A lot of people have been writing in to ask who won the Second Life anti-fur slogan contest I was talking up a few weeks ago. Well, the virtual ballots have been cast, and the winners have been announced. Here are the winning slogans, and the awesome Stella McCartney display stand that will memorialize their work in Second Life forever. “All we are saying is give fleece a chance.” Love it.

Click for a larger image

Turns out that my "eXtreme" colleagues over at peta2 do more than just talking about their favorite skate spots and "moshing," or whatever it is that the kids are up to these days. Just two months after they put out a call for members and Street Teamers to contact Burton Snowboards about their use of fur, the company has committed to going fur-free for good!

This move means that all major action sports retailers are currently fur-free, and we're currently turning our attention to Guess? Inc. The company has announced that it will stop selling fur eventually, but evidently has plans to continue� ordering fur until September of 2007, and selling as much as it can until April 2008. If compassionate companies like Burton can make the commitment to a total and immediate ban on fur, Guess can too. Please click here to ask the company to go fur free immediately.

Thanks to everyone who contacted the company about this issue, and thank you, Burton, for making the compassionate decision to go fur-free.

Freshpage/Creative Commons

There are a few old lighthouses on the East Coast being offered up free of charge to a nonprofit or other qualified entity under the Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. So—of course—we’re applying for them. What international animal protection organization doesn’t need a lighthouse or two, right?

The first of the lighthouses we applied for is called the Penfield Reef Lighthouse—it's about a mile off the Connecticut coast, near the small town of Farifield. Here’s a story about it.

In all seriousness, we're applying for the lighthouses to serve as the international headquarters of our Fish Empathy Project, where we would install interactive displays promoting the protection of fish. Plus, it would be the perfect place to house the world’s first Fish Empathy Quilt.

After we submitted our application for the Penfield Reef Lighthouse, we found out that an official with the City of Fairfield—backed by the local Historical Society—is trying to obtain the lighthouse. So we wrote to him offering to bow out of the competition (which, incidentally, is just between us and him right now) if he can ensure that no cruelty to fish (such as angling or fish sticks) takes place on lighthouse grounds. Here’s the letter we sent. I’ll be sure to let you know if we get a response, but I wouldn’t start making vacation plans to visit the PETA Lighthouse just yet . . .

Dailystab/Creative Commons

Sometimes, there's more going on in the gossip columns of People and other celebrity-focused magazines than you might think. Most recently, there's been plenty of chatter about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton's new puppies, which completely glosses over what, to me, is the main angle for the story: That by buying animals from a pet store (and, as they have in the past, discarding them as soon as they get distracted by some pretty shiny thing), they may just as well be killing animals in a pound. It's a simple equation—though I can't say I have all that much faith in either of those girls' ability to perform basic math: Getting a dog from a pet store means the breeders breed more, while the shelter animals keep dying to make room for all the cast-offs. Here's what PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote to the girls, and you can read TMZ's take on the story here.

Dear Paris and Britney,

So, you have popped into a pet store to pick up some more doggie arm candy. Your impulse purchases of dogs encourage others to follow suit, no matter how ill-equipped they are to provide a decade or more of care for a little dog who has feelings and needs and who requires patience, veterinary care, and stimulation other than nightclub music and bar laughter. Also, for every pet store puppy purchased, a pound puppy dies (and a breeder -- probably somewhere in Arkansas or Missouri -- is rewarded for adding yet another litter to the pet overpopulation crisis). A California bill that would have required most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered-and therefore would have helped reduce the taxpayer burden for disposing of (killing) homeless animals-was recently defeated by greedy breeders. Perhaps you and other vacuous stars need to tattoo "Don't buy while pound pups die" on your foreheads to remind each other of that home truth.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid E. Newkirk, President
PETA

… but first, here’s a comic from the wonderful Dan Piraro that I think just about sums it up:

One of Michael Vick’s codefendants, Tony Taylor, changed his plea to guilty today. Taylor admitted to the court that he helped buy pit bulls and puppies and executed animals who didn’t do well in performance tests by shooting and electrocution.

PETA is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone suspected of dogfighting.

PETA demonstrators outside Taylor’s hearing today

I know I just blogged about this on Friday, but I just couldn’t resist another entry . . . OK, so maybe it has a little something to do with the fact that I grew up with The Lost Boys and The Goonies, but I absolutely loved the premiere of the new A&E reality show The Two Coreys last night. Of course, it could also have a little something to do with the fact that the plot centered around a dinner meeting with KFC Campaigner Nicole Matthews.

Here’s the description from the producers:

After a long hiatus, the "Two Coreys" are finally reunited when Corey Haim comes to stay with his best friend, Corey Feldman, and his wife, Susie. But a lot has changed in the years they have been apart—Feldman is married, a devout vegetarian, animal activist, and a non-smoker. Haim, still single and a committed carnivore, finds himself at odds with Feldman's new lifestyle and struggles to adjust to the rules of the house. The tension peaks when Haim disrupts an important dinner meeting between the Feldmans and a PETA representative.

You can check out the re-run Friday (August 3) at 11pm, Saturday (August 4) at 3am and 1pm, Sunday (August 5) at 5pm and Sunday (August 12) at 2pm. All times are Eastern Standard Time.

Here’s a clip to whet your appetite, and you can click here to read our interview with Corey Feldman and his wife Susie.

I just got word from our media department that PETA's latest billboard, which shows a patient in a Japanese hospital who suffered brain damage from mercury that was traced to contaminated fish, along with the tagline "Extreme Case of Mercury Poisoning: How Much Is in Your Fish?" was banned in Providence by all three of the city's outdoor advertisers. CBS Outdoor Mall sent PETA the following rejection note: "We won't take anything from PETA that depicts cruelty to animals, blood, disabled children, etc." That certainly rules out a few of our billboards. The purpose of this particular ad was to warn consumers about the tragic consequences of mercury poisoning from eating fish and direct readers to a website where they can learn some of the following disturbing information:

• Government studies show that eating just one can of tuna per week can increase a person's mercury level to 30 percent above levels considered safe.
• Mercury is known to cause severe health problems for humans, including brain damage, memory loss, tremors, and damage to a developing fetus.

Feel free to let me know what you think of this one.

I just love Bea Arthur. She has been speaking up for animals for years, most recently narrating this moving KFC video and helping with our Petsmart campaign. Now she is turning up the heat on Beverly Hills restaurant Matsuhisa—where she has been a loyal customer since it opened in 1987—for serving cruel foie gras. Check out her letter below.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Owner
Matsuhisa Restaurant
129 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Dear Nobu,

I have been a loyal fan of Matsuhisa since its opening in 1987 and have dined there nearly every week after. I have always loved the food, the décor, and the staff. That’s why I was so dismayed when I recently learned that foie gras is available in the restaurant’s side room. I cannot, in good conscience, continue dining at your restaurant as long as foie gras is offered.

The cruelty of the foie gras industry is staggering. The only way to produce foie gras is by ramming pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and force-feeding them until their livers become painfully diseased. These poor birds are pumped so full of grain and fat that their livers swell to up to 10 times the normal size. Then the animals are killed, and their diseased livers are sold as foie gras.

The world is speaking out against the cruelty inherent in foie gras production. Chicago enacted a ban on the sale of foie gras last year, and Wolfgang Puck recently dropped this cruel “delicacy” from his menu. As you know, in 2012, California will join 15 countries, including Israel, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.K., in banning the production of foie gras—and will join Chicago in banning its sale. I am an avid supporter of this cause, and I lobbied for the foie gras ban in Sacramento. It would be both savvy and compassionate of you to remove foie gras from Matsuhisa’s menu before the ban takes effect in 2012.

I am enclosing a copy of a video, narrated by Sir Roger Moore, depicting the horrific abuse of animals on foie gras farms. I hope that you will watch it and make the compassionate decision to remove foie gras from your menu. Only once I know that Matsuhisa stands firmly against cruelty to animals will I be able to return to my favorite restaurant.

Please contact me via Lisa Lange at PETA.

Yours truly,

Bea Arthur

Larevistadelcorazon/Creative Commons

My boss Tracy is a bit of an NPR junkie, and she heard a piece on there the other night about how new LA Galaxy star David Beckham wears only synthetic soccer cleats. He said it was because of his wife Victoria’s influence. OK, so it’s not the hugest news on the planet, but it just struck me as an interesting contrast for a professional athlete to be getting noticed for something positive like this, especially at a time when every ounce of ink the sports press can get their hands on is being used on Michael Vick.

Following PETA protests outside Niketown stores and countless calls and emails to the company asking that they cut ties with Michael Vick in light of horrific allegations of his involvement with dogfighting rings, Nike has released the following statement:

"Nike has suspended Michael Vick's contract without pay, and will not sell any more Michael Vick product at Nike-owned retail at this time."

As a result, we have called off our planned protests outside Nike stores around the country. Thanks to everyone who wrote to the company about this issue or attended the demonstrations, and thanks to Nike for doing the right thing by ending its association with someone accused of torture.

Reebok has also made the decision to stop sales of Michael Vick apparel, stating:

"While we respect the legal process we find the allegations against Mr. Vick too disturbing to ignore, therefore, we have decided to immediately suspend selling Vick NFL product, both at retail and online through the Reebok website."

This is great news for anyone who is concerned about cruelty to animals, and we hope that it sends a strong message to the NFL that they need to do the same thing and suspend Michael Vick immediately, pending the outcome of this case. To send a message to the NFL asking them to get on with that, please click here.

The new reality show, “The Two Coreys,” premieres this Sunday at 10pm EST on A&E, and PETA Campaigner Nicole Matthews is on the show. There’s been a lot of office chatter about it and it sounds like it’s going to be off the hook. In more good news, we’ve got a sneak peek for you here. Check out the video below, and read on for our interview with Corey Feldman and his lovely wife Susie.

Oh, and here are the details of the show, from the producers:

After a long hiatus, the "Two Coreys" are finally reunited when Corey Haim comes to stay with his best friend, Corey Feldman, and his wife, Susie. But a lot has changed in the years they have been apart—Feldman is married, a devout vegetarian, animal activist, and a non-smoker. Haim, still single and a committed carnivore, finds himself at odds with Feldman's new lifestyle and struggles to adjust to the rules of the house. The tension peaks when Haim disrupts an important dinner meeting between the Feldmans and a PETA representative.

So how did you first get involved with PETA?

Corey: I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years now; I’ve been doing animal rights activist type stuff for that length of time. But the first project I did with PETA was about 6 years ago when I was doing The Surreal Life when I married Susie and did the Meet Your Meat Campaign.

What was it like working on that project?

Corey: It was cool—for me it’s really hard because as a major animal lover it’s hard for me to actually sit through that stuff. I believe those videos are made for people who don’t get it at all and need a wake up call. And if you’re already there, it's kind of disturbing and kind of superfluous. I couldn’t actually watch the video—I had to basically narrate it with my eyes closed.

What was it exactly that first made you go vegetarian?

Corey: When I was 8 years old, my parents wouldn’t let me do it, and I think I was about 12 or 13 when I made the final decision like, “I know what I’m doing and if you don’t like it, too bad.” And that actually came though the influence at the time of Michael Jackson and Stephen Spielberg, because I was working on the film The Goonies. I was eating a steak one day and he sat down next to me and was mooing and saying, “You realize you’re eating a cow right? Why are you doing that?” And then I became friends with Michael and he was vegetarian at the time but no longer is an advocate—but at the time he was very influential in that world. But he brought me to his house and had his chef prepare me my first vegetarian dinner which basically helped sell it. So between the two of them I was like, “OK that’s it forget it, all bets are off.”

And then you didn’t look back?

Corey: Never once.

So what would you say to someone who thinks it’s just too hard to be vegetarian?

Corey: Well it’s a list of cop outs for everybody. Everyone’s number one argument, especially people who are hardcore carnivores; their number one reason is always “Well if you go back to the Bible, the Bible said that animals were put on this Earth to eat and that’s what they’re there for.” And I’m like, “Look guys, the Bible was written 2,000 years ago. We didn’t have science, we didn’t have technology, we didn’t have education, we didn’t have supplements; we didn’t have all these things. You were either eating raw corn stalk or cook an animal, so I get it. But we’ve evolved and the world, the Earth, the human race, it's an evolutionary process and we must evolve as human beings. But I guess the big answer is there are so many options with meat substitutes where you can live a happy and healthy life and still get the taste requirements met.

In the episode that's about to air with Nicole Matthews from PETA, how does the whole dinner go over?

Corey: It’s kind of a train wreck but that’s kind of what makes the whole episode work so well and kind of what made the point go across so well. Because what happens in the episode is Nicole comes over and we’re having this great dinner and it’s really informative and the point of it is we’re trying to figure out a new campaign to do with PETA. What happened was Corey found her very attractive, so he starts like hitting on her. We had sort of set up a blind date and he was gonna go off with her as we did our business, but he ended up sending that girl home so that he could focus on Nicole. Nicole does as any great PETA representative would do, she sees that as a great open door to use that as a sales pitch. So she goes in of course and finds some videos and they’re talking about it and he acts really interested. And it ends up that he takes her to the Jacuzzi and tries to talk her into getting in the Jacuzzi with him. We’re not going to say how it was resolved because that would give away the first episode…

It’s great that you use your platform to get that message out there when so many people just don’t think about that kind of thing.

Corey: We feel it’s the only reason we’re given these opportunities. I don’t think that I would have the following that I do unless there’s a reason. It’s very important to me that I reach all these people, and it works. Because I feel that you can be an actor or a musician or a celebrity and it can all be about “bling” and it can all be about you. It can be all about this self indulgent morality that people walk around with these days. Or you can care on a higher level about what’s happening with the rest of the universe and the world and the people in it, and the animals in it.

You mentioned environmentalism a bit, do you see a tie in between being a vegetarian and helping the environment?

Susie: All of our cleaning products, lotions, shampoos, and toothpaste are organic and non-chemical, non-animal tested. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to be against animal testing, but it goes hand in hand. You know the rainforest that’s cut down or the land that’s cleared for cattle and factory farm animals, the destruction of the rain forest specifically for beef cattle is mind boggling to the both of us that they would destroy a very precious eco system just so cows have a place to eat grass. The people in South America don’t even really get to eat that beef but the land is being destroyed for it, and definitely the methane that’s produced from the cows and pigs. It’s definitely contributing to global warming. It’s hard for people to wrap their minds around the fact that their cheeseburger is making global warming worse. I think it’s an important message for people to get, but it’s hard for people to put the two together and make the connection.

If you have any advice for someone who wants to get involved with helping animals in any way possible, what would it be?

Corey: Anything and everything. You can do the smallest little thing by donating your time by working at an animal shelter. You can work with adopt a pet. There are so many things in any city and any state and most parts of the world that can be done. Going back to the problem in Australia with the sheep…it’s such a universal problem. You look at companies like Uggs, which is one that we’re targeting because they don’t tell you that they use sheep skin for the parts. They just say, “Look at these cool boots, we’re just using wool.” You don’t really find out that they’re actually killing the sheep to get the wool. PETA has a really informative list of the companies that are using animal free products and ones that aren’t. Although it seems minuscule, making that one little change of not buying those products and not supporting those companies will force their hand. So just keeping in touch with PETA, checking the website, getting put on the email list makes a difference.

Well great, thank you so much for taking time to talk to us!

Corey: Oh, one last thing. If you could also send people a link to my website which is www.coreyfeldman.net, I got The Positive Fame award from the Wildlife Way Station last year. Events like that, which is kind of subliminal advertisement for all things positive. The first step is about PETA and as soon as the stories come out we’ll automatically link to the PETA website. So there are always positive things to do where people can make a difference.

Aramnaharaim/Creative Commons

With that subject line you may be expecting a punch line here, but I’m under strict orders to play this one straight. Apparently, the “First Colon” is not to be joked about . . . So, no snickering.

Anyway, I’m sure you all heard that President Bush had five polyps removed from his colon during his colonoscopy at Camp David on Saturday. And although the growths were benign, PETA VP Bruce Friedrich fired off a letter pointing out that according to leading health and medical professionals, eating a diet based on meat and other animal products significantly raises a person’s risk for colon cancer. And since we’re so sure the president will be going vegetarian any day now, we also offered to dispatch a gourmet vegan chef to train the current White House cooking staff in preparing delicious and healthful vegan meals.

Surprisingly, we haven’t heard back from good 'ol Dubya yet. Must just be some rare White House mixup . . . Anyway, here’s the letter we sent.

Remember the University of Connecticut story from a couple of weeks ago? Long story short: the USDA fined the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) for seven violations of the Animal Welfare Act, stemming from experiments in which a guy named David Waitzman bolted restraint devices to monkeys' heads, drilled holes in their skulls, attached electrodes to their brains, and fastened small wire coils directly to their eyeballs.

Well we just took it a step further and filed a formal complaint with state auditors Kevin P. Johnston and Robert G. Jaekle urging them to investigate possible violations of the University of Connecticut's Code of Conduct as well as the possible misuse of public funds and property by the UCHC, its institutional Animal Care Committee (ACC), and UCHC animal experimenter David Waitzman.

Justin Goodman protests UConn primate experiments

Based on UConn graduate student Justin Goodman's 2005 complaints, the USDA confirmed that Waitzman was consistently in violation of laws governing the care and use of animals in research. Waitzman had received more than $1.7 million in federal funds to conduct the experiments, and part of his salary, the entire salaries of his support staff, and his overhead expenses were funded by state taxpayers, who will also have to pick up the tab for the $5,532 fine. Also, UCHC officials made false public statements regarding Waitzman's experiments.

UConn's Code of Conduct requires that faculty and staff abide by all federal, state, and institutional laws and regulations regarding the use of animals. However, since March 2003, UCHC has been cited for more than 65 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act related to the treatment of monkeys, cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, and rabbits at the facility. These violations include failure to employ personnel who were qualified to handle nonhuman primates, thus causing physical harm to the animals; failure to consider alternatives to painful procedures; failure to provide appropriate sedatives to animals; failure to painlessly euthanize a monkey who experienced severe tremors and seizures for more than six months; and conducting unauthorized experiments.

Here’s what PETA VP Bruce Friedrich had to say on the issue, "UConn has been torturing animals, making a mockery of its Code of Conduct, and squandering taxpayers' money in the process, UCHC's negligence and lack of oversight led directly to the prolonged suffering and deaths of animals, and we're calling on the state to impose all appropriate disciplinary measures."

I’ll keep you posted as things progress . . .

All day today, PETA protesters and hundreds of members of the public stood outside the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, to call for vigorous prosecution of Michael Vick and the three other men charged in this horrific dogfighting case. Although this story is the first glimpse for many people of exactly what dogfighting is all about, the real tragedy here is that the kind of abuse detailed in Vick's indictment is as widespread as it is horrific. In the last year alone, PETA has responded to more than 14,000 calls and e-mails regarding other dogfighting and individual cruelty-to-animals cases. It's great that there has been so much outrage over this case, and we're certainly going to keep pushing to make sure that it is treated with the utmost seriousness by the courts—as well as by Vick's sponsors and the NFL—but the next step is going to be getting policymakers and law enforcement officers to treat all cases of dogfighting and animal cruelty the same way that they have been prosecuting this case, which happens to be under scrutiny from the media.

The good news is that this is already beginning to happen on the federal level. According to a press release from Senator John Kerry's office today, the senator has announced that he is "introducing legislation to finally eliminate dogfighting, which has been targeted by federal and state laws but by all accounts is more popular than ever." A copy of the proposed bill can be found here, and you can read our thank you letter to Senator Kerry and expression of support for the bill here.

As regular readers of this blog will know, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk is a huge fan of Formula 1 racing. Which means that she is incredibly knowledgeable about things like who has the best pit crew or which motor oil is better. Well, with the nation focused on dogfighting right now following the Michael Vick indictment, a Castrol Motor Oil ad that has been running on SPEED TV which appears to glorify the blood sport has been rightly upsetting a lot of animal lovers. Here's what Ingrid wrote to the company:

"As you know, Michael Vick, NIKE, and the NFL are in the deserved hot seat now for not immediately resigning, pulling ads, and pulling Mr. Vick, respectively. Your ad is "a fight to the death" in a back alley. Everyone realizes that cars don't fight to the death, dogs are made to. It has a sign saying "FIGHT" on the makeshift fence and on your site it refers to it as the "sickest" contest. … I have used your product for decades, even loved smelling it in the old days at the racetrack before synthetics came along, and hate to see a furor over Castrol. Thank you.
Ingrid Newkirk, President, PETA"

After Ingrid contacted Castrol about the ad, the company immediately responded by assuring us that that while their ad agency was thinking "boxing match," they recognized that the imagery associated with the text implied a dogfight, and they're already working to revise their commercial so that no one will get the impression that dogfighting is something to be anything other than horrified by. With the massive attention to this issue that Vick's case has created, I'm hoping that this will be just one in a long chain of events that will see the blood sport condemned, prosecuted, and ultimately wiped out for good. Thanks, Castrol, for doing the right thing—and thanks to everyone who contacted us about this.

OK, here you go, another brilliant comic. Enjoy . . .

Click for a larger version

To check out the archives of past strips, click here.

We've been getting a lot of calls from people asking what we're going to do about some new websites that are being passed around, called KittyBeef.com and PuppyBeef.com, which are purporting to sell prime cuts from kittens and puppies at discount prices. Well, the simple answer is … we're not really going to do all that much about it at all. In fact, I kind of wish we'd thought of the idea ourselves. For anyone who's horrified by the concept of having puppy chops or kitten nuggets for dinner, I hope they'll go just one tiny step further in their outrage and ask themselves how that's any different from chowing down on pork chops or chicken.

At the risk of getting a little rhetorical here, animals killed for our kitchens are just as capable of suffering as the animals we keep in our homes. They're just as smart, just as loving, and the prospect of the horrors that are inflicted on them by the meat industry keeps me up at night and fills me with the same anguish as reports of people who chain their dogs or torture their cats.

If these websites weren't clearly hoaxes, PETA would do something about it—but we wouldn’t make any ethical distinction between addressing that issue and getting KFC to stop abusing chickens—or asking people to go vegetarian. Just for a week, or a day, if you find it hard to get out of the old routine at first. And especially if the idea of having your kitten or puppy bled out and turned into prime cuts gives you the cold sweats. 'Cause it's happening right now to billions of other animals who are just as entitled to kindness, but never experience anything even remotely like it.

PETA Files reader Dave Cortright passed this hilarious Onion video on to me and I just had to share.

Study: Multiple Stab Wounds May Be Harmful To Monkeys

The sad thing is that animal experiments just as absurd as this fictional one still take place. Take smoking/nicotine experiments, for example. We know that smoking is harmful to human health; we don’t need to shove animals into inhalation chambers or dose pregnant rats with huge amounts of nicotine to confirm it. There are countless examples like this, but this was supposed to be a lighthearted entry, so I’ll stop now . . .

Anyway, if you haven’t seen Testing 1, 2, 3 yet, give it a look and let me know what you think.

I got a real kick out of this Bizarro comic someone scanned from their newspaper and sent in the other day, and the wonderful Dan Piraro, the longtime PETA supporter and animal rights advocate who writes the strip, was gracious enough to send me a high-quality version to put on the blog. Thanks, Dan!

Falcons Owner Arthur Blank gave a press conference this afternoon to present the Falcons’ official position on the Vick case. Here’s what PETA told the media about our reaction:

PETA commends Arthur Blank and the Falcons for not being satisfied with a voluntary leave of absence for Michael Vick. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, truckloads of illegal dogfighting equipment and 66 dogs—many of whom had injuries associated with dogfighting—were seized from Vick’s property. Based on those facts alone, a voluntary leave of absence would clearly not be satisfactory.

PETA also commends the Falcons for drafting the paperwork for a four-week suspension, mentioned by Blank as a “first step” in disciplining Vick. We continue to call on the NFL to suspend Vick immediately and to permanently bar him from the league if convicted of the charges detailed in the indictment.

PETA appreciates Arthur Blank’s statement, “How anyone could participate in dogfighting is incomprehensible to me,” which echoed the feelings of many millions of Americans and football fans.

Because of the Falcons’ willingness to suspend Vick, PETA is canceling plans to protest outside the Falcons’ training camp on Thursday. Instead, PETA will demonstrate outside NikeTown stores nationwide, demanding that Nike—which has stated that it will continue to sell Michael Vick merchandise—drop its corporate partnership with Vick.

Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter, whose job entails dealing with a certain dogfighting case that you may have heard of involving Falcons Quarterback (for the time being) Michael Vick has apparently decided to sit around and do nothing instead. A full eight days after the indictment, Mr. Poindexter has yet to file any state charges against Vick. As PETA Director Daphna Nachminovich puts it,

"Short of an engraved invitation, what else will get Poindexter to file charges against Vick? He should be ashamed that it took the federal government to come down here to do his job for him. This case needs to go before a grand jury lickety-split. Vick's name will forever be associated with cruelty to dogs and so will Poindexter's unless he takes immediate action to see that justice is served."

Right on, Daphna. And Poindexter, what the hell are you up to? You can read our letter to the attorney here.

OK, so essentially everyone in the developed world has at least heard of PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign. At least everyone with access to a TV, computer, radio or newspaper. And, to be honest, we’re quite proud of the campaign’s success.

Other Viewing Options

It’s pretty clear we’re all about getting naked for a good cause, so I was thrilled to hear about UK-based Lush Cosmetics’ new “naked” marketing campaign. And since the company is as animal-friendly as they come, I love it even more.

TreeHugger/Creative Commons

The outcry over Michael Vick's indictment has been enormous, bringing national attention to the horrors inherent in the vicious blood sport he's accused of participating in, and inspiring countless people to speak out against cruelty to animals. Following demonstrations outside the NFL's offices in New York and Falcons HQ in Atlanta, an impassioned letter from Senator John Kerry, and a powerful speech by Senator Robert Byrd in D.C., Commissioner Goodell has finally responded and told Vick not to come to training camp while the NFL reviews his case. This is a step in the direction, but we do need to keep the pressure on the NFL right now to suspend Michael Vick from the team. Given the evidence—rape racks, treadmills, piles of dead animals—no reasonable person would doubt that illegal dogfighting and horrific cruelty to animals have taken place on Michael Vick's property, and that alone—even for those who still believe that Vick was completely oblivious to the major operation that was going on under his nose—is reason enough for Goodell to take strong disciplinary action. You can write to the NFL here.

Now we need to persuade the companies that have yet to address the glaring fact that they are still touting Michael Vick as a poster boy. PETA's letter to Nike, Vick's most prominent sponsor, is available here, and you can contact the company through the form here to ask that they immediately sever ties with Vick in light of these horrific allegations.

PETA will be keeping pressure on the NFL and Nike this week, and we'll keep working to ensure that this issue is treated with the seriousness that it deserves by anyone who continues to try and make money from an association with an alleged torturer.

We are also making certain that everyone has information about exactly what the blood sport of dogfighting means for the animals involved. This PETA PSA, starring heavyweight boxing champion Lamon Brewster has been going out to TV stations around the country all week. If there is a silver lining in this case, it is that the public is now very aware that dogfighting is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently and that strong measures need to be taken to stamp it out forever.

Welcome to Day 7 of the Michael Vick dogfighting indictment. PETA is still being inundated with calls and emails about the case, and we’re still working round the clock to make sure that the NFL and Vick’s sponsors send a real message to fans about the cruelty of dogfighting, rather than just sitting around to see what will happen next. I’ll have some more updates for you in a little while, but in the meantime, here are some great photos from today’s PETA demonstration outside Falcons HQ. You can be certain that there’s more where that came from.

Ohio State Buckeyes fans out there will recognize the man on the left of this first photo—Bill Long, the QB for the Buckeyes in the 60s who led them to a national championship in 1968, is a longtime animal activist who’s been working this whole week in Atlanta on this campaign. Bill, you’re amazing.

In Other Vick News

Read PETA’s letter to the NFL Player’s Association

MSNBC covers the story

Falcons owner expected to take action (finally)

Tell the NFL to “Sack Vick”

detnews/Creative Commons

The good folks at PETA Germany just sent this letter to Pope Benedict XVI, asking him to encourage Catholics not to buy bibles that have been bound with leather. Pope Benedict is well-known for his compassionate stance on animal issues, having spoken out against the cruelty of factory farming (particularly the production of foie gras) in the past, and—being the pope and all—he's in a position to make a huge difference for the billions of animals (including cats and dogs, btw) who are killed for leather. With as many as 168,000 bibles sold or given away every day, a large percentage of which are bound with animal skins, there's a lot at stake here. From a religious perspective, there's something particularly sick to me about wrapping a bible in a dead body, so I'm hoping this letter has an effect.

I’m sure you heard the news that Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker) passed away this weekend after a long battle with colon cancer.

Tammy Faye definitely had it rough, (check out the enjoyable documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye if you’re interested in that part of her life), but she always managed to face the world with two very important things: her trademark chipper attitude and loads of mascara. And it was those two things that led us to get in touch with her back in 2003 to see if she’d be interested in helping with our Caring Consumer campaign. We found out that Tammy Faye loved animals and she was horrified to find out what happens to them in labs, so she jumped at the chance to help.

Tammy Faye clearly got the concept of true Christian compassion, and we’re proud to have had her grace the cover of our cruelty-free shopping guide.

RIP Tammy Faye.

Is it me or does Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova look more beautiful than ever lately? Well, I think I know why. I just came across this story about how she recently went vegan to make a statement and to save fish, so there ya go.

OK, I guess maybe her perfect genes could have a little something to do with it, but still . . . Seriously though, I can’t think of a better spokesperson for veganism than Petra. You go girl.

AskMen/Creative Commons

Senators John Kerry and Robert Byrd have added their voices to the outrage over Vick's alleged involvement in dogfighting rings and the NFL's continued failure to take positive action in this case. In a letter to Commissioner Goodell, Senator Kerry writes,

I am deeply disturbed by the indictment of Michael Vick for dogfighting charges. I urge you to treat this issue with the utmost seriousness as the case progresses. In light of the seriousness of the charges, I believe that Mr. Vick should be suspended from the League, effective immediately.

And Senator Robert Byrd made this emotional speech on the subject of dogfighting in light of this incident. You can watch an excerpt here, but it included the following statement:

"Let that word resound from hill to hill and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley across this broad land. May God help those poor souls who would be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me!"

Right on, Senators. I’ll let you know how the NFL responds—but it’s pretty clear that the pressure is seriously mounting.

About an hour ago, PETA campaigners and activists converged on NFL HQ in New York to urge Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL to suspend Michael Vick in light of his recent indictment for alleged involvement in the horrific cruelty associated with dogfighting—including allegations that he was killing dogs by hanging, slamming them to the ground, drowning, and electrocuting them. Surrounded by reporters and TV news crews, more than 75 activists lined the streets in front of the NFL building, holding signs reading “NFL: Sack Vick,” handing out stickers and leaflets to passersby, and making it abundantly clear—just in case Goodell hasn’t figured it out yet—that the NFL’s weak response to Vick’s case is unacceptable.

The massive turnout at this demonstration should be indication enough to Goodell that his decision to allow Vick to play in spite of these disturbing charges is going to be a major PR headache for the NFL, to say the least. Here’s what PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had to say about the NFL’s “wait and see” attitude in a statement to the media yesterday:

“Forget that unless space aliens were on Vick's property putting up an invisibility shield, it is impossible that Vick didn't know (let alone sponsor a fighting dog), that the house he built included designs for dog training facilities and that his relatives were fighting, kenneling, training, housing training equipment, and killing dogs there. There was a time when people under fire for corruption let alone criminal cruelty, resigned. That honorable moment has passed because of the Almighty Dollar. If he won't do the right thing by stepping down until this is resolved (and I'll put a sporting bet on his conviction), the NFL should suspend him. Is the new America only about money or do we still cling to some values? In the courts he may be innocent until proven guilty, and that's fair and fine, but in professional or political life, we have to have a higher standard than "hey, keep raking it in until we see if he gets off.”

The protest was covered on ESPN, and you can watch an interview with PETA’s own Dan Shannon that took place during the demonstration here.

I’ll let you know as soon as there’s more news, but in the meantime, you may want to get your very own “Sack Vick” T-shirt. Love it.

Showbizspy/Creative Commons

Paul McCartney is amazing. He has just announced that he will be boycotting any and all charities that conduct animal experimentation. This is even a bigger deal when you consider that the former Beatle has been a long-time supporter of numerous cancer charities since losing his first wife Linda to the disease in 1998. Here’s a quote:

"When Linda died I said I would support cancer charities. Animal rights groups wrote to me pointing out that many were heavily into vivisection - and it's true. A doctor we knew out in America just admitted it as a matter of fact, innocently, like 'Well, sure we do.' What he doesn't realise is that he won't get a donation out of me for that very fact. There are better alternatives but you're not allowed to challenge the status quo."

This sends a clear message to animal experimenters and the charities that fund them that it’s high time to pull their heads out of the sand and embrace modern effective non-animal research.

Brittanica/Creative Commons

As PETA Europe’s Alistair Currie put it: "Animal testing charities don't just miss out on big money; they miss out on medical progress. Animals are not furry little humans and their bodies cannot reliably predict results for human conditions. While we know a great deal about cancer in mice, we don't know anywhere near enough about cancer in humans. Thankfully there are plenty of charities that go for the triple win: they don't cause animal suffering; they do support modern non-animal research that increases the chance of finding cures for humans; and they get the money of smart, compassionate donors."

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Alistair.

For a list of charities that do and don’t fund animal experiments, check out this link.

MSNBC/Creative Commons

Since taking over the job, Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked a big game about cracking down on character issues in the NFL—and until now, he's backed up his commitment, doling out tough penalties to Bengals receiver Chris Henry for DUIs and Bears tackle Tank Johnson for charges related to illegal firearms possession, and suspending Titans cornerback Pacman Jones for a full year following his troubles with the police. But now, in the face of national outrage over Vick’s indictment on dogfighting charges, Goodell has announced that Vick will be allowed to play when the season starts in September. Why, Roger, are you folding now when one of the NFL's biggest stars (who's certainly been no stranger to the courtroom since he was drafted by the Falcons) has been indicted for a crime that is nothing short of torture? What kind of a message does this send to the communities that are working so hard to stamp out this crime, or to the young fans of Michael Vick who are waiting to find out whether dogfighting is something that will get you into trouble? Goodell's weak response to these deadly serious allegations is tantamount to admitting that the National Football League doesn't consider ties to dogfighting rings a character issue at all.

Starting tomorrow, we will be holding demonstrations calling for Vick's suspension from the league, so I'll keep you posted with details, and if you want to let Goodell know that he's made the wrong decision, you can contact him about the issue here.

There is some good news, though. I know a lot of people have been contacting Vick's sponsors asking that they sever their ties with him, and it looks like some companies have been listening: Nike just announced that they will be suspending the release of the Air Zoom Vick V this summer. You can read about that here. You can be certain that we'll keep the pressure on Vick's other sponsors and the NFL to do the right thing here, and I'll let you know as soon as there are more developments in the story.

And now, ladies and gentlemen … your weekly installment of DeFlocked!

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To check out the archives of past strips, click here.

While the rest of us were working our fingers to the bone responding to the Michael Vick indictment yesterday, PETA Campaigner Mike Brazell got to traipse off to DC to live out my greatest fantasy—eating veggie dogs with a pair of Playboy Playmates (hey, I'm a man of simple desires.) I will keep you up to date throughout the week as the Vick case develops, but I think something a bit more lighthearted is in order for this morning's entry. Besides, these pictures, from yesterday's "Congressional Veggie Dog Lunch" are just too good to pass up.

Positively dreamy.

And now, with those pictures to bolster you up against the trials of the day, back to Michael Vick …

Vick News

Sign Russell Simmons and Al Sharpton's pledge to stamp out dogfighting

Sun Times Columnist says Vick must go

Court date is set for next week

ESPN talks animal rights

And finally, despite leading The Girls of Norfolk High to the Fantasy Super Bowl last year (we lost), Michael Vick will definitely not be making my fantasy roster when the draft begins in August. I can only hope the Falcons management makes the same smart decision to suspend him from their team.

workingpitbull/Creative Commons

The PETA offices have been in overdrive since last night responding to Michael Vick's recent indictment for dogfighting. The vague statement released by the Atlanta Falcons about this disturbing news is simply not sufficient. This morning, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, civil rights leader The Rev. Al Sharpton, and PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk sent a letter to all of Vick's corporate sponsors, Falcons CEO Arthur Blank, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell roundly condemning dogfighting and other forms of violence. You can read that letter here. We are also calling on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to immediately suspend Michael Vick in light of this indictment. According to Deadspin the indictment includes the following allegations, which highlight exactly how reprehensible this vicious blood sport is:

• "In March 2003, PEACE, after consulting with Vick about the female pit bull's condition, executed the losing dog by wetting the dog down with water and electrocuting the animal."
• "In April 2007, PEACE, PHILLIPS and VICK executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions by various methods, including hanging, drowning and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

Please click here to contact Roger Goodell about this news and ask him to immediately take action. We're doing everything we can to ensure that the news of Vick's alleged involvement in this horrific cruelty is not swept under the rug. I can only hope that the high profile nature of Michael Vick's case helps to shed light on an epidemic that, too often, is not treated with enough gravity by law-enforcement officials, and that needs to be stamped out immediately.

Please click here for an update.

Michael Vick has just been indicted in the investigation of dog-fighting on his Virginia property. I’ll give you more information tomorrow, but in the meantime, this is PETA’s official statement on the topic:

PETA’s offices, located just over an hour away from Michael Vick’s rural mansion—where we now know dozens if not hundreds of dogs were forced to fight to the death in the pit—has been receiving vague allegations of Vick’s involvement in illegal animal fighting activity for years, sadly without much concrete evidence to back it up. While local authorities—who have historically mishandled dogfighting cases—sat on evidence in this case, the U.S. Attorney’s office was obviously determined to get the job done. The professional sports world is plagued with players who have been accused, charged, or convicted of cruelty to animals, abusing pit bulls, and dog fighting, and we hope that this indictment sends a loud and clear message to players and the NFL that celebrity is not a sufficient excuse for breaking the law, and that animal abuse should never be tolerated under any circumstances.
-PETA Director Daphna Nachminovitch

Britney snapped with her latest "accessory"

A couple of weeks ago, I made a solemn vow not to waste people's time with more news about Britney Spears' trainwreck of a life. So much for solemn vows, I guess. Seems like everyone's favorite walking disaster has added a new fur to her collection, though unlike her previous forays into buying animal accessories, her latest acquisition is still alive, for the time being. According to People magazine, our Brit wandered into a Bel Air pet store last week and bought herself a Yorkshire terrier on a whim for $3,000. Apart from the lousy example her choice to buy instead of adopt sets for all five of her remaining fans, her track record of abandoning puppies whenever she gets tired of them—not to mention her propensity for dropping babies and, I don't know, shaving her head and checking herself into the psych ward—don't exactly make her the ideal candidate for responsible pet ownership. Or, as PETA VP Dan Mathews puts it,

"Britney needs a new puppy about as much as Lindsay Lohan needs a drink. She can barely look after herself and her kids, and she's tossed away so many dogs before. The only dog Britney is responsible enough to care for is a stuffed toy."

Spears, who was awarded the title of World's Worst Celebrity Dog Owner in 2006 by The Hollywood Dog Magazine, has already been photographed carrying her new Yorkie like a handbag, and spotted bringing the unfortunate animal to an L.A. night club, which is about as suitable a place for a puppy as it is for a recovering alcoholic mother of two.

MSNBC covered the story, and you can read that here.

Caught on tape: In 2005, PETA sent an undercover investigator into Covance’s primate labs

A little while back, we received shipping documents indicating that 22 5-month-old beagles had been shipped from New York to Tokyo in the cargo holds of Japan Airlines planes. More disturbing still, we learned that the company shipping the beagles was none other than animal-experimentation conglomerate and notorious animal torturer, Covance Inc. In case you're not aware of our history with Covance, this is the same company that was revealed to have been hideously abusing monkeys and other animals after an 11-month PETA undercover investigation in 2005.

The company—whose reaction to the 2005 investigation was to use its lawyers to try and strongarm PETA and PETA Europe into removing the footage from the Web—was eventually cited for numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act. In a separate case, five Covance facilities were cited by the USDA for instances of animal abuse, including deliberately starving a dog and depriving her of veterinary care. These guys are the world's largest breeders of dogs for experimentation, and you can bet that there were more horrors in store for the dogs made to suffer through the 28-hour-long trip in a Japan Airlines cargo hold. A Covance promotional pamphlet recently obtained by PETA shows dozens of beagles in rows of cages, with the tagline "Helping to bring miracles to market sooner."

Thanks to Covance, it's too late for these particular beagles, but we're asking Japan Airlines to follow the lead of Air Canada and other compassionate airlines by refusing to transport dogs and other animals to vivisection laboratories in future. No responsible business should associate with monsters like Covance, and we're working very hard to ensure that Japan Airlines gets that message. If you'd like to help out, you can write to the airline's CEO through this form.

Austin360/Creative Commons

You may have heard that Whole Foods CEO John Mackey was recently outed as a frequent poster on a Yahoo message board. I’m sure it brings up all sorts of issues for the company and for him personally, but I think the guy deserves a pat on the back for his posts on animal welfare. It’s a real shame that more CEOs aren’t as enlightened as Mackey on this issue. Check out this quote that is being attributed to him:

"Everything that is alive is going to die someday (even you). What matters is the quality of life while something is alive. The fact that food animals are going to eventually die to feed humans doesn't mean that the quality of their lives is therefore irrelevant and should be ignored (since you are also mortal does the quality of your own life not matter either?). Quite the opposite. All sentient beings are worthy of being treated with respect and consideration IMO and that includes lobsters. Minimizing their pain is a worthy and admirable goal IMO. I admire Whole Foods for having animal welfare standards and for continually evolving them--and their ban on selling live lobsters is another positive evolutionary step on behalf of animals. . . .”

Amazing. You can check out the full story here.

… Well, a number of dates. Dan Mathews' last cross-country book tour was such a big hit that he’s doing a whole new one. Sometimes I wonder whether the guy doesn’t enjoy sitting around the office and going to endless meetings as much as the rest of us do. There was a nice little piece about Dan in The Windy City Times last week, and another great one in the latest issue of Ocean Drive magazine, which, annoyingly, I can’t link to because they didn’t put it up on their website. I’m not sure I fully understand how people “read” stuff these days if it’s not on the Internet, but they presumably have some kind of system.

Anyway, here’s the schedule for Dan’s book tour in case you live in one of these cities, and even if you don’t, you can order a copy of Committed here. It’s a very funny piece of literature. And it’s got some good stuff in there about animals.

Tuesday, July 24
Atlanta
Borders Atlanta-Buckhead
3637 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
7:30 PM

Wednesday, July 25
Nashville
Davis Kidd Booksellers
The Mall at Green Hills
2121 Green Hills Village Drive
Ste 281
Nashville, TN 37215
6:00 PM

Monday, July 30
Pittsburgh
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
2705 E. Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
7:00 pm

Wednesday, August 1
Detroit
Borders
34300 Woodward
Birmingham, MI 48009
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 2
Austin
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
Austin, TX 78703
7:00 PM

Friday, August 3
Hastings
1306 W. Davis St.
Conroe, TX 77304
7:00 pm

Tuesday, August 7
Tampa
Barnes & Noble
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 9
Orlando
Borders
600 North Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
7:00 PM

Monday, August 13
Minneapolis
Magers & Quinn
3038 Hennepin Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
7:30 p.m.

Monday, August 27
St. Louis
Left Bank Books
399 N. Euclid
St. Louis, MO 63108
7:00 p.m.

The Canadian group Global Action Network, in collaboration with Farm Sanctuary, just released an undercover investigation of Canada’s largest foie gras farm, Elevages Perigord. It contains some of the most horrible cruelty I have ever witnessed, and it is almost impossible to get through it without ruining your day. Which is why it should be mandatory viewing for anyone who’s ignorant enough to eat this stuff. There’s some more information on foie gras and the steps PETA is taking to get it banned here.

If you want to see firsthand what happens on foie gras farms—or if you’re a foie gras lover who urgently needs some education about the horrors that you’re supporting—I’ve posted the video below.

As if I needed another reminder of how disgusting meat is, my pal Joel Bartlett sent me this. It’s called the Stinky Meat Project and basically, this guy puts some raw meat on a plate, puts it out in the sun for a couple of weeks and records the results with a daily photo. Think it sounds disgusting? Well, wait until you see what happens, or more accurately, what doesn’t happen to hot dogs after sitting out in the sun for 18 days.

Joel was so inspired that he is trying to implement a vegan version of this idea, which he is calling the Stinky Feet Project. Joel is looking for someone willing to wear the same pair of socks every day for a month and he will record the results daily with a photo. If you’re interested in participating, you can reach Joel here. I wish I could tell you I was joking . . .

Marketing Manager Joel Bartlett

MediaVillage/Creative Commons

Any other Big Love fans in the house? I just started watching the show a couple of months ago and now I’m totally addicted. Who knew that a run of the mill everyday suburban family—of polygamists—could be so darn interesting? It definitely helps that my future wife Chloe Sevigny (dare to dream . . . ) is one of the wives on the show, but still. OK, I admit it. I’m a little bit obsessed. But believe it or not, that’s not the point of this post.

A couple of weeks ago my already big love for Big Love became even bigger when an episode featured the oldest son of the family, Ben, being pressured by a friend to go vegetarian. Then last week, there was this whole bit about cruelty to chickens and how they’re abused on factory farms. It was great to see animal rights issues inserted into the plot line of a show on national TV. Especially a show starring Chloe Sevigny.

A huge deal? Maybe not. But it’s small things like this that bring a smile to this lowly blogger’s face. Thanks Big Love . . .

The Burberry campaigners at both PETA and PETA Europe have been extra busy lately. It seems like every day I have photos of some new demonstrations they’re rocking in my inbox.

Check out this shot from a “Burberry: When Plaid Goes Bad” demonstration on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. And here’s a great news story from the demo as well.

Not to be outdone, PETA Europe activists dressed up as bunnies and took to the streets for this beautiful demonstration at Burberry’s annual meeting in London yesterday.

Props to everyone involved in both demos. Great job. And fyi, if you’re interested in being contacted when there are events like these taking place near you, you can sign up for PETA’s activist network here.

Last night, PETA's Lisa Lange made an appearance on The O'Reilly Factor to talk about the "racy" alternative to Pamplona's hideous Running of the Bulls. The story brought tons of new people to the Running of the Nudes website last night to see what all the fuss was about, just in time to see all the amazing new pictures that’ve been put up there.

You can click the image above to check out the updated site, and if you let me know what you think of the new pics, or of the Running of the Nudes concept in general, I'll pick one commenter to win one of the highly coveted Running of the Nudes novelty pens, starring a naked (depending on which way up you hold the pen) Annamarie Lytle.

Just as an FYI, while all comments are welcome, if you leave a rant about Running of the Nudes being a shameful display of skin that's corrupting our nation's youth, I will assume that means you don't want a nudie pen.

P.S. I just got word from those laugh-a-minute party animals up in our Legal Department that if you want to be entered to win the pen it means you’re down with our terms and conditions.

Finally! Yesterday afternoon, four months after similar legislation passed in New Mexico, Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, signed a bill that will make hers the final American state to ban cockfighting, effective next August. Just to hammer this one home, that means that cockfighting will be outlawed throughout the United States by next year. Yes, there are a couple of nagging questions, like "Why do we have to wait until next August?" and "Why the hell was cockfighting ever legal first place?" but this is really, really good news for roosters, and for everyone who has been working so hard to protect them from this horrible abuse.

mnwelldir/Creative Commons

Props in particular go to Rep. Harold Ritchie, D-Bogalusa, who worked on this bill for more than a year to push it past the numerous people who stand to lose money if cockfighting is outlawed. And congratulations, of course, are due to all the activists who have given their precious time over the years to make this a reality. Go team!

As you probably know, we’ve been in touch with Al Gore and the Live Earth folks about the whole meat production/global warming/environmental destruction connection. Well, I just found out that the video at this link was shown at the NYC Live Earth event last weekend, so it looks like they got the message. Pretty cool if you ask me.

And fyi, you still have time to enter our contest to win a $50 iTunes gift card by checking out the button below.

As you may know, we’re launching the first-ever worldwide virtual anti-fur protest within the virtual community Second Life in conjunction with Stella McCartney this week. It all kicks off today, in fact, so I wanted to give you a quick recap of what’s going on, along with some exciting new additions . . .

It’s going to be amazing, with a full schedule of exciting events all taking place on the newly created PETA/Stella McCartney island. The island, inspired by the English countryside, will feature roller skate, bicycle and rowboat rentals, a topiary maze where you can get massages and check out Stella’s new organic and cruelty-free CARE skin care line. Entertainment will be provided by live dj sets and of course, food will be available through Linda McCartney veggie burgers stands. Both Stella and PETA will have dedicated tree-houses, where visitors can check out Stella’s latest fashion shows and see PETA’s most recent anti-fur ad campaign images, anti-fur videos and a PETA 25th anniversary birthday cake. And there will be a contest for the best new anti-fur slogan based around the iconic PETA tagline “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur.”

OK, so all of that stuff is pretty cool, and none of it has ever been done before in the animal rights movement. But check out these exciting addions: a virtual naked Pam Anderson photo-op, a screening of Pam’s KFC video and check this out, a screening of the new video for Paul McCartney’s song ‘Dance Tonight’.

Here’s the full schedule of events and activities. The first schedule is for US visitors and the second for UK/European visitors.

US Schedule (eastern standard time)

Daily

Protest marches take place at 8am and 1pm.

Thursday 12th July:

12 Noon: Island opens

1pm: Competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.

2pm - 6pm: Outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.

Tuesday 17th July

2pm: Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.

Thursday 19th July

2pm: Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’

Saturday 21st July

2pm: Wheelbarrow race.

Sunday 22nd July

2pm: Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:

The best 3 slogans will win Stella McCartney prizes. First prize: 2 tickets to the Spring Summer 2008 fashion show in Paris in October. Second prize: a Fall / Winter Appaloosa bag. Third prize: a full set of CARE by Stella McCartney, the first luxury organic skincare line, containing 100% organic active ingredients.

Monday 23rd July

9am: Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.

Friday 27th July

2pm: Sack race.

Sunday 29th July

7am: Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.

UK/Euro Schedule (Greenwich Mean Time)

Daily protest marches take place at 13.00 and 18.00 (GMT).

Thursday 12th July:

17.00 (GMT) Island opens

18.00 (GMT) competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.

19.00 - 23.00 (GMT) outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.

Tuesday 17th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.

Thursday 19th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’

Saturday 21st July at 19.00 (GMT)

Wheelbarrow race.

Sunday 22nd July at 19.00 (GMT)

Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:

The best 3 slogans will win Stella McCartney prizes. First prize: 2 tickets to the Spring Summer 2008 fashion show in Paris in October. Second prize: a Fall / Winter Appaloosa bag. Third prize: a full set of CARE by Stella McCartney, the first luxury organic skincare line, containing 100% organic active ingredients.

Monday 23rd July at 14.00 (GMT)

Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.

Friday 27th July at 19.00 (GMT)

Sack race.

Sunday 29th July at 12.00 (GMT)

Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.

This Monday, Morrissey played a sold-out show at the Norva, a few blocks from PETA HQ here in Norfolk, Virginia. I tried, desperately, to get tickets—but that's another story. According to my more fortunate colleagues who did attend the show, Morrissey stopped three songs in and announced, to thunderous applause, that he was "very gratified." He continued, “You haven’t even heard what I’m gratified about yet. I’m very gratified to be so close to the international headquarters of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.” The audience responded with enthusiastic cheers, which is a good sign that Morrissey's fans are all either exceptionally animal-friendly or just very polite. But the best part of the show came near the end, when Morrissey started riffing on Madonna and her fondness for fur:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she made that African boy into a coat and wore him … for 15 minutes, and then threw it away.”

Zing! The story found its way onto VH1's The Sizzler last night—you can check that out here.

Just in case you weren’t aware, our Morrissey’s a big fan of animals.

Here is this week’s fix. It’s a doozy . . . Enjoy.

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To check out the archives of past strips, click here.

I’ve never understood the whole carriage horse attraction. Setting aside the animal rights thing for a second, I just don’t get how people could possibly construe riding around a loud busy city in a non-air-conditioned buggy while smelling horse crap the whole time as even the slightest bit romantic. I’ve always found it totally absurd. But believe it or not, that’s not what this post is about . . .

Fund4Horses/Creative Commons

Last week a spooked horse used for carriage rides collided with a taxi cab in NYC, injuring the horse and taxi driver. Sadly, this isn’t an isolated incident. Carriage and car collisions and other such accidents have occurred in nearly every location where horse-drawn carriages are allowed. The last one I heard about was last year when a horse was euthanized after bolting from his carriage and slamming into a station wagon—the driver received a fractured skull and a medically induced coma. You may remember that case because Martha Stewart’s daughter, Alexis, jumped on it and brought some much needed attention to the issue. The same year, two other people were seriously injured in collisions, and one horse was repeatedly whipped after collapsing in Central Park—she died in her stall the next morning. Anyway, this latest incident—there have been more than 20 in the past 10 years—happened on July 4th, when a horse became spooked and ran into a taxi cab, resulting in lacerations of the horse’s leg and hospitalization of the cab driver.

The harsh reality here is that as long as horses are forced to work in loud and busy city environments, these accidents will continue to happen regularly. And in addition to the clear danger it poses to people, the horses’ hooves and legs suffer from constant pounding on hard pavement and the smoke and exhaust fumes from urban traffic can make them ill.

So, please take a moment to click here to join us in urging the New York City council to ban the outdated and cruel horse-drawn carriages that endanger animals, drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Palm Beach, Fla., London, Paris, and Toronto have all banned carriage horses because of cruelty to animals, and it’s time for New York City to join them.

IneTours/Creative Commons

And don’t worry about the tourists. They’ll be fine. If they insist on sticking out like a sore thumb they can still take one of the super cheesy roof-top bus tours . . .

Check out this photo from yesterday's demonstration outside the New Zealand Consulate-General's office in Sydney, Australia. The demo was humming along nicely when lo and behold, former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr (Note to Americans: New South Wales is a state in Australia and a "Premier" is, like, a governor) walked up. You can tell from the photo that the girls were enjoying themselves and the coy smile on Mr. Carr's face tells me that he quite enjoyed the surprise of seeing the demonstrators, who were wearing only giant cardboard hearts, to thank New Zealand farmers for ending the practice of mulesing. For those not familiar with it, mulesing is the hideous procedure where farmers force live sheep onto their backs, restrain their legs between metal bars, and, without any painkillers whatsoever, slice chunks of flesh from around their tail area.

Anyway, for New Zealand farmers to stop mulesing altogether is a huge step forward and is a clear signal to neighboring Australian farmers that it’s time for them to do the same thing or get left in the dust . . .

Plan59/Creative Commons

When word of a good new vegan food product hits the street, it spreads through the PETA office faster than a California wildfire. Sometimes the product lives up to the uber-vegan hype; sometimes not. So when I caught wind of Dairy Queen’s new "Star Kiss" frozen treat, I was more than a little skeptical. But I had the chance to try one yesterday and I can honestly say that the Star Kiss is the best thing to hit the market since sliced bread. OK, it may have a little bit to do with the fact that it’s a frozen ice cream type treat and it's like a million degrees in Virginia right now, but still, it’s good. Really good.

Obviously, it's not exactly an ice cream bar—it is vegan after all—but it is definitely rich and creamy like ice cream, and there is the added advantage that it’s not full of fat and cholesterol like ice cream. Oh, and there's another small advantage over ice cream—extreme cruelty to animals isn't involved in its production.

So anyway, there’s my pitch. Check out the Star Kiss at DQ and judge for yourself.

Three years ago, we went inside AgriProcessors slaughterhouse—the world's largest Kosher slaughterhouse—and uncovered close to 300 instances of inhumane slaughter. Workers at that slaughterhouse were ripping the tracheas out of fully conscious cows and watching them writhe in pools of their own blood. As usual when we uncover this kind of abuse, the company hemmed and hawed and tried to pretend that we were making a big deal out of nothing, but despite their unwillingness to accept responsibility for their actions, we had hoped that the widespread public outrage would convince the company that, even among meat-eaters, the treatment of farmed animals is a matter of serious concern that directly affects the bottom line of organizations which refuse to take it seriously. In 2006, the owners of AgriProcessors opened a new kosher slaughterhouse, Local Pride, in Gordon, Nebraska. Sadly, as this video shows, little has been done to help mitigate the suffering of the animals who pay the price for corporate greed. Click here to learn more. And if you’re unable to get all the way through this video without wincing, you can take a pledge to try out vegetarianism here.

Funny-Cats/Creative Commons

There was a really interesting article in The International Herald Tribune last week, which indirectly addressed a comment that I've heard surprisingly often since I started working in animal protection: "Animals don't have souls." I've never personally considered the question relevant to my work, since the only thing that matters to me is whether or not they're capable of suffering, which it should be obvious to anyone who's actually seen an animal that they are.

Anyway, the gist of the article was that as brain science becomes more advanced, scientists are discovering more and more evidence of actual physical processes that relate to feelings like empathy, disgust, or joy:

"That is, they are discovering physical bases for the feelings from which moral sense emerges - not just in people but in other animals as well… As biologists turn up evidence that animals can exhibit emotions and patterns of cognition once thought of as strictly human, Descartes's dictum, ‘I think, therefore I am,’ loses its force."

The article centers around the argument that it's simply false reasoning to attempt to distinguish humans from animals based on who has a soul and who doesn't. I'm still trying to wrap my head round the whole concept, honestly, but it's definitely worth a read if you have time—or if, like me you have people giving you weird jive about souls when you try to talk to them about animals. You can read the full article here.

The $5,532 fine that the USDA hit the University of Connecticut Health Center with this week for seven violations of the Animal Welfare Act is a very big deal, and a sign that if enough people care enough to do something about an injustice, even the worst bureaucracies in the world can be forced to act.

The person who cared enough to do something in this case was my personal hero (and new colleague) Justin Goodman, a UConn student who learned that experimenter David Waitzman had received more than $1.7 million in federal funds for brain experiments in which he bolted restraint devices to monkeys' heads, drilled holes in their skulls, attached electrodes to their brains, and fastened small wire coils directly to their eyeballs. Justin submitted numerous Freedom of Information Act requests and alerted the USDA to specific problems with the procedures, resulting in 21 citations, including causing unnecessary trauma to animals, failing to properly sedate them, and failing to painlessly euthanize animals in severe distress.�

Justin Goodman protests UConn primate experiments

Because of this work, in addition to two years of relentless campaigning by Justin and other local activists, Waitzman terminated his experiments in August 2006, and the university is finally being held accountable for their role in allowing his nasty little procedures to take place. Here's what Justin had to say about the victory:

"It shouldn't require pressure from student activists to force the USDA and UCHC to do their jobs. Waitzman has been torturing monkeys long enough, and it's high time for him to be fired and for his torture chamber to be shut down for good."

Congratulations to Justin for your amazing work.

And finally, if you have a moment, please send an email to UConn asking them to permanently ban primate experiments using the form here.

This story by Idaho cruelty investigator Karen Williams is currently making its way around the internet, so you may have already seen it. But I found it to be incredibly moving, so I wanted to post it anyway. I’ll let the story speak for itself, but I will say that Princess Cuteyface got some extra lovin from me after I read this one . . .

"I killed your cat today…

You remember, the sweet little black one who I am certain used to curl up beside you and sleep. The loving cat that used to run to greet you every day you came home from work. The one who used to purr so loud as a kitten you thought for sure he would hurt himself. I'm certain you were so excited to bring home such an adorable little fur ball and I know how much fun it was to watch him grow. His gorgeous gold eyes mesmerized you and you couldn't get over how beautiful they were. Oh how much fun it would be to finally have a cat!

But then the newness began to wear off, the excitement began to wane, and he wasn't nearly as much as he used to be. The thought of having to clean out the litter box every day; making sure he had clean water and food available; and then there were vaccinations and vet care he would need for his entire life! Did you ever think that maybe you weren't ready to make a lifetime commitment to him? Was it because he was no longer a cute little kitten? Maybe he started to claw your furniture? Did you adopt him even though you lived in a place that didn't allow pets, but thought you could sneak him in? Maybe you moved and didn't own up to the RESPONSIBILTY of pet ownership? Or is it because we live in a society today where it pets are disposable?

After all, it's easy to just dump them off at a shelter. You just know someone will adopt him because, after all, he is beautiful and friendly. That's what you told your kids as they stood in the lobby of the animal shelter crying. The person behind the counter remained silent, knowing full well that your cat may be euthanized as soon as you walk out the front door. You see, shelters are full of beautiful, loving pets that folks just like you drop off every minute of every day. Sadly, most of them are destined for the landfill to make room for more loving, beautiful pets the next day.

You did teach your kids a lesson that day. You taught them it's ok to throw away a pet. You taught them animals have no value; they are just property to be disposed of when they are no longer convenient. You showed them how simple it is to refuse to take responsibility. Lessons that will follow them throughout their lives; that I am certain of.

But you didn't dump this cat off at a shelter. You chose to drive him to a remote area with just a few houses, hoping someone would take him in. You chose to turn him loose in an area full of wildlife, mostly predators, always looking for an easy meal. Hawks, Owls, Eagles, Coyotes, Foxes, etc, the list goes on….But your cat was one of the lucky ones. He managed to survive and did find people that cared. He found a couple who didn't want to see him injured or die a horrific death. They cared enough about YOUR cat to catch him and to try to offer him a chance at the Humane Society. But because so many folks refuse to take responsibility for their pets, the Humane Society is inundated with unwanted and abandoned pets. These nice folks were put on a waiting list and told it would be 2 – 8 weeks before the Humane Society may have room.

They cared for YOUR cat, until he got scared one day and bit the lady on the arm. It wasn't a vicious attack, he was terrified. After all, he went from a quiet life, to being tossed out into the woods to fend for himself, to being kept in a cage to keep him safe. I wonder how you would have reacted under the same circumstances.

I killed your cat today…..not because I am evil or twisted. Not because I needed a cat to fulfill some type of ritual. Not because I wanted to, because I HAD to. You see, when YOUR cat bit the lady that was trying to help him, he wasn't able to show me proof of having a rabies vaccination. I guess you didn't think to send that along with him when you dumped him off.

I killed your cat today….and I want you to know how and why. I want you to know so that maybe, just maybe, you think about this before you decide to get another pet. I want you to know so you can see just how emotionally draining it is on those of us who chose to take responsibility for YOUR pet.

I want you to know YOUR cat died on a cold stainless steel table, in the hands of total strangers. Strangers that were heartbroken by having to kill a healthy, loving animal that through no fault of his own ended up on that table. Strangers that held him close and stroked his fur while he drifted off to a never ending sleep.

I want you to know that YOUR cat was then taken into a back room and dismembered so his head could be sent off to a lab to be tested for rabies. I want you to know that YOUR cat caused a great deal of distress and heartache for all of us involved in his case. I want you to know that I then had to transport the remains of your cat to the landfill for disposal. Even the folks working at the landfill are affected knowing when I drive in; I am delivering what was once a cherished pet.

I want YOU to know that as much as I love my job, having YOUR cat killed deeply affects me. You see, I love ALL animals. I do my job because maybe, just maybe, I CAN make a difference in the lives of those who have no voice. I do my job, so maybe; just maybe, I can convince some people that pets aren't disposable. While I know I can't save them all, I can save one at a time. I killed your cat today…. I just wanted you to know."

Author:
Karen J. Williams,
Animal Cruelty Investigator, Idaho

It’s no secret that first daughter Jenna Bush is a bit of a wild child and as you know, we here at PETA can get as wild as anyone. But when the Bush twin switched from MGD and bong hits to foie gras, Ingrid Newkirk pulled out her pen and let Dubya’s rebellious daughter know what’s up.

You can read Ingrid’s letter here.

PoliticalHumor/Creative Commons

Yup, it's about as dumb as it sounds. Apparently the World Wildlife Fund's German affiliate has accepted 225,000 Euros for its fish conservation campaign that was raised by Unilever through the sale of fish sticks. I'll spare you the letter we wrote them, since it feels like I've been putting a lot of letters on the blog lately, but the gist of it is that the WWF needs to send this blood money right back where it came from. As our letter points out,

"Selling fish sticks to raise money for fish conservation is like selling poodle burgers to raise money for a dog shelter."

That pretty much sums it up. Come on now, WWF. I know you guys can do better than that.

Our counterparts in India just sent me these pics from a stunning photo shoot starring Indian supermodel Malaika Arora Khan. Malaika's outfit was created by fashion designer Wendell Rodricks to depict a white macaw, and her ad is part of PETA India's ongoing campaign to draw attention to the horrific conditions for the wild birds who are made to perform in Indian circuses. I’ve been inspired by these lovely images to rent the film Kaante this evening. Not only does it star the beautiful Malaika, but it's billed as Bollywood's answer to Reservoir Dogs. It doesn't get much better than that.

comicbookmovie/Creative Commons

So the Wachowski Brothers (the geniuses behind The Matrix) have been holed up for a while working on a live action version of the '60s cult cartoon Speed Racer. Sounds pretty awesome, except that they've made the decision to use a real chimpanzee to portray Speed Racer's simian friend Chim Chim. And, as always when a primate is used in filming, it is an absolute guarantee that there's behind-the-scenes abuse—even when those half-awake film enthusiasts at the American Humane Association are on the job. The fact is that while the original, animated Chim Chim never had any trouble mugging for the camera, the new guy on the job can think of about a million things that he'd rather be doing than performing for the Wachowski brothers. For most chimpanzees used on set, this natural aversion to stardom means that severe beatings, intimidation, and all-round lousy treatment are standard tools of the trade for the trainers who are paid to make them perform. And according to our source on set, the chimp being used for this movie is no exception, which may well explain why he recently deviated from the script and bit a child actor.

ucla/Creative Commons

We've been communicating back and forth with the movie's producer, Joel Silver, asking that he make the humane decision and use animatronics instead of live animal actors. I'll keep you posted on any developments with this one, and you can read more about how that discussion's been going here. Incidentally, my favorite movie blog, I Watch Stuff, also covered the story, which pretty much made my day.

And finally, please click here to learn more and to ask that the Wachowski brothers use animatronics instead of live animals.

montanakids/Creative Commons

When the Tour de France begins tomorrow, America's top hope, and the Team Discovery leader, will be a Montana native at the peak of his career named Levi Leipheimer. In addition to being just a really exceptionally good cyclist, Levi is passionate about helping animals, and he recently took some time to talk to PETA about the role that animal protection plays in his life. He also shot an ad for us, which we'll be releasing in a few weeks' time, so I will definitely let you know as soon as that bad boy finds its way onto our site and into the magazines. In the meantime, you should check out Levi's interview below. Dude is a winner, and you can be certain that I'll be pulling for him tomorrow when he hits the streets in London. (Yes, the Tour de France begins in London this year. I'm sure they had their reasons.)

When did you decide to pursue cycling professionally?

I started riding when I was 13, and I basically knew then that it was what I wanted to do. I race for seven months of the year and train for 10. During the off-season, I usually ride my mountain bike for fun. In an average training week, I ride between two and seven hours a day.

We heard that you enjoy eating vegetarian food. Is there one vegetarian dish that you would recommend for athletes in training?

Every day when I head out on my bike, I'm fueled by an energy-packed vegetarian breakfast of oatmeal, apples, blueberries, strawberries, and nuts. I've done this for years. My favorite post-ride meal is pasta with lots of garlic and sunflower seeds or pine nuts.

You are a top professional athlete, but you still find time to do animal rescue work. Can you tell us about some of the things that you do to help animals in your free time?

[My wife and I have] had a revolving door of foster animals in California and in Spain. I help out by playing with the animals who need to be socialized and by transporting them when needed. We've had about 100 fosters over the years.

There have also been many occasions when I've gotten a call from my wife, Odessa, after she has found an animal on the side of the road while riding her bike. I've done a lot of these emergency pickups for squirrels, frogs, birds, cats, dogs, turtles—you name it.

How did you become involved with helping animals? Did you have any animal companions growing up?

Growing up, we had dogs and cats and a lot of squirrels and chipmunks in the yard, but it wasn't until I met Odessa that I learned true compassion for animals. She will drop everything in her life if she suddenly encounters an animal in need, no matter what. She's risked her own safety to help animals on many occasions. Once you see that in person and witness the difference you can make in the life of another creature, you'll never turn and look away from an animal in need.

We heard that when you travel to Europe for the cycling season, you take your dogs with you. What is that like, and is it difficult to fly them from California to Spain?

Traveling with animals has been a learning experience. Because our dogs are so small, we're able to take all three of them in the cabin with us. We wouldn't do it otherwise. The airlines have very strict rules concerning pets in the cabin, so you have to be very careful.

You have been kind enough to agree to work with PETA on a new spay-neuter campaign. What message would you like to get out to folks about how they can help reduce companion animal overpopulation?

In the Unites States, there really isn't any excuse for not spaying and neutering your pets. There are low-cost spay-neuter options in almost every city and town. All you have to do is look.

You have a lot of fans out there, which gives you a powerful platform to reach people and make a difference.� What is your message to them about having compassion and getting active to help animals?

The world belongs to animals, too—it's not just ours for the taking. Be kind to animals. And spay and neuter your pets.

Here is this week’s comic from Jeff Corriveau. I don’t know about you, but I already find myself looking forward to Thursdays, just to see what he’s going to come up with next . . .

Click for a larger version

Check out last week’s comic here and click here to learn more about DeFlocked.

The Running of the Nudes took place today in Pamplona, and, well, wow. This is the sixth year that PETA Europe has been organizing this fun alternative to Pamplona’s archaic bull run, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I’ll be posting more news and pictures from the event as they come in, but here are the first shots from today’s naked “Human Race.”

Are you as psyched as I am for Live Earth this weekend? Mad props to the organizers of this amazing event, which is actually nine concerts rolled into one huge global event to draw attention to the global warming crisis facing the world. What an undertaking . . .

Now don’t get me wrong, anytime Snoop Dogg and Snow Patrol play the same event, I’m all for it, no matter what the cause. But let’s be real here. Because the meat industry emits massive quantities of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, selling meat at Live Earth would be like selling cigarettes at an anti-cancer fundraiser. And that’s exactly the message we sent in a letter to George Zoffinger, the guy in charge of Giants Stadium, the venue for the US portion of the event. Check out the letter here.

While it might be an Inconvenient Truth, for some at first, the reality is that what people eat is far more important than anything else they do—like, more important than switching from a Hummer to a Prius even—in determining greenhouse gas emissions, so making the concert venue vegetarian for the day is really the least the organizers can do. And the single most important step any of us can take to alleviate global warming is to simply go vegetarian.

In any event, enjoy the show, and if you’re looking for something to keep you awake while Madonna and Sheryl Crow perform, check out our “Live For the Earth” contest to win a $50 iTunes gift card.

Happy Fourth of July from everyone at PETA! Except me. I’m British.

Click to view e-card

I just saw this Newsweek story about the latest trends in fishing and hunting. To put it in a nutshell, a five year U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study just reported a sharp decline in the number of Americans participating in fishing and hunting. Interestingly enough, this doesn’t mean that people aren’t spending time in the outdoors (“wildlife watching” is up eight percent). It seems that people are simply choosing to look at animals without killing them a lot more.

MadMegan/Creative Commons

The bottom line? Check out the ending of the piece: “The real lesson of the report is that as a nation we’re gradually finding new, less violent ways to interact with nature. If this keeps up it won’t be long before Elmer Fudd goes after Bugs Bunny with a pair of binoculars.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

The folks in our Vegan department have asked me to remind everyone that the deadline for our Sizzling Summer BBQ Recipe Contest is midnight on July 4. So, if you want to be in the running to win a new grill, among other cool prizes, get your recipes in soon. The winning recipes will also be featured on VegCooking.com.

The sky's the limit as long as the dish is vegan and suitable for a barbecue. Appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts—show us what you've got! Our panel of PETA chefs will select three winners based on taste, creativity and theme.

All this food talk is making me kind of hungry. I wonder if I can somehow scam my way onto the recipe judging committee . . .

OK, this one's from a few years ago, but these things are so damn popular that I thought I'd post it. A little context—this is the letter that PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich sent to Michael in 2004 to ask him to reconsider his anti-animal stance. The sad truth is that Bruce’s decidedly less sensational letter never received any attention at all—least of all from Michael Moore, who refused even to acknowledge receipt. But it's a cracking good letter, nonetheless. You can check it out here.

Sorry Canadians. I know I'm a day late on this one, but hopefully you'll forgive me since I'm bringing you this amazing shot of PETA activists Lucas Soloway and Andree Silcok, after they snuck into Montreal's Canada Day Parade yesterday. They look like they’re having a blast, and check out the people in the crowd; they can't take their eyes off of them. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I think the guy talking to them is asking if there is room inside the banner for him too . . .

AP PHOTO/Peter McCabe, CP

The coolest thing about this picture is that despite not having permission beforehand, the two were allowed to complete the whole parade, reminding thousands of Canadians that it's time to stop the cruel seal hunt.

Way to go Lucas and Andree!

For those that want to get in on PETA Europe's annual Running of the Nudes festivities but can't make the trip to Pamplona, Spain, here is the next best thing to being there. PETA Europe is holding a contest to give away 10 of these cool pens featuring supermodel Annamarie Lytle, along with a signed poster.

OK, so the pens look pretty cool, eh? Well they're even cooler in person, because when you flip them upside down, Lytle is wearing nothing more than plastic bull horns and the traditional red scarf they wear in Pamplona . . . Man, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?

You can enter the contest here, and for more information on bullfights, which is where the bulls that are run through the streets of Pamplona wind up, click here.

Much as it pains me to pamper the egos of those too-cool-for-school scene queens over at peta2, I was really impressed with this interview that my friend Dan (who runs the show in PETA’s Youth Outreach division) just did with MTV Canada. I’ve been trying to get on MTV since I dreamed of auditioning for MTV’s The Grind in the early '90s (if you haven’t heard of that show, don’t worry about it. You’re better off.), but it looks like I’m going to have to settle for living vicariously through Dan’s achievement. Watch how he reels off hip bands like he’s Carson Daly or something. You can click the screenshot below to watch the video on MTV’s site. Enjoy!

According to its website, the Telly Awards “ . . . is the premiere award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions” so we are thrilled to have won three “Tellies” this year.

Each of the following spots took the bronze in the Public Service category:

Country music icon Loretta Lynn donated her classic song “I Wanna Be Free” for this PSA reminding everyone that "Life on a chain is no life at all."

John McEnroe—winner of three Wimbledon singles victories and four U.S. Open singles championships—offered his famous voice to push spaying and neutering in a humorous play on his famous temper.

The third winner takes a decidedly more somber tack. This ad is shot from the point of view of a dog stranded in flood waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and pleads “Have a plan. Save your pet."

A big shout out goes to PETA’s Communications and A/V departments for making these, and the rest of our PSAs, happen. Congrats guys.