'," "What's With the Cattitude," "Fiercely Fiona," "Ogre-the-Top Blue," "Funky Dunkey," and "Who the Shrek Are You," you're sure to find the fairytale color of your dreams.
For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, we have two of these cruelty-free nail polish sets to give away. To win, leave a comment about an animal-friendly fantasy character you root for or an evil villain you'd like to slay. My favorite animal-friendly character is Pete from Pete's Dragon. Use a character that already exists, or be creative and write your own tale. The two comments that best spin a character we want to root for or cast a villain we want destroyed will win the nail polishes.
The contest ends on June 23, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on June 25, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Good Luck!
Written by Heather Moore
Holy Guacamole Vegemite! The Fremantle City Council just voted to phase out the live export of sheep from its port. To get an idea of how huge this decision is, consider that in 2006 more than 80 percent of the almost 4 million sheep who were exported from Australia went through Fremantle's port.
Why the move to stop shipping sheep? Freemantle Mayor Brad Pettitt declared that it's time for the "cruel and unnecessary live sheep trade to be phased out and replaced with a trade that supports local jobs." Indeed, the transport to the Middle East of millions of sheep—some of whom were once used and abused for their wool—is the stuff that nightmares are made of. The grueling journey can take weeks or sometimes months, and animals battle starvation, disease, and trampling from severe crowding. Those who survive the arduous journey are then taken to slaughter and have their throats cut while they are still conscious.
Australian meat workers have spoken out. Politicians have voted to close their ports. You say that you, too, have taken action to help sheep? Post a comment to tell us all about it.
Written by Karin Bennett
Strong, healthy heart—check.
Slim, trim body—check.
Increased energy—check.
Lovely, sun-kissed glow—wait, what …?
Fair-skinned folks should know that the secret to a sexy tan is in the fruit basket, not the tanning bed. That's right: Researchers at Bristol University have found that a golden tan enhanced by beta-carotene found in orange and green fruits and vegetables was preferred over that leathery look brought on by baking in the sun.
And just like that, there's yet another reason (there are billions more) to load up the grill with asparagus this Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Media outlets everywhere are reporting that a home on New York's Long Island is for sale. Why all the buzz? This house is well known as the "Amityville Horror house," the infamous site of alleged paranormal activity brought on by gruesome murders at the home as depicted in the horror classic The Amityville Horror.
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, there's no denying the horrors that countless animals suffer in factory farms before they are cruelly killed in slaughterhouses. So enter PETA: We've written to the current owner to propose that we be allowed to rent the residence so that we can set up shop—er, haunted house.
PETA's "Amityville Slaughterhouse of Horrors" would guarantee chills (and likely some sleepless nights) for visitors who will experience what life and death are like for victims of factory farms and slaughterhouses. Of course, it wouldn't be all gore and horror: Our walk-through exhibit would also include an on-site café where visitors can learn about simple, tasty alternatives to butchered animal bits.
Will we be bringing the haunting real-life tales of tormented animals to Amityville? We'll let you know—in the meantime, make sure your own kitchen doesn't look like a murder scene by going vegan.
My bad. I meant "Sex and the Kitty," PETA's hilarious ad promoting spaying and neutering. I guess I got a little Carried away because Sex and the City 2 hits theaters today. A funny take on a serious matter, SATK (like SATC) is an R-rated feature about girls in heat. The difference is that unlike SATC's lusty litter of sex kittens, real cats can't practice safe sex. Just one unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years. That's almost as many men as Samantha dates during the same time period!
So sit back, sip on a cosmo, and get in the mood for SATC 2 by watching SATK. Then let me know whether you're on Team Big or Team Aiden (I'm on Team Fix-Your-Kitty).
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Over the years, Cloris Leachman has won numerous awards for her acting (my fave: Nurse Diesel). Her fancy footwork drew applause (and kisses) on Dancing With the Stars. And the longtime vegetarian turned heads everywhere when she became one of PETA's Lettuce Ladies.
Now Cloris is drawing rave reviews for her appearance in a hilarious public service announcement promoting spaying and neutering. Condoms may be effective birth control for humans, but they don't work for dogs and cats. She wants everyone to know that curbing suffering for millions of animals is a snap: One SNIP can prevent the birth of as many as 420,000 cats in just seven years or 67,000 puppies in six years. That's why she wanted to make this spot the performance of a lifetime. Watch the outtakes and try to tell me that this woman isn't a comedic genius:
Cloris is positively glorious, but she can't do it alone. She needs your help in educating the masses about the importance of spaying and neutering—from your front yard and beyond.
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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