askmen / CC

At our behest she has just sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their irresponsible decision to issue a permit that will allow two tigers to be transferred to the Baghdad Zoo. That's right, according to the permit, Riley and Hope will be sent off to live an uncertain future in a war zone—an area already proved to be dangerous and deadly to the animals at the Baghdad Zoo and where the last two tigers were shot to death by…”friendly fire.” You can read Kim's full letter here:

July 28, 2008

H. Dale Hall, Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C St. N.W.
Mail Stop 3238 MIB
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Mr. Hall,

I have long had an interest in how “exotic” animals are treated in captivity. Now, I am very troubled to learn that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved an export permit to send two tigers, Riley and Hope to the Baghdad Zoo - into a war zone with an uncertain future - and hope you will do all in your power to reverse the Service’s decision.

It has already been shown that the animals at the Baghdad Zoo cannot be properly protected from the country’s military conflict. When the war began, hundreds of animals in the zoo were killed, stolen, eaten, or let loose by looters. The last two tigers escaped and were shot dead. The future is uncertain. Most of the people in Iraq still do not have access to basic necessities or a safe environment and Iraq remains a war zone: sending tigers there would place the animals squarely in harm’s way.

Also, because Iraq is not a signatory to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), issuance of the permit would violate the basic tenet of CITES and will eliminate a significant incentive for other countries to sign on to the provisions of this very important international treaty that is designed to protect tigers like Riley and Hope.

The Endangered Species Act mandates that such a transfer enhance the species in the wild, yet there’s absolutely no evidence that sending these tigers to Iraq would fulfill that requirement. Their presence is for amusement.

In their natural environment, tigers quietly roam throughout many miles of territory consisting of forests, swamps, grasslands, savannahs, and rocky terrain, hunt, and raise their young. This is the life that they were meant to have—not dodging bullets in a facility that does not have the expertise or resources to properly care for them. It’s my understanding that the zoo even lacks veterinary diagnostic capabilities and many of the animals are handled with the crude use of ropes.

Surely your agency will give thoughtful reconsideration and make the kind and responsible decision to deny the export. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kim Basinger

If you're as outraged by this decision as Kim is, please immediately contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using our action alert. Ask them to rethink their decision to transfer Riley and Hope and to consider the safety of all animals at the Baghdad Zoo.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

I wonder who in today's day and age thought that bullock carts were still a good idea.

After teaming up with Bollywood celebrities to protest this inhumane use of bullocks, PETA India has now turned to a creative street-demo approach! In Mumbai—a traffic-congested, bustling rich city—the local kerosene companies (which are not poor by any stretch of the imagination) use bullocks to pull rickety carts heavily laden with kerosene barrels. Between shipments, the bullocks are also forced to stand for hours without any shade in the sweltering sun and are not given sufficient food or anywhere near the amount of water they need. PETA India has discovered that sick and injured bullocks are being forced to pull the extremely heavy oil carts through the city and that they do not receive any veterinary care.

Join PETA India—and the Bollywood humane set—and sign the petition asking Mumbai's controller of rationing to end this cruelty to bullocks. Also, check out these great photos from the PETA India demo

olimpiadasbeijing2008 / CC
Carl Lewis, the Olympiad of the Century, is vegetarian (and therefore never consumed deer penis) and he did quite well, so we think this new generation will be OK too. However …

If you are not an Olympic athlete, you can still head on over to Beijing to take in the full glory of human athleticism. And while there, you can stop by Guolizhuang and get yourself some ox, donkey, and sheep penises (as well as deer penises, of course—I didn't mean to leave those out).

And if you feel like dropping a cool $500, you can also get some Canadian seal penises. You mean we can bash their heads in, skin them for their fur, AND pay $500 to eat their penises?!?! Penis: It's what's for dinner.

Love it!

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

This was one of the dogs PETA Asia-Pacific found in horrible conditions.

Although PETA Asia-Pacific has documented poor protection from the elements and a gross lack of veterinary care—including for dogs immobilized because of illness and left to die amid their own waste—the situation has gone from bad to worse. As a typhoon swept through the area, workers released 30 dogs (perhaps to avoid having to dispose of their bodies afterward) rather than simply moving them to higher ground for protection. The "shelter" sits in a flood plain where there is nothing for the dogs to eat and no way for them to escape their pens and avoid drowning.

Please help us make a difference in Taiwan by sending an e-mail urging ShanChong city officials to shape up and take their responsibility to care for these animals seriously.

Posted by Sean Conner

worldproutassembly / CC

These animals never get a vacation. Day in and day out, they are confined to tiny cages, forced to dance around in tutus at the St. Petersburg circus, or left to live an unfulfilled life in an inadequate enclosure that is light years removed from their natural habitats. Europe offers so many great opportunities for tourists that your stay can be crammed full of cruelty-free memories. To make it easier on you, PETA Europe has put together a list of places to avoid like the Great Plague on your European vacation.

1. Running of the Bulls—Pamplona, Spain
   Every year, more than 40,000 bulls are taunted, stabbed repeatedly, and finally killed by the matador in front of a stadium full of onlookers. Before the bulls enter the ring, petroleum jelly is often rubbed in their eyes or they might be beaten with sandbags. And the Running of the Bulls isn't any more humane to these animals, who often crash into the walls when racing down the narrow street. Instead of paying to see these animals slaughtered, join the Running of the Nudes campaign!
2. Schwaben Park Chimpanzee Show—Baden-Württemberg, Germany
   The chimpanzee show at Schwaben Park is truly a house of horrors. The chimpanzees are forced to perform demeaning tricks on leashes and are often trained to perform with regular beatings or the use of shock collars. Instead of paying to see these animals perform confusing tricks that they don't understand, visit a non-animal theme park.
3. Donkey Rides—Beaches All Over the U.K.
   Sunning on the beach is great for us humans: We can take a quick dip or catch a bite to eat when we're too hot or hungry. But it's pure hell for donkeys who are confined to the beach and forced to cart children around in the hot sand. Some donkey-ride operators at beach resorts like Bridlington and Blackpool even keep the donkeys chained together at all times. Instead of taking a donkey ride, swim in the sea or build a sandcastle.
4. Berlin Zoo—Berlin, Germany
   This zoo might be known best as the home of Knut, the polar bear that the Berlin Zoo mercilessly paraded around in front of media cameras and throngs of visitors. More recently, however, zoo director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz has been accused of slaughtering the zoo's animals and selling their body parts to be used in Chinese medicines. Berlin is loaded with history; visit a museum or the great Berlin Wall instead!
5. Edinburgh Zoo—Edinburgh, Scotland
   In 2000, a number of endangered Arabian antelopes were bred and then destroyed by Edinburgh Zoo officials. Clearly, zoo officials don't have animals' best interests in mind. Instead of the zoo, we recommend visiting a loch, a castle, or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And if you're a wildlife lover, go deer-spotting!
6. Mediterraneo Marine Park—White Rocks, Malta
   The Mediterraneo Marine Park uses bottlenose dolphins in performances and offers visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, visitors are often unaware that these dolphins are captured in the wild or imported from conflict-ridden countries. A great alternative is to take a dolphin- and whale-spotting holiday that doesn't involve capturing or handling these animals.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

We at PETA have just heard that the organizers of a fashion show sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame are planning to include real fur in the show. Now—ignoring the question of what football has to do with a fashion show in the first place—why would the Hall of Fame want to be associated with the cruelty of fur farms?

We're sure that the director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame will change his mind about fur once he reads our letter, which is printed below. I mean, the Hall of Fame isn't knowingly supporting the fur industry, right? We hope not!

Ron Dougherty, Interim Executive Director
Professional Football Hall of Fame

Dear Mr. Dougherty:

On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I am writing to urge you to pull all real fur from this Friday's Pro Football Hall of Fame Fashion Show Luncheon.

Dozens of designers and retailers—including Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Marc Bouwer, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger, Ann Taylor, and Jones New York—refuse to use or sell fur. Long recognized as a leader in fashion, Polo Ralph Lauren also recently announced that it would no longer use fur in any of its apparel or home collections.

You might be interested to learn that animals trapped for their fur can suffer for days in steel traps before dying of exposure, frostbite, shock, or infection. Mothers who are desperate to return to their young will even chew off a limb in a desperate attempt to free themselves. Trappers eventually return and strangle, stomp, or bludgeon the survivors to death.

On fur farms, animals spend their lives in barren, filthy wire cages, exposed to all weather extremes. They often go without adequate shelter, clean water, or veterinary care (even for severe injuries, including broken bones). Unable to escape and deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, animals often go insane from these conditions. Fur farmers use the cheapest killing methods available. Many animals are electrocuted by having rods inserted into their rectums or vaginas, and others are beaten, gassed, or suffocated to death. These crude killing methods aren't always effective, and sometimes animals regain consciousness while the skin is being ripped off their bodies.

Please take a few minutes to watch this brief video about fur production to see why fur is unacceptable.

No organization wants to be associated with blatant cruelty to animals. I think you'll agree that this is a serious matter that deserves your immediate attention. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dan Shannon, Assistant Director
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Posted by Amanda Schinke

After more than 7,000 e-mails of complaint from our wonderful members and supporters, Verizon has pulled an ad depicting two chained pit bulls who were straining at their chains in a junkyard. They may now realize that the sight of miserable, lonely, aggressive dogs just doesn't help them hawk cell phones.

Pit bulls are by far the most abused of breeds, and this ad certainly didn't help boost their image. Since they're seen as the "tough guy's" breed, they all too often end up neglected and chained outside, left to lie amid their own waste through all weather extremes and without adequate shelter, food, or water. If that wasn't enough, even less fortunate ones end up in the hands of dogfighters.

Many thanks to all who participated in our action alert—your pressure helped get this ridiculous ad pulled. Further proof that it's worth it to ruffle a few feathers!

Posted by Sean Conner

oldstersview / CC

Well, that's what I thought when I first saw this news story: "Hogs Gone Wild, 50 team [sic] compete in Eldorado Picnic hog wrestling contest." Surely, I thought, the wrestlers wore pig costumes or something. They didn't actually wrestle with pigs …

But no—there were, in fact, 50 teams of people, all clamoring to wrestle a pig. The goal? To grab a frightened pig and force him onto a padded barrel in less than a minute.

Eldorado's fire chief, who is either PR-savvy or oblivious, says—in the words of the article—that the hogs "are kept cool and treated with utmost respect." But the astute writer of the article observed, "Not buying that for a minute, the hogs huddled together drawing deep furrows in the muck with their snouts. They glared, squinted-eyed, each time a squealing comrade was herded away." I certainly fail to see how terrorizing pigs qualifies as "respect"—just look at the first picture in the photo gallery. Look at the expression on the pig's face—does he look respected or terrified?

This isn't the first time that misguided people have used animal wrestling as a fundraiser. In fact, the Brooks Hill Community Fair in West Virginia—which was just this past weekend—had planned to hold a greased pig race until PETA told them how cruel it would be. The race was subsequently canceled—a victory for PETA and pigs and a show of decency from Brooks Hill! The Delta Fair and Music Fest in Tennessee is another event that decided not to hold their pig-wrestling competition. Good for them.

Of course, if anyone's wondering what the Eldorado Lions and Fireman's Community Picnic might do next year to raise money in a cruelty-free way … might I suggest tofu wrestling instead? We'll even provide the tofu.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Sorry to burst happy bubbles everywhere, but here's the downer: Viagra is not always effective. Up to 40 percent of men who take Viagra report no result at all. We firmly believe that no one should have to live an unsatisfying life. If you're looking for a good time in the bedroom, you can improve your satisfaction tenfold by making a few simple changes in the kitchen.

Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostate cancer, and hormonal imbalances are just some of the health problems that cause male impotency. Ditching artery-clogging meat and dairy products—and eating a diet rich in leafy greens, fruits, and grains—will lift your mood, get you back into action, and get your blood pumping to all the right locations.

So whether you're a wannabe manly man or a wannabe Mata Hari, pick up a banana and put down the prescription pills. Vegetarians do make better lovers. And you know what else we make? Some pretty darn cool ads! Here are PETA's top 10 impotence ads:

10. A Vegetarian Lover Gives You Something to Wake Up For—Last night was great, but there's nothing like rekindling the fire with some morning wood.

9. Rude Food—Nothing compares to hooking up with a really, really hot dish …

8. Santa's Not Coming This Christmas—Ho, ho—oh no! "Jolly St. Nick" can't get his jollies 'cuz milk's made his mojo a no-go.

7. Kevin Eubanks Vegetarian Testimonial—The juicy confessional of a former "World's Sexiest Vegetarian"

6. I Threw a Party but the Meat-Eaters Couldn't Come—Leaving a beautiful girl in a red-white-and-blue bikini standing there holding a limp sausage? Well, that's just un-American!

5. Tofu Wrestling—Everyone knows that ladies love extra-firm soy and extra-firm boys. Here's proof that tofu is so freakin' cool that bikini-clad beauties will wrestle over it in a kiddy pool.

4. Three Stages of a Wiener—Three more reasons to skip the wieners for a watermelon salad

3. PETA's Make-Out Tour—Who can turn away from a sexy couple engaged in some passionate PDA on the pavement? Plus, it's got a much better soundtrack than that annoying "Viva Viagra" song.

2. Eating Meat Got You Down?—It takes a "stiff" competitor to bed a babe. There's nothing sadder than when a guy realizes he just can't keep up with the "Johnsons" anymore.

1. Sexy Sausage Ad (Director's Cut)—In a business where talent is measured in inches, what's a porn director to do when his meat-head star goes soft? Luckily, a hot vegan guy shows up to turn this Super Bowl party into a sausage fest.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

OK, there are tons of perks when it comes to working for PETA. I'm talking cool coworkers, a kick-ass cause, a vegan vending machine, and a multi-office building with lots and lots of windows overlooking the Elizabeth River. But as is often the case, every perk comes with a price. And I'm not just talking about the small fortune I've invested in Twizzlers (I wish I could quit you, vending machine!). I'm talking about having HUGE windows. Honestly, we love birds, but we really, really don't want them to literally crash our meetings.

You see, we PETA folks like our views, but unlike a lot of other offices, we also care about how our feathered friends view us. Luckily, some of those cool coworkers I was bragging about earlier have come up with some pretty tight tactics to keep birds from colliding with windows, and we urge you to implement them not only at home (if there's a problem there) but also at work (if there's a problem there):

1. Play detective. Are there certain windows in your home or office that attract more collisions than others? A little detective work goes a long way in helping you determine which windows to focus on.

3. Decorate with decals. We highly recommend clear decals that reflect ultraviolet light, which is visible to birds and allows them to steer clear and stay safe. If you're more of a DIYer, bust out some "MacGyver" ingenuity and use tape, adhesive film, or other items on your windows to make them more visible.

4. Explore all your options! Look for ways to cover the maximum amount of surface area outside your window. We went with window tinting after putting interns on our balconies with glow sticks didn't pan out (they left work and went dancing instead).

5. Avoid a "dine and crash" situation. Place birdfeeders and nest boxes at least 30 feet away from windows or within 2 to 3 feet of them.

6. Help our feathered friends. If you find a bird who is dazed and confused (face it, we've all been there), put some gloves on and place the bird somewhere safe and quiet to recover for an hour or two. According to our wildlife expert extraordinaire Tori, they can normally be cleared for takeoff after a brief rest and quick eval.

7. Be prepared if the birdie doesn't bounce back. If your patient requires more medical attention, call animal control (have the number handy BEFORE something happens, and know what action to take for after-hours emergencies). If animal control can't help, they should be able to refer you to a wildlife center, rehabber, or veterinarian who can. And remember, it's illegal in most states to try to rehab a wild animal yourself, so you MUST take him or her to one of these places.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

britannica / CC

So PETA President Ingrid Newkirk has sent a letter to Sen. Barack Obama and his family stressing this very point—and urging them to adopt a "pound pup," or Great American Mutt, rather than buy a dog from a breeder or a pet store.

In her letter, Ingrid says, "Senator, no one needs to tell you that this country is proud to be a melting pot and that there is something deeply wrong and elitist about wanting only a purebred dog. Millions of Great American Mutts—the dog that should be our national dog—are set to die in our nation's extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes. When you are ready, please adopt a homeless pound puppy—a grateful refugee from a society that has not always treated the true "underdog" kindly—rather than cater to special interests who do not have dogs' interests at heart."

Let me break it down for you: Mutts want to live in a good home, eat good food, and live with responsible, loving, patient caretakers just as much as any purebred dog does. It doesn't take a genius to see that if we as Americans were treated the same way that we treat mutts—essentially, ourselves in the dog world—then we'd all be locked up, wasting away in cages, and hoping for someone to take us for "walkies." If we can't be true to mutts, then we can't be true to ourselves.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Note: PETA supports animal rights and opposes animal neglect and educates the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

Move over, National Garden Week! Out of the way, Waffle Week (OK, maybe you can stay). And get off my lawn, all you prevention and awareness weeks. This is the coolest week ever … Shark Week! Catch this (geddit?): The Discovery Channel's Shark Week is back for its 21st year, and I am pumped. When else do you get a whole week of programming dedicated to these pointy-toothed wonders?

Shark Week has another purpose, though, besides just being scary (which it totally is). Shark Week's programs teach viewers that shark populations on the coast of the Eastern U.S. declined by 80 percent in the '70s and '80s because of shark fishing for "sport" and steak.

Sharks are hunted not only because of the high price fetched by their teeth, jaws, and fins but also because of their reputation as human-killers.

True, an average of 10 humans die each year because of shark attacks. However, this is nothing compared to the 100 million sharks (and billions of other sea animals) killed by humans every year—so that humans can eat them.

When you think about the painful way that all fish are slaughtered for fun and food—suffocated, crushed to death, and cut open alive—shark attacks really don't seem all that unprovoked, do they?

On that note, check out our new billboard. It's going up in the cities that see the most shark attacks:

For more information on sharks and fishing, please visit FishingHurts.com—and watch Shark Week! I will!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

wallpaperbase / CC

According to researchers, this shows that fish are more similar to us than many folks would suspect. "[T]he sophisticated neural circuitry that midshipman [fish] use to vocalize develops in a similar region of the central nervous system as the circuitry that allows a human to laugh or a frog to croak …," according to the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where research was conducted.

One researcher at MBL—named, I promise, Dr. Bass—believes that vocal communication is probably widespread among our finned friends. It may even give insight as to how fish have evolved.

Take note that this isn't an isolated bit of research—a great deal of time has been dedicated to investigating methods of animal communication. Each new study verifies more and more what many of us have suspected for years: Humans and other animals aren't all that different.

Posted by Sean Conner

We bet you agree with us that Jenny should be sent ASAP to a fantastic facility where she can choose her own new friends. And the zoo is shipping her out, but where does it want to send her? Their plan is to export her to a drive-through tourist attraction in Mexico called Africam.

Jenny has a lot of psychological and health problems. She needs plenty of space, a nurturing staff to look after her special needs, and her choice of companions. The elephant enclosure at Africam is barely 5 acres—a fraction of the 30 miles per day that elephants might roam in the wild. In fact, this video shows three Asian elephants at Africam as they sway back and forth, an indication of boredom and frustration and a behavior that is never seen in elephants in the wild. These aren't happy elephants—and I wouldn't be happy either if I were standing in a mostly barren enclosure on hard, compressed dirt with nothing to explore.

Of course, there's a far better option for Jenny. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has already offered Jenny a peaceful home, where she would have hundreds of acres to explore (and the companionship of three other female African elephants), live in a fabulous facility, and remain protected by the U.S. Animal Welfare Act. Despite this, the Dallas Zoo so far isn't backing down from its decision.

Why? Well, the Dallas Zoo says that it will only send Jenny to a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Um, shouldn't it be acceptable to send Jenny to a facility whose standards actually exceed those of the AZA? After all, the AZA's guidelines for elephants permit the kind of abuse seen in circuses. Besides that, the AZA only requires elephant enclosures to be 40 by 45 feet, which—if you do the math—is about the size of a three-car garage. That might not be big enough for a 13,000-lb. elephant.

And by the way, if you're still thinking that AZA accreditation means something, consider this: The elephants at Africam swaying in that video are in an AZA-approved habitat.

If you'd like to help Jenny get to The Elephant Sanctuary and a wonderful retirement, please see our action alert to find out how. Also, be sure to watch 20/20 tonight at 10 p.m., as there will be a moving story about elephants and how they really are just like us. "There are things about elephants that seem so similar to us. Their family life, their emotional life, the fact that they grieve. They stand out from other animals," said Gay Bradshaw, the director of a research institute called The Kerulos Center.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

For no particular reason, I'm on my fourth consecutive Ford automobile (a Mustang convertible, natch). It's a 2000 year model, though, and apparently I'm not the only one who hasn't been buying lately: Ford just posted a record quarterly loss of $8.7 billion. Yikes!

Now, our relationship with Ford has had its ups (like when they stopped sponsoring UniverSoul Circus) and downs (such as when the company "won" our 2001 Litterbox Award for an ad boasting about how much leather they could cram into one car). But in the spirit of cooperation (see, we were paying attention during Sesame Street), we've contacted them with this great cost-cutting idea:

July 25, 2008

William C. Ford, Chair
Ford Motor Company

Dear Mr. Ford:

On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, may I suggest a way that Ford could dramatically cut costs by reducing employee absenteeism and lowering health care costs? We know that you are a vegetarian. If you encouraged your workers (both current and retired) to switch to a vegetarian diet—as some companies are already doing—and served vegetarian meals in company cafeterias, costs related to absenteeism and health care would drop significantly.

According to estimates, the health problems of retired Ford workers alone add about $1,700 to the price of a new car. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the Dieticians of Canada conducted perhaps the largest review ever of studies on vegetarian diets. They concluded that vegetarian diets "provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." They also state, "Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than non-vegetarians as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer."

As you know, vegetarians get all the protein, vitamins, and fiber that they need without the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat found in animal flesh. William Castelli, M.D., director of the Framingham Heart Study—the longest-running clinical study in medical history—concluded that "vegetarians have the best diet. They have the lowest rates of coronary disease of any group in the country … they have a fraction of our heart attack rate, and they have only 40 percent of our cancer rate."

Vegetarians are truly "Built Ford Tough" and are far less likely to keel over from a heart attack on the assembly line or in the boardroom. To help employees transition to a healthy vegetarian diet, you might want to offer free meals initially, including familiar, comforting taste-alikes such as vegetarian Shepherd's pie and Buffalo wing-style "chicken" nuggets. The short-term cost of these meals will be repaid in spades as workers feel more energetic and become healthier. We'd be happy to provide your cafeteria with a consulting chef, food-preparation tips, product-sourcing information, and recipes, and we'll gladly provide each Ford worker with a free copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit."

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Bruce Friedrich
Vice President

Posted by Jeff Mackey

idolator / CC

In 1996, David signed our "Get Gillette Off the Set" petition, which led to one of PETA's greatest victories against animal testing. Oh, David Duchovny, why don't you love me?

Gillian's also a great friend to animals, having spoken up for bulls in Nevada and elephants in Chicago. In 2005, after Covance tried to stop PETA from showing footage in which the lab was torturing animals, Gillian put the videos up on her own site—and PETA won the suit to screen the footage. Because of Gillian's commitment to helping animals, she won PETA's Humanitarian Award in 2006.

We love David and Gillian, and we're sure that their new movie will be just as wonderful as they are. See you at the theater!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

robertslab / CC

This landmark bill is the first of its kind in the nation to protect sick and injured farmed animals from further torture. Animals on factory farms suffer such injuries so frequently that the industry has a term for them: "downers." Downed animals can suffer immensely as they are either dragged to slaughter or left to die from their ailments—a truly unimaginable hell to suffer through. I think that our downed cow story really had an impact on the passing of this bill. The story is just completely heartbreaking, compelling, and all too common. The good thing is that this story really inspired people to do the right thing and get this bill PASSED.

The frequency of this is staggering. Each year, millions of animals arrive for slaughter either already dead or too sick or injured to walk. This comes from a lifetime of abuse on factory farms, followed by transport to slaughter through all sorts of weather extremes.

"California cannot allow unscrupulous slaughterhouse operators to endanger the safety of America's food supply and engage in grotesquely cruel practices. [This bill] is an important step toward … basic decency to farm animals, and I am delighted that the Governor has signed it into law," said Assemblymember Krekorian, who introduced the bill.

Now if only federal laws were changed to extend this most basic consideration to farmed animals nationwide …

Posted by Sean Conner

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People are still being blown up in Baghdad, and no one knows what the future holds for human beings there. So is it really a safe and responsible place to send these massive, beautiful wild animals?

If you're like me and you're equally angered by this madness, check out what we have to say in our official action alert and let the Fish and Wildlife Service know what YOU think.

Posted by Christine Doré

News flash: Virtually all scriptures encourage kindness and compassion. In any holy teachings—from the Bible to the Book of Mormon—you'll find language that encourages kindness to animals. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that there are ties between Mormonism and vegetarianism.

Considering that today is Pioneer Day (it's sorta like the Fourth of July, but only for Utah and … not on July 4), Chris Foster—founder of the group Mormons for Animals—is encouraging Mormons to practice kindness to animals in accordance with their faith.

"The Mormon doctrine is strongly pro-animal. And it's strongly opposed to any kind of cruelty to animals, including mistreatment and killing when it is not necessary," Foster told local media outlet KCPW. "Unfortunately, Mormon culture didn't quite live up to that." Might this be because some people still opt to eat animals, despite the endless array of non-animal alternatives that everyone in modern society has access to?

I could restate this all day, but here's the basic idea: be truly kind, not selectively kind.

Posted by Sean Conner

waterlife / CC

This all came into question when a team of researchers in Japan (where almost everything but drinking water is prepared with fish) found a volatile chemical from perspiration on clothes worn by older participants in a sleep study. When U.S. researchers did a separate exercise study that didn’t use chronic fish-eaters, they did not come across this same compound. Analyzing both sets of data, researchers found that older study participants' sweat had more "stinky smell"—from metabolizing excess unsaturated fatty acids from the fish—than younger participants' sweat did.

To put it succinctly: Please don't eat fish, lest you grow up to be a smelly old person. (And if you do become such a person, please refrain from working out on the elliptical next to mine—you know who you are!)

So if you can't be motivated out of compassion for the sea animals who suffer immensely as they are hauled up from their aquatic homes to decompress or "drown" in the open air, please give up fish for the sake of the assisted living staff who will have to scrub your body some years from now.

Please, the fish—and the sponge-bathers—are counting on you!

Posted by Sean Conner

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The September issue of Vogue will no doubt be full of the usual "fashions" and more animal skins than the Queen of Mean can count on her two grubby hands. But what will not be in the issue, at least not in the U.S. edition of Vogue, is the usual hefty number of advertisements.

According to this story, last year's Vogue had 50 more advertisement pages than the 2008 edition will have. Translation: dollar signs are not in season.

Earlier this year, we even offered financial help to Aretha Franklin so that she could keep her house—granted she hand over the furs. And now we’re trying to help bail Anna out. If she would like to accept one of our advertisements to help her fill those empty pages, we’re here. Perhaps our beautiful Eva Mendes ad? Or, maybe our racy Joanna Krupa ad or even our sexy Imogen Bailey ad! How about a little memorial of Anna Nicole Smith?

In the past, our ads have not been welcome at Vogue. Anna is far too friendly with the fur industry which anally electrocutes animals and bodies wrapped in fur skinned off the backs of fully conscious animals to accept them, but perhaps the downturn in the economy will mark the upswing of the moral code at Vogue?

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Quick—what reason do people usually give for continuing to eat meat even after you've told them about all the awesome health, environmental, and animal welfare benefits of going vegetarian? If you said taste (as in, people don't want to give up meat because they like the taste), you win $1 million! Not really (sorry!), but it does mean that you've been doing a great job trying to get your friends and family members to take the cool vegetarian plunge—go, you!

Now, people who've explored veggie cuisine know that you don't have to give up anything in the way of taste or texture to go vegetarian, but guess what massive corporation is going to help spread that message to new audiences? If you said most KFCs in Canada, you don't win $1 million, but you are right (go, you, again!).

Most KFCs in Canada have just added a vegetarian chicken sandwich to the menu, and by all reports, the faux chicken is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and delectably flavorful inside and out. YUM! (YUM! is actually the name of the company that owns KFC in the U.S., but they aren't serving it, dammit).

The company that coordinates the purchase of all chickens for Canadian KFCs has also entered into an agreement with PETA, which includes landmark animal welfare reforms that will substantially improve the lives and deaths of chickens killed for Canadian KFCs. And we at PETA have been so happy about this that we sent our Lettuce Ladies on a Canadian tour to pass out KFC's faux-chicken sandwiches to anyone eager for a taste. How's that for winningly fabulous, eh?

Here are some photographs from Montréal!

Posted by Grace Friedan

As I'm sure many of you are aware, circuses that use elephants and big cats in their acts are not on PETA's approved list! Circuses—including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, for instance—use aggression, violence, and confinement to "train" elephants to perform asinine tricks. This often results in pain, suffering, and trauma. Some elephants go mad, while others become infected with deadly diseases, like a human strain of tuberculosis (TB). Quite a few suffer early deaths. (If this is the first time you're hearing that all is not glitter and glamour for animals in circuses, I think I've got some sad news for you about Santa Claus as well.)

However, while we PETA activists have become well equipped for tackling Ringling's lies to the public about their practices, up from the slimy depths slinks Carson & Barnes Circus.

Let me back up by telling you about Joy. She's from a group of elephants that the Illinois-based Hawthorn Corporation was forced to relinquish because of chronic Animal Welfare Act violations. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the elephants at Hawthorn accounted for 21 percent of known cases of TB in elephants, and it's likely that these elephants are infected with drug-resistant, latent TB. In fact, half of Hawthorn's 22 animal handlers tested positive for TB exposure.

While most of the elephants at Hawthorn went to sanctuaries, we fought the USDA tooth and nail to prevent Joy from going to Carson & Barnes Circus. An overreaction on our part? Heck no! One of our incredible undercover investigators exposed cruelty so vicious that it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Elephants shocked with electric prods and repeatedly hit with bullhooks become so frightened that they trumpet and recoil from the trainer's vicious attacks.

This is the routine nightmare of elephants in their "care." They're tortured. Yet somehow these depraved animal abusers are still in business and were allowed by the USDA to acquire Joy with the understanding that they'd never use her in their traveling show or for any sort of public contact because the USDA determined that the Hawthorn elephants posed a danger to the national elephant herd and public health.

Then! Less than a year after they got Joy, Carson & Barnes turned right around and submitted a request to the USDA to use her anyway for "educational demonstrations and possibly for elephant rides." Here's the USDA's rather irritated response:

As you might recall, you had several conversations with Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer, Eastern Region Director, Animal Care, in March and April 2005 regarding EAF's [the circus's Endangered Ark Foundation, which is nothing more than a breeding facility to supply Carson & Barnes with more unwilling performers] willingness to be a donee for Joy. In each of those conversations, you, among other things, agreed on behalf of EAF not to allow Joy to travel or be in contact with the public. Therefore, EAF's plan to use Joy for "elephant rides" or any other exhibition that involves public contact or travel would not be acceptable to [the USDA].

Yeah, these carnies really care about the animals, eh? They will stoop so low as to risk the health of Joy, other elephants, and little kids just to make a buck off elephant rides.

Boo-yah! Little C&B thought they run with the big dogs in janky dirty dealings? But remember what we told you the five fingers said to the face? SMACK!

Posted by Missy Lane

Al Gore admitted to an audience at a political blogger conference that he may, indeed, be bad for the environment and guilty of contributing to global warming. Why? Because he just can't seem to stop eating meat, which is more harmful to the global warming crisis (which Gore is known for being a teeny bit fanatical about) than all of the world's cars, trucks, SUVs, and planes combined!

According to Ezra Klein at Prospect.org, Gore said, "It is true that it would be healthier for us as individuals and as a planet if we consumed less meat. I acknowledge that. … I myself am a meat eater and maybe that's had some effect" (emphasis mine). How did he go from acknowledging that vegetarianism is better for individuals and the planet to saying that maybe his choice to eat animals has some negative effect?

Without committing to any changes in the present, Al Gore explains that he "plead[s] guilty" and that we must "walk before we can run." Seriously? He doesn't know how to walk the walk on this issue? Have we not been clear enough with this guy? We'd love to love you, Al, but please stop clinging to the one thing that is so devastating for the world while asking everyone else to drop their bad habits.

What's next, M.A.D.D. beer cozies sized to fit in your car's cup holder? Ugh.

Posted by Sean Conner

Remember that advertisement for the U.S. Army that said that folks in the Army do more before 6 a.m. than most people do all day? I was reminded of that when I reviewed some of the successes scored by the phenomenal PETA Asia-Pacific team. Check out what these superheroes for animals accomplished during a recent three-week span:

1. When PETA Asia-Pacific learned that Tanzania was going to ship elephants and giraffes to the Manila Zoo, a tiny, decrepit, and outdated facility that has nothing to offer animals except a life of deprivation, misery, and loneliness, they fired off a letter to Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kitwete, pointing out that "[a]ll confined animals suffer from profound boredom—some so severely that it can lead to self-mutilation and self-destructive behavior." The president of the East African nation responded with compassion, halting the deal and saving many animals in the process.




2. Photo Credit: Gaspar Rodriguez

   When Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a war on hunger and inequity—while also saying that she would lead by example—PETA Asia-Pacific called on the president to adopt and advocate a vegetarian diet. The letter sent by PETA Asia-Pacific explained that animals raised for food consume nearly 1 billion metric tons of food edible by humans every year—enough to feed about half the world's population. President Arroyo took the time to respond to the letter, resulting in tremendous media coverage.



3. In protest of the grueling "death ship" journeys—in which sheep and cattle are forced to endure extremely crowded, disease-ridden ships with little access to food or water through all weather extremes—dozens of men and women from PETA Asia-Pacific and Animal Liberation NSW stripped naked and sprawled on the ground in a "die-in" on Sydney's Pitt Street Mall. The protesters lay on the cold pavement (it's wintertime in Australia—remember that hemisphere thing?) for 20 minutes under signs that read, "Animals Suffer and Die in Live Export." Check out the activists in action!



4. And leaving the most sizzling for last: Kobe Kaige (don't pretend you don't know that name!)—who has graced the pages of dozens of magazines, from Playboy and FHM to Stroke MX and Maxim, and who currently reigns as Penthouse's "Pet of the Year"—recently teamed up with PETA Asia-Pacific to draw some media and public attention to the cruelty of fur. Kobe—who posed fully nude amid a snowy set holding a sign that read, "Give Fur the Cold Shoulder"—helped save animals' skins by showing some of her own.

Posted by Grace Friedan

beedata / CC

1. North Carolina officials have filed six counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals against a North Carolina man for acts documented in our 2007 undercover investigation of a Smithfield supplier's sow farm. The charges are for acts of dragging pigs by the ear, striking a pig in the face with a handling board, and gouging a pig's eyes with his fingers.


2. After talks with PETA, the New Hampshire Motor Speedway agreed to stop its plans to feature live elephants at a NASCAR race.


3. During a routine visit to a North Carolina trailer park, our Cruelty Investigations Department found two pit bulls suffering from severe puncture wounds and infections—neither of the dogs had been treated for their injuries. One of the dogs appears to have been used as a bait dog and lost both her ears. All 13 thin and miserable dogs—most living in mud pits—were turned over to PETA within four days. The bait dog had to have tubes put in her neck to treat the infection that had spread.


4. On the spay-and-neuter front, Our SNIP-mobile spayed and neutered 476 dogs, cats, and rabbits in the last 30 days! And our new ABC bus spayed and neutered 69 animals; most of the surgeries were done completely free of charge!


5. A butterfly release planned as part of a celebration of two merging Michigan hospitals was called off after speaking with PETA staffers. The butterflies, which had already been received, were taken home by a hospital worker who lives on a farm. The butterflies were released in a secure area.

Stay tuned for future victories!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Like the rest of the entire world, I went and saw The Dark Knight this weekend, and also like the rest of the entire world, I was impressed with this darker take on the Batman mythos. I'm all for having Heath Ledger win the Oscar, and my superhero-comic-loving-nerd-patrol side could gush for hours about the intensity of this movie. But my animal-protector soul had a serious problem with a few scenes. Batman beats dogs—who knew?? P'shaw! And to think we gave him a spot on our coveted Top 10 Animal-Friendly Superhero list!

While I love that The Dark Knight lived up to its name by exploring the noiresque Frank Miller-inspired themes of Gotham's protector, they didn't need to make Batman into a dogphobic man! Batman is an icon, a superhero genius that beats up gun-toting thugs using only his iron fist of justice—KA-POW! He looks damn good in pleather while owning the streets, yet in The Dark Knight, he was punching out dogs left and right. Sure, it was self-defense, but doesn't the man with the James Bond gadgets know anything about peanut butter treats and deflecting devices?

Because of this serious misstep for what's otherwise a masterpiece, we've decided to take all the write-in votes for Hellboy seriously, knock our batvocate pal off the list, and replace him with the kitten-cuddling man in red. Check out our NEW and improved list of the top 10 animal-friendly superheroes:

10. Hellboy—This superhero may be someone that would make you cross the street if he came your way (the red skin and horns might be a bit intimidating), but he's just a big teddy bear with a love for kittens (and many successful attempts to save them).

sfgate / CC

8. Black Panther—As the leader of the African nation of Wakanda, the Black Panther has banned the evil White Gorilla Cult from his country. Members of the cult seek to gain power by killing one of Wakanda's rare white gorillas, bathing in their blood, and eating their flesh (um, gross). The villain known as Man-Ape gained his superpowers by doing exactly that—incurring the wrath of the Black Panther and becoming one of his greatest foes.

7. Superman—In a one-shot "PSA comic" entitled "Superman: For the Animals," Supes rescues a kitten from being thrown off a bridge by a group of kids named (seriously) Ballser, Charlie, Donuts, and Eightball and, in the process, teaches everyone a valuable lesson about not picking on anyone weaker than you—including animals.

comicbookradioshow / CC

5. Thor—In the Ultimate Avengers animated movie, we find Thor out at sea with a group of activists protesting whale slaughter. If only his fellow Norwegians in the real world got the picture that whaling is a thing of the past!

4. Beast Boy—Everyone's favorite Teen Titan also happens to be vegan (and not just because he's been hanging out on peta2.com like pretty much every other teenager). You would be, too, if you had the metamorphic ability to turn into any animal and therefore had a little compassion for the ones that get eaten.

marveldirectory / CC

2. Wolverine and Jean Grey—In X-Men Unlimited #44, Wolverine catches three neighborhood boys in the act of torturing and killing animals for kicks—and offers to return the favor on behalf of his furry friends. Using her psychic powers, Jean Grey instead makes the boys experience in their minds the pain and suffering that they caused to their innocent victims. In the next issue … Colonel Sanders!

1. Wonder Man—In Civil War: Frontline #5, part of Marvel's epic Civil War story arc, Wonder Man is interrupted on his way to an important function by two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents looking for answers about a mysterious aquarium store bombing (read the book). The important function? A PETA banquet. 'Nuff said.

Posted by Christine Doré

Colonel Sanders has finally met his heavily accessorized, bouffant-wearing, monster-sized match: Lady Bunny. The queen of all queens has teamed up with PETA to create an awesome anti-KFC billboard, which just went up in New York City. The larger-than-life female impersonator's ad advises tourists and commuters that the Colonel's "secret recipe" is cruelty to animals.

Lady Bunny joins other gorgeous pin-ups, including Pam Anderson and Imogen Bailey, who have protested the well-documented abuse of chickens who end up in KFC's deceptively pretty buckets of breast meat. However, only Lady Bunny can talk about there being "more than meets the eye" (regarding animal welfare, of course).

I've cocktailed at enough gay bars to know firsthand what happens "when queens attack"—and it ain't pretty. After all, who wants to upset a burly guy who has spent an hour squeezing into a size 3 dress and a pair of high heels?

Posted by Sean Conner

nab / CC

The deer have been using an ancestral woods path (which now goes through a small development) to reach what remains of the woods, where they sleep at night. Until, that is, one neighbor got all up in arms over some flowers that the deer allegedly had a nibble on (flowers, really?) and got a "nuisance kill" permit from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) to abate the "nuisance."

The neighbor has hired a bow hunter in full regalia, who has set up a tree stand and even deployed a decoy, a lure, to attract the deer to where he can shoot them. There are easy and simple things you can do to live in harmony with wildlife, of course, but it takes a heart.

Props to the other neighbors who are fighting back hard to have the permit revoked and were able to contact Bob Barker—not by some spectacular third degree of separation miracle, by the way: One of the neighbors operated on Mr. Barker when he fell ill in Washington. Mr. Barker shot off a letter to the DGIF, which you can read here

Like many neighborhoods, this community is experiencing wildlife up close because, sadly, these wonderful, capable, now almost homeless animals are being forced to search for food, shelter, and some plain old stimulation—in part because trees are being chopped down faster than you can yell timber just to make room for more strip malls, grocery stores, and, yes, even more Wal-Marts. Jump on over to HelpingAnimals.com for handy tips on how to humanely handle wildlife.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

entertainmentwise / CC

It must be hard to reach that point in your life where whenever your name hits the media, it's preceded by the words "former supermodel." You might become upset enough to freak out on a plane or throw a phone at your maid. Why, it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out.

Fortunately for former supermodel (see, I told you) Naomi Campbell, her hair seems to be falling out all on its own. We recognized an opportunity for some good old-fashioned consciousness-raising. Here's PETA Europe's note to Ms. Campbell:

Dear Ms Campbell,

Please don’t get angry and throw something, but I hear that you are going bald. If this is true, then you understand what it’s like to lose your hair. Of course, for animals raised and killed for their fur, the problem isn’t just that their looks suffer (have you seen a skinned fox?! Check out FurisDead.com for a quick peek) but that the skin is ripped off their bodies – sometimes while they are still conscious.

If you are balding, please seize this opportunity to make up for promoting cruelty to animals in the fur trade by promoting faux fur and natural fibres. You would look lovely in a synthetic hairpiece and/or a pretty cotton, elegant satin, practical linen or other hat made without harming a living soul. PETA would be pleased to provide you with examples of all of the above.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid E Newkirk

Posted by Jeff Mackey

This story's got it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's just sort of in reverse order. Think: bad beginning but great ending for a few hundred fish and snails!

On an average day, PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department receives dozens of phone calls from caring individuals who have witnessed—and wish to report—cases of animal abuse. One recent tip came from a Wal-Mart customer, who overheard employees say that the store was undergoing renovations and that it would no longer be selling fish. In theory, that's good news. Unsold fish would have been “dry-bagged,” causing them to suffocate to death.

Our Cruelty Investigations Department immediately swam into action. The result: Wal-Mart agreed to give all the fish to PETA, and our staff rushed to pick them up—with no time to spare. Several hundred fish and snails were removed and many are now living in the lap of luxury with PETA staffers.

This is, I'm sure, a welcome change for the fish, who are intelligent little animals (they can even eavesdrop just as we do!).

While we ordinarily would never advocate putting any fish in a tank, these little guys—who would have suffered a prolonged, terrifying death—are now swimming, jumping, and diving their way around their new spacious tanks, which are full of plants, clean water and shipwreck loads of stimulation to keep them happy. Thanks to the PETA staffers who have graciously provided these fish with a great new home!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Do you know the saying "Don't steal—the government hates competition"? I was reminded of it recently when news broke that the U.S. Army is shooting live pigs in an open range with high-power rifles at a training camp in Hawaii. The Army says it's teaching combat medics how to treat battlefield injuries, but here's the thing: The Army is required—by its own regulations—to use alternatives to animals in any kind of experimentation or training when scientifically valid and comparable alternatives exist. And guess what? Those alternatives exist.

My colleague Shalin Gala rattles off these humane alternatives like nobody's business: the Combat Trauma Patient Simulation System, Simulab Corporation's TraumaMan system (insert superhero figure with a T on his chest), partnering with trauma centers for real-life experience, and Dr. Emad Aboud's "living" cadaver perfusion model. Shalin also tells me that he regularly receives calls from whistleblowers in the Army and the Navy telling him about the use of pigs, goats, and monkeys for trauma training and chemical casualty training—all in apparent violation of regulations.

Kathy Guillermo, the director of PETA's Laboratory Investigations Department, had this to say: "In order to effectively save our soldiers' lives, Army medics should be trained with human trauma patients and advanced simulators that mimic human responses. Shooting and maiming pigs is as outdated as Civil War rifles."

I agree, but I'm kind of stuck on the fact that the horror of the Army's pig shooting in Hawaii goes way beyond just that. Readers of The PETA Files are well aware that you don't have to be Einstein to get your head around the few paltry regulations intended to protect animals in laboratories, but even so, violations of these regulations are rampant. A recent audit noted that nearly a third of U.S. laboratories are failing to search for alternatives. Is it any wonder when the government—charged with ensuring that laboratories comply with the law—doesn't seem to have its own house in order?

Posted by Grace Friedan

What better way to celebrate Friday at the office than with a little Internet soup? Much like good minestrone is made when you clear out produce from your fridge, today's mix is a jumble of bits and pieces that I've been meaning to share but haven't gotten around to 'cause I'm a wee bit busy saving animals.

1. If fire ants were to play Oregon Trail, they'd insist on fording the river. Way cool and way scary.


2. This "disassembly plant" worker documentary shows why anyone with an inkling of love for their fellow man should rethink eating drumsticks.


3. "I was laughing so hard, I was barely able to strap him to a table, drill a hole in his skull, [and] insert electrical probes into his cerebral cortex to monitor pain responses …." Sigh.


4. "Oh, what beautiful cupcakes you made for the reception! What is your secret to making such divine icing?" "Simple! Confectioner's sugar, soy milk, and beetle."


5. Now delivery of your first-class and priority packages can be powered by tofu. (Note: They're not flavored—I checked.)


6. Ever wondered how to live in harmony with so-called "pest" species (the ones we haven't succeeded in killing off)? Or perhaps just fantasized about minions collecting pocket change for you? Voila!


7. Just when you thought Yum! Brands couldn't get any lower: new "feed bag" meals for the overweight animal-eater on the go!

Enjoy the soupy goodness! And go make friends with some crows before they organize and take over the world! I think I'll go see if I can put The Birds in my Netflix queue …

Posted by Sean Conner

You know, we've been partnering with Helium.com and recently gave out a PETA Citizen Journalism Award to Cate Stewart, who published a fantastic essay about clean meat on Helium. You can read this award-winning essay here:

Would you eat animal-stem-cell–grown "clean meat" to protect animals and the environment?
Yes, I would definitely eat "clean meat." I'm all for saving animals. And, by growing our own meat, we can save animals from slaughter and pain, and keep them from going extinct. If there was the option of "clean meat" I would buy it without hesitation. It would be a great alternative to eating an animal. If the public's knowledge of "clean meat" increases, it could be sold in restaurants and grocery stores around the world and make the market a healthier place. This would be an amazing way to feed humans and to help animals. "Clean meat" is an all-around fantastic idea.

If we could grow our own meats, there would be less of a risk of food poisoning and disease, because "clean meat" would not be contaminated with feces and would be the first disease-free meat. Imagine how wonderful that would be! No more worrying about what the meat you eat has in it, because you know that there's no way disease could be inside. And even if you don't worry about the meat you eat, you will not get sick, as you potentially could. If the "Clean Meat" could provide us with the proper nutrition and proteins needed in a daily diet, I would not hesitate to become a consumer of this product.

I also like the idea of "clean meat" because "clean meat" is green meat and would not pollute rivers and streams, use up ground water, or cause deforestation as usual meat production would do. It would also cease the pollution that meat packing plants, slaughter houses, and meat shipping trucks make and we would have less waste from the animal carcasses that are left after slaughter. It would help everyone, from humans, to animals, to the environment.

It would also be something to eat for people like me, who can not give up meat for health reasons or for people who do not wish to give up meat for their own personal reasons. Vegans and Vegetarians could eat this meat too, since you do not have to kill an animal to make "clean meat". What a wonderful world!

PETA, with the help of scientists, can make this happen, and it will help make a better planet and a healthier population. I am convinced that this is the future of our food, and saving the Earth and its inhabitants is essential. I urge you to look into "clean meat" and consider eating it when it becomes available. You can make a difference.

Posted by Christine Doré

Like you, dear reader, PETA is concerned about the sad state of affairs in Washington. Never content to just sit around, though, we're doing our part to get the pork out of politics. And although congressional staffers are used to hearing from folks who have a beef, we arrived without any at all! OK, I'll stop with the puns ...

As those of you who frequent The PETA Files surely remember, every year, PETA heads to Capitol Hill to celebrate National Veggie Dog Day by giving away those meatless treats—along with copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit." And if that's not enough to get the attention of those who stalk the corridors of power, there was Playboy Playmate—and PETA member—Lauren Anderson in a lettuce-leaf bikini.

As one might expect, this attracted some attention. Not only did the line stretch around the block, the media showed up in full force as well. (In case anyone wonders why we use tactics like lettuce-leaf bikinis, that's why.)

It wasn't all just food and frivolity, though. We used the occasion to make these Beltway insiders aware of the connection between meat-eating and global warming. As Ms. Anderson put it, "If people thought about the environmental destruction, cruelty to animals, and unsavory-sounding body parts that go into meat hot dogs, they'd be switching to veggie hot dogs faster than you can say 'inconvenient truth.'" Amen! And pass the mustard.

And, yes, we have pictures:

Photo Credit: Stephanie Borrell

Photo Credit: Stephanie Borrell

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Burberry representatives denied entry to Bruce Friedrich this morning, an action that we believe clearly violates the rules that govern publicly traded companies. Bruce, appearing as a proxy, had registered in time, confirmed his registration, and showed proper identification and a copy of his proxy voucher card to officials—but to no avail.

One might suspect that the problem here is that Friedrich is an outspoken opponent of the use of fur in Burberry’s clothing, and they don't want their shareholders to hear what he has to say.

Bruce was slated to speak and urge shareholders to end the company's use of fur, as stated in the shareholder statement that PETA Europe had sent directly to Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts as well as their chair and chief designer. Included with the statement was video footage showing fur-bearing animals caught in traps, animals chewing off their own limbs to escape, and animals on fur farms crammed in tiny, filthy cages until they were killed by gassing, anal or vaginal electrocution, or having their necks broken.

Since Burberry is based in the United Kingdom, where cruel fur farms are illegal, they have resorted to importing animal pelts from Finland. Says Friedrich, "Burberry might not want its shareholders to hear about the company's support for cruelty to animals so extreme that if the practices it supports were conducted in the United Kingdom, they would be illegal, but it has no right to shut out debate".

Posted by Sean Conner

Greetings, true believers! If you're like me, your batarang is all up in a bunch this summer with all the amazing comic-book movies coming out. Between Iron Man, The Hulk, and now The Dark Knight (which opens today), it's like we've died and gone to nerd heaven. So in the spirit of the superhero season, check out PETA's official list of the Top 10 Animal-Friendly Superheroes of all time!

sfgate / CC

9. Black Panther—As the leader of the African nation of Wakanda, the Black Panther has banned the evil White Gorilla Cult from his country. Members of the cult seek to gain power by killing one of Wakanda's rare white gorillas, bathing in their blood, and eating their flesh (um, gross). The villain known as Man-Ape gained his superpowers by doing exactly that—incurring the wrath of the Black Panther and becoming one of his greatest foes.

8. Superman—In a one-shot "PSA comic" entitled "Superman: For the Animals," Supes rescues a kitten from being thrown off a bridge by a group of kids named (seriously) Ballser, Charlie, Donuts, and Eightball and, in the process, teaches everyone a valuable lesson about not picking on anyone weaker than you—including animals.

comicbookradioshow / CC

6. Thor—In the Ultimate Avengers animated movie, we find Thor out at sea with a group of activists protesting whale slaughter. If only his fellow Norwegians in the real world got the picture that whaling is a thing of the past!

5. Batman—Think of the Caped Crusader, and the first thing that comes to mind is his cape, of course. Animal lovers reveled when they learned that Batman's cape was made of cruelty-free pleather—not leather. This superhero batvocate made pleather cool again, and PETA loves him for it.

4. Beast Boy—Everyone's favorite Teen Titan also happens to be vegan (and not just because he's been hanging out on peta2.com like pretty much every other teenager). You would be, too, if you had the metamorphic ability to turn into any animal and therefore had a little compassion for the ones that get eaten.

marveldirectory / CC

2. Wolverine and Jean Grey—In X-Men Unlimited #44, Wolverine catches three neighborhood boys in the act of torturing and killing animals for kicks—and offers to return the favor on behalf of his furry friends. Using her psychic powers, Jean Grey instead makes the boys experience in their minds the pain and suffering that they caused to their innocent victims. In the next issue … Colonel Sanders!

1. Wonder Man—In Civil War: Frontline #5, part of Marvel's epic Civil War story arc, Wonder Man is interrupted on his way to an important function by two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents looking for answers about a mysterious aquarium store bombing (read the book). The important function? A PETA banquet. 'Nuff said.

Excelsior!

Posted by Dan Shannon

Chances are that if you live in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, or Mississippi, you've shopped at a Winn-Dixie. Well, you'll be glad to know that this top grocery chain, which operates 520 stores in the South, has just made some improvements in how some of the chickens and pigs killed for its products are treated.

Now before anyone jumps all over us, yes, we are vegans; yes, we spend buckets of money trying to get other people to go vegan; and yes, as long as one chicken is going to be killed because we aren't able to prevent people from buying and cooking birds, we want that death to be as painless as possible.

Following about five months of discussions with PETA (and there was that matter of the shareholder resolution we submitted to the company), Winn-Dixie has adopted an animal welfare plan. The company has agreed to do the following:

• Give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to controlled-atmosphere killing (the least cruel method of bird slaughter) and begin purchasing 5 percent of its turkeys from suppliers that use this method by the end of 2010.


• Give purchasing preference to suppliers that don't use gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—and increase the total amount of pig meat that it purchases from crate-free facilities by 5 percent over each of the next three years (to reach a total of 15 percent).


• Give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs, increase the amount of cage-free eggs that it sells to 4 percent by the end of 2009 and 5 percent by the end of 2010, and work toward increasing that amount to 10 percent within the next five years.

Winn-Dixie is following in the footsteps of other major grocery and restaurant companies that have recently made animal welfare improvements after working with PETA. Those companies include Safeway, Harris Teeter (another large Southern grocery chain), Burger King, Carl's Jr., and Hardee's.

While this certainly doesn't mean that the eggs and meat at Winn-Dixie (or any other chain) are produced without causing animals to suffer (check out Meat.org to see what I mean), it does mean that the worst abuses have been eliminated for some of the animals. And we welcome any improvements in animals' living and dying conditions!

If you'd like to thank Winn-Dixie, drop them a line through their online customer service form.

Posted by Christine Doré

Jeff really hit the nail on the head with this one! To learn more about dissection, check out peta2.com.

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

The latest podcast on the PETA front is "Vegetarianism in a Nutshell," presented by PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. This talk is seriously fantastic and inspiring. If you're already veg, it'll empower you. And if you're not, well … hell, it'll probably convert you!

Bruce discusses the impact of vegetarianism on our lives and the environment, and the whole thing just makes me want to dig into my fave vegan dish and give KFC the bird!

Seriously, though, sit back … put your nonleather-shoed feet up … and take a gander (or a listen) at our newest podcast.

Posted by Christine Doré

Our good friends over at PETA Asia-Pacific got some unexpected attention during a protest outside a KFC restaurant in Sydney, Australia, when the police showed up offering the protesters blankets and a free ride to the station.

The three ladies—who had crammed their bodies into a wire cage to protest the cruel methods KFC uses to raise and slaughter the billions of birds that fill its buckets each year—were wrapping up the peaceful demonstration when the swoop occurred (swoop, geddit?) and arrested the activists for ... indecent exposure. Of course, there had been no indecent anything, and the ladies were later released. An apology is in order.

The demonstration was a magnificent follow-up to Pamela Anderson's Australian rendezvous last week, when the actor hand-delivered a letter to the managing director of KFC Australia's parent company telling him exactly what she thinks of KFC suppliers' scalding birds to death.

All our Australian supporters are pushing for KFC restaurants to adopt the same animal welfare standards now applied to chickens killed for KFCs in Canada. The PETA Asia-Pacific crew reached even more blokes and sheilas! Well done!

Check out photos from the demonstration below!

scopefeatures.com.au

scopefeatures.com.au

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

We at PETA like to say that cruelty is the secret ingredient in KFC's buckets (what, with chickens being tormented before they're killed and abused in other horrific ways). But it turns out that at one KFC, there was another secret ingredient: urine.

Yep, you read that right: Chicken was urinated on before being sold to a customer. Feeling peckish? (That's British for "hungry"—geddit?)

A Nebraska police officer and his family have won $40,000 from a KFC outlet that served them food tainted by an employee's spit and urine. The couple sued the offending company when their two sons, 4 and 7 at the time, became ill (one violently ill) after they ate the food. The younger boy vomited for hours and was hospitalized for gastroenteritis and dehydration.

The lawsuit also stated that "[e]mployees maintained 'special servings' of food reserved for ... officers. The 'special servings' had been urinated in or spit in by KFC/Taco Bell employees. In fact, defendant's employees maintained a particular serving pan for use in creating 'special servings' of food plus employee urine."

Finger licking good? I'll pass.

Do you have a great KFC gross-out story you'd like to share? Want to share your feelings about the possibility of being served a side of urine with your KFC order? Tell us! One lucky commenter will be the first person on his or her block to have 20 of the gorgeous KFC stickers pictured here! Be sure to leave your comment by July 30, 2008, and we'll let you know whether you've won by August 1, 2008. You should also be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA's privacy policy before you comment—you're acknowledging that you have read and agree to both by leaving a comment.

Posted by Grace Friedan

Heeeeey, yoooou guuuys! I'm starting a new segment of The PETA Files, aptly called "Corey, How We Love Thee," where entries will be dedicated to the wonderfulness that is Corey Feldman. OK, so it isn't really going to be titled "Corey, How We Love Thee," and there isn't even going to be a section devoted entirely to the master actor, musician, and activist. I may have slightly exaggerated.

But it is true that here at PETA, we love the actor known for his smart-mouthed roles in the 1980s and, better yet, his huge heart for animals! Not only did he star in classics like The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, and The 'burbs, now he and gorgeous wife and Playboy model Susie are also starring in PETA's new "Give Peas a Chance" ad, encouraging everyone to go vegetarian.

Quite the stunner, isn't it? If you're thinking the ad looks familiar, you'd be right. It's based on the iconic "Give Peace a Chance" image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. You can't get more rock 'n' roll than that.

Here's what Corey had to say:

Susie and I choose the vegetarian way of life because for us, there really is no other choice. We must evolve as a race and as a planet, and evolution includes learning and changing from our mistakes. We will never truly grow until we as a whole come to the realization that all beings on this Earth should be treated with love and respect.

The Feldmans have been doing good stuff for animals for a long time. Ask KFC campaigner Nicole Matthews, who has been to their home for some chitchat of the animal activist kind. The whole thing unfolded in an episode of last season's The Two Coreys—a reality show that is actually devoted to him. It was quite the riveting hour of television.

Still, though, I have to say that my favorite Corey Feldman masterpiece (and possibly the greatest movie of all time) is hands down The Goonies! What's yours? Comment below to let us know!

And while his treasure-chasing, vampire-hunting, neighborhood-spying days are over, there are lots of animals to be saved, and we love working with Corey on our side!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Quick, what happens when you throw a stone in a pond of water? That's right, ripples form. Don't worry, we're not revisiting Physics 101, but that metaphor describes how phenomenal it is to see our actions generate positive consequences.

Check out this stone-skipping scenario: Last fall, an Israeli group videotaped hideously cruel experiments on monkeys and cats that were taking place at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, in which the animals were kept hungry and thirsty so that they would "work" in exchange for a few drops of water. Vivisectors drilled holes in the animals' skulls, inserted electrodes in their brains, and then strapped animals into restraint chairs, where they were kept entirely immobile for hours at a time while data were recorded. These experiments have been going on for more than 20 years, and get this: Our tax dollars—right here in the United States—have been paying for them, courtesy of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

When PETA received the video footage, we sprang into action, writing to the NIH, identifying influential friends who could nudge the Weizmann Institute, and setting up a petition so that concerned people everywhere could tell the Weizmann Institute what they thought.

And now, thanks to the massive outpouring of concern, Israeli academics opposed to cruelty to animals have started organizing and speaking out. Operating under the banner "Academics for the Protection of Animals in Labs," three hundred professors at Israeli universities have signed a petition calling for greater accountability and transparency for animal experimentation. In the words of one organizer, "What I am proposing is that there should be more transparency and supervision, and yes, also fewer experiments ...."

They're not monkeying around, and those are some serious stones!

Posted by Grace Friedan

Readers of Dog Fancy magazine opened the recent issue to see an ad that read, "Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to claim your bag and hear about our products." The ad's offer sounds good enough, right?

Well, for people who actually called the number, the offer may have lost some of its appeal when they learned that the "gift" bags are actually body bags! If readers knew the ad was placed by PETA, they may have expected the shocking twist, but why would we want to give away a little detail like that?

The ad and the body bags were created to serve as a strong reminder to all dog lovers that for every dog you buy, another one will die, because every dog purchased from a breeder takes a spot in a home that a homeless dog is dying to fill. With the millions of homeless animals in this country, it's insane to buy rather than adopt.

Our video "Buy One, Get One Killed" drives home that point nicely.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Ah, shucks! Why be subtle, really? Especially when you're creative and stand for something! This time, some of our PETA punsters have come up with an ad that is sure to cause a stir—and rightfully so. When millions of unwanted animals are destroyed for lack of homes because less than responsible people still fail to spay or neuter their cats and dogs, perhaps a mildly indecent outcry is in order. You think? Check out the awesome ad here:

And if you want to get people to learn more about this epidemic, we've created the fantastic Animal Birth Control (ABC) campaign. Not only do we have ourselves a stylish Web site, the campaign also tackles seriously distorted ideas about buying from breeders, puppy mills (if you're one of the 10 people who don't watch Oprah, you can learn all about them here), and pet stores while offering simple steps for what you can do to help. We also provide more printable factsheets and literature than you can shake a stick at!

Posted by Missy Lane

During our KFC Naked Truth demo tour, PETA campaigners encountered one bossy spectator—and he was a cop! Let me start by saying that our campaigners are trained, professional, and passionate (plus they know how to rock an eye-catching demo), and they always check local laws before every demo to make sure we abide by the city's regs. Colorado Springs was no different, yet a serious party pooper might be lurking behind every corner—a person who perhaps didn’t appreciate being forced to think about his or her meat consumption.

As the demo started, the ladies stripped down to bikinis and held a sign around their bodies (to create the illusion of nudity—I mean, what's hotter than a little mystery?) stating, "The Naked Truth: KFC Tortures Chickens." All was going well as the passersby received important literature and information about KFC (not to mention a visual that could get them through the rest of their day), but then the party got officially crashed when a particular police officer showed up.

Exhibit A:

Mr. Officious, the man with his back to the camera, threatened the girls with citations for public indecency and demanded that they drop their sign (excuse me?) so that he could see what they were wearing behind it. The girls assured him that all their naughty bits were covered, but the officer wouldn't take "No!" for an answer. He demanded that they follow him and get dressed behind a blanket, snickering all the while (he was snickering, that is!). The girls were polite and complied.

Exhibit B:

After the girls got dressed, they had their information taken down by the police and the whole shebang ended with the other officers telling the first officer that it wasn't a violation. Right—they knew that! The "bad cop" left, but one "good cop" stuck around a bit, took a leaflet, and said he would check out our Web site to see what this demo was all about. The demo still affected him ... score! Not to mention, the police action drew a large crowd of inquisitive folks (including a local KFC employee) who took our literature and became super interested in challenging their KFC ways.

Currently, PETA's legal eagles are reviewing the details and photos and deliberating about taking action on our First Amendment rights, so we'll let you know if anything more comes of this. But for now, I'd just like to say thanks to the Colorado Springs police—a lot of folks now know the naked truth behind KFC.

Posted by Christine Doré

heatherhansendesigns / CC

This is all just a tad too ironic. I bet losing that fingertip hurt—perhaps even as much as it hurts piglets to have their tails cut off, baby chickens to have their sensitive beaks cut off, or calves to be burned with a hot iron and have their horns cut off—all without any painkillers. Yeah, I bet that feels like a day at the spa.

Let's work for the day when a news story is about sparing a thought for the real victims who suffered greatly for the meat behind that counter.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Just when we thought all the fur-clad skeletons had been pulled from Sharon Stone's closet, yet another story about animal abuse surfaces. In his new autobiography, actor Ernest Borgnine talks about working with Sharon Stone in her early, looking-less-like-a-scarecrow years. He writes that in Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing, Stone refused to do a scene with a spider unless the spider's pincers were ripped off—which the crew apparently did for her.

"It's not shocking to us that she displayed evil tendencies even when she was very young. It was her first starring role, and she chose to make a tiny insect an amputee. Perhaps she should change her name legally to Heart of Stone," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

I, for one, am appalled at the hypocrisy on Stone's part. She was willing to ask that this spider have his pincers ripped off his body, yet she exposed the surely terrified and disgusted crew on the set of Basic Instinct to bits of her that might give you the shivers. Shame on you, Heart of Stone.

And just for funsies, check out this fantastic picture that our friend Connie Talk created in response to Ingrid's letter asking Stone to get her brain scanned to see if Stone might be missing the empathy gene:

Posted by Sean Conner

Beachgoers in Fort Myers and Pensacola today got the envious privilege of being able to see planes hired by PETA flying up and down the shoreline towing signs reading "8 REASONS TO BOYCOTT KFC," and featuring a demonic, blood-soaked "Colonel Sanders" in the act of stabbing a chicken. So without further ado:

8 Reasons to Boycott KFC

1. Being top-heavy is only cool for women


2. They do chickens wrong


3. Sometimes big bright packages contain dirty little secrets


4. Being scalded to death sucks


5. If Pam’s doing it, I want to do it too


6. Cheap food costs animals dearly


7. Those wings were broken when the chicken was still alive


8. The “secret recipe” involves de-beaking with a hot wire

I never got to see anything that fun when I lived in Pensacola, though there were a lot of orange people....

Posted by Sarah King

nytimes / CC

Let me recap for the irony-impaired: People who came to look at animals stuck in cages ended up stuck cages themselves.

For perhaps the first time since their capture (or births in captivity), the residents of the pens below the tram tracks had reason to feel grateful for their enclosures' sizes—they at least had walking room (albeit it nothing like freedom), while the human animals were confined to 4-by-5-foot boxes. On the other hand, the human animals had liberty and exercise of free will to look forward to, which was not the case for the Bronx Zoo's permanent "residents."

Some stranded patrons saw the connection, according to The New York Times, which ran the story.

One such visitor walked away with a better understanding of how the animals must feel: "You have no say in what happens to you. You lose all control," she told the Times. Another man said, "It's a good lesson to humanity. They're now afraid, they're now vulnerable. Humanity needs to learn humility. They're not masters of the universe. They're part of the natural world."

What bizarre role reversal will come next? Will meat kill people? Oh, wait ....

Posted by Sean Conner

newsx / CC

Let's face it, China may be on top of its game in terms of technological innovations, but when it comes to animal protection, the country is dead last at the bottom of the dog pile.

China severely lacks any form of animal welfare. Our investigations into Chinese fur farms and live markets have shown some of the most horrendous acts of cruelty and conditions for animals raised for human use.

We're pleased that Beijing has opted out of the dog-slaughtering business—at least for a few weeks and if only for Olympic restaurants. But I have a suspicion it's not because someone up top realized that dogs feel pain.

A better idea would be to ban all meat from the restaurants. Cows, chickens, pigs, and fish value their lives and don't want to suffer, and they certainly die as wretchedly as dogs do, even if most people never get to know one in the way that they get to know a dog. Kind of a double standard, don't you think?

Besides, the Olympic athletes certainly don't need all the fat and cholesterol loaded in each bite of meat. It would suck to be one lap away from winning gold and suffer a heart attack. Take a bit of advice from Carl Lewis, a legendary Olympian, a vegetarian, and the man who's broken more records than humanly possible.

The only real breakfast of champions is one that's meat-free. And you can take that to the winner's podium.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

We could have called this "Reason #782 to Go Vegetarian," but you probably wouldn't have clicked on that. And no, we're not just flashing the sex card to try to get your attention (OK, we were), but this is dead serious—as dead, apparently, as the sperm of obese men.

Here's the scoop: Earlier this week, an article about researchers at the University of Aberdeen in the U.K. reported that "obese men have worse sperm than normal-weight men." The researchers analyzed sperm samples from more than 5,000 men and found that, in the words of the news article, "[f]at men had a 60 percent higher chance of having a low volume of semen" and "a 40 percent higher chance of having some sperm abnormalities."

Monty Python told us that every sperm is sacred, but apparently, some sperm is abnormally sacred. Who knew?

So what does this have to do with dietary choices? Well, loyal readers of The PETA Files will recall that vegetarians are slimmer than nonvegetarians, weighing on average 20 to 30 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts. In other words, meat-eaters tend to be heavier than vegetarians, are more likely to be obese, and are more likely to have inferior sperm. Add to this the fact that the saturated fat and cholesterol that clog the arteries of meat-eaters clog arteries leading to all the organs (including what Steve Martin called that "special purpose" one), and it's no wonder that this lovely lady hates men's guts:

And that this lovely woman seems, well, like she's particularly fond of her vegetables!

Posted by Grace Friedan

My people do me proud! A recent article in the National Catholic Worker praises the social and environmental benefits of being vegetarian. Granted, I'm not a Catholic per se, but as a Christian, the Catholic Workers are my favorite siblings. They work for—not just talk about—human rights, in the States and abroad, by putting their feet (and, in this case, their forks) where their faith is. They're also not afraid to take on issues that catch them some heat.

The article goes on to say that the "only diet for a peacemaker is a vegetarian diet," which is what we've been saying for years! I love that the Catholic Workers are owning up to this fact, too, and am hoping that Christians all over will be inspired by this. At PETA, we've got our own Blessed Are the Merciful video, which you can view here.

Of course, almost every religion has its own message of peace that, if you look closely, includes animals. But this article really struck a chord! I always found it a bit insincere that people were comfortable following a faith that preaches love and understanding yet don't blink when it comes to eating those who need exactly that.

I'd love to hear about how you all relate religion and vegetarianism, too, so comment and let me know.

Peace!

Posted by Missy Lane

bp3 / CC

Beyond her heavy-caliber lack of compassion for not realizing that mice can be controlled humanely (like, without the use of firearms in a small enclosed space), this woman gets extra points for managing to shoot two people by accident. Her domestic hunting expedition was cut short when she dropped the Magnum, causing it to fire. The bullet struck her in the kneecap (pwnd!) and went on to graze a nearby man's groin (dbl pwnd!) before ending up in his pocket. Hard to know what to say, really!

I love Fox news, my preferred news source for all things weird, for closing the story by reassuring everyone that "[t]he mice escaped the shooting unharmed."

If you run into this woman on the street, let her know we’ll be happy to send her a humane mousetrap to help her make a better decision next time, just in case her self-inflicted knee-capping wasn’t enough.

Posted by Sean Conner

Pamela Anderson Visits a KFC in Australia

The walking fantasy with a heart of gold is in Australia for the filming of the reality show Big Brother. Earlier today, Pam hand-delivered a copy of her letter to Albert Baladi, managing director of KFC's parent company in Australia, to speechless-but-drooling staff at a local KFC. She also gave the manager a copy of her explicit video—no, not that video…the other startling exposé (narrated by Pam), which reveals that KFC suppliers scald chickens to death in defeathering tanks and use other outdated and cruel gathering and slaughter methods.

In her letter, Pam writes:

I've been in Australia filming Big Brother, in which my housemates and I are confined and sealed off from the outside world, much like the chickens who are crammed inside barns for KFC. Fortunately, I won't be stomped to death, have my legs broken or be scalded to death in a tank of hot water—yet, as PETA's undercover videos have revealed, the chickens raised for KFC's restaurants in Australia often suffer these abuses.

Pam urges Baladi to adopt the same animal welfare standards now applied to chickens killed for KFCs in Canada, which are a result of PETA's campaign and will substantially improve the living and dying conditions of chickens.

And a little eye candy for your day: pictures of Pam in action!

The Scene In Gold Coast

Posted by Grace Friedan

OK, I don't want to brag, but ... ah, heck! If spaying and neutering were an Olympic event (if synchronizing swimming got in, why not?), our SNIP staff would be at the podium holding their gold medals! Move over, Morgan Hamm—you may know a thing or two about the pommel horse, but could you prevent the births of thousands of unwanted cats? We didn't think so.

Yesterday, PETA's SNIPmobile hit a grand slam for homeless cats—completing an outstanding 30 spays/neuters done completely free of charge! These little kings of the urban jungle had the entire day devoted just to their well-being and happiness. And you know what, they were feral—all of 'em.

The SNIPmobile

We did the free sterilizations, although we don't believe most feral cats should be out there at all—in danger, unsocialized, and fearful of humans—because ferals often have to be the James Bonds of the kitty world just to duck and dive past the slew of dangers present in their environment.

Ferals are at risk of being picked up by bunchers for use in disgusting laboratory experiments—in addition to facing the risks posed by cars, extreme weather, diseases such as feline AIDS and feline leukemia, and other animals. And if that's not enough mud to trek through, there's the food situation. Keep multiplying the overwhelming number of ferals born in a colony each year, consider the amount of food available, do the math, and, well ... you get the picture. We did it, however, because cats are better off out there not reproducing than out there having kitties under the pilings.

Until we can do what Switzerland did and make it mandatory for people who want a cat or dog to pass a responsibility test, preventing future litters of kittens—and we're talkin' all kittens here, not just ferals—spaying and neutering is the key way to gain control of the overpopulation nightmare in this country and better protect these animals from harm.

Feral cats certainly don't live the life of champions. But thanks to the compassionate souls working countless hours on our mobile clinic and the people who looked out for them and took them back and forth, these ferals have a few less worries on their plate.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

blacksportsonline / CC

Wonder how Gonzalez has such a knack for saving lives? Well, the 247 lb., 6'5", nine-time Pro Bowl selection eats a diet rich with foods that also spare the animals’ lives—to stay strong he adheres to a mostly vegan diet! How ironic that out of a restaurant full of animal eaters, it was Gonzalez who stepped in and did the "save," huh? If anyone knows where Mr. Hunter is, let's send him a "Vegetarian Starter Kit" so he can learn about some other foods that are less likely to kill him.

Posted by Sean Conner

Gordon Ewy
uanews / CC

First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate Jason Cromer, who won last month's contest by a single vote. I'm so happy to see that the competition was heated last month, and I hope that you'll agree that this month's contestants are equally well matched.

If you love word association, then you're certain to love the conveniently named Michael Weed. His interests include alcohol, morphine, cocaine, ecstacy, and the simian equivalent of HIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, or SIV). And he generously bestows all these wonderful gifts on his monkey friends, who can't fight back.

In one particularly gruesome study funded by the National Institutes of Health, Weed trained monkeys in a basic motor task, infected them with SIV, then checked how they performed the task—while on cocaine. He has also studied SIV in monkeys without going the extra mile of giving them cocaine. One time, for example, he assessed 10 monkeys' performances on memory tests before and after they were infected with SIV. He concluded that his findings matched what was already known from human AIDS patients. Brilliant work, Weed! Even if he'd made stunning new conclusions, would it mean that we should start giving cocaine to people with HIV or that we should warn people with HIV that the white stuff ain't the right stuff?

In another hideous and meaningless study, Weed decided to create opiate dependence in monkeys by giving them a tasty orange-flavored drink spiked with morphine every six hours for several months. Monkey-lovers and M.A.D.D. members alike, please vote for Michael Weed!

If you ever find a pig in cardiac arrest and need to perform CPR, Gordon Ewy would be the man to call. Occupying an endowed chair and serving as director of the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center, Ewy has dedicated much of his life to saving pigs' lives (for a brief while, anyway)—after he induces cardiac arrest in them via asphyxiation or other methods.

Ewy's heart-stopping modus operandi typically involves letting his victims sit at a cardiac standstill for eight minutes or more before trying to resuscitate them via different combinations of "chest compressions and assisted ventilation" (i.e., experimental CPR). The success of his methods is measured by the number of pigs who survive, and the number of surviving pigs who retain full brain function after their near-death experiences. In one particularly revealing experiment, Ewy assessed whether chest compressions using stacked hands or side-by-side hands would significantly affect survival. Lo and behold, they did not.

Who will you vote for? Weed, for his extensive work at creating a nonhuman primate crack house, or Ewy, for his life-threatening, "lifesaving" work on pigs? Leave a comment to let me know!

Posted by Sean Conner

reuters / CC

The little pig, named Zhu Jianqiang or "Strong Pig," was trapped under rubble and emaciated after only eating charcoal and drinking rain water to survive!

In light of the tragic Midwest floods—in which pigs swam for days to get to safety, only to be shot to death, which is just one horror story among so many—the rescue of Strong Pig from the rubble of such a devastating natural disaster is a beautiful glimmer of hope, right? I told you this was heartwarming. These pigs—who were supposed to be slaughtered in two parts of the world where pork is a staple food—desperately struggled for their lives right along with humans, and it leave no doubt as to pigs' commonality with us.

While knowing that this little guy has a safe place to lay his head from now on is reason enough to love this story, I've got to admit to the little kick that I get out of thinking about the folks who view these intelligent beings as no more than "food" getting a glimpse into the human-like quality of their dinner.

Posted by Missy Lane

Let's say that you're South Korean. Let's also say that you're vegetarian. Now, what do you do if you basically sympathize with the sentiments of the tens of thousands of South Koreans who have taken to the streets in recent months to protest the importation of American beef, but you know that concerns over mad cow don't quite capture the whole story? Well, if your name is Kyung-Dam Park, you slip into a fuzzy cow costume, stand outside the South Korean embassy in Manila, and hold a sign that reads, "It's Mad to Eat Meat. Go Vegetarian."

This is what Kyung-Dam Park had to say: "With all the disease directly linked to eating animals, you really have to be mad to eat any meat these days. Going vegetarian is the best thing you can do for your health and animals."

Park's point? While South Koreans' fears about mad cow (the disease that ravages the brain and turns it into Swiss cheese) are well founded, there are lots of other reasons for South Koreans (and everyone else) to keep all meat (from the U.S. or anywhere else) off their plates.

Posted by Grace Friedan

The people from peta2 are hitting the road, just as they do every summer. They're going to concerts, festivals, and all the other things that hip, young people (read: not I) attend. This year, peta2 is rolling out its cutest campaign ever: WOOF!

The idea is pretty simple: Tests show that pigs are actually smarter than dogs, and it's obvious that they can feel complex emotions and experience pain, just as dogs do. So why on earth do folks (rightly) love their dogs so much but turn a blind eye to the pigs who are beaten and butchered on factory farms to make meals for people?

To help the peta2 crew turn heads as they road-trip it across the country, we've gone so far as to get their RV detailed with a sweet (that word is still "in," right?) campaign banner, which is certain to inspire thought—and choruses of "Aww"—from all who see it. If you want to see the RV in real life, check out the peta2 MySpace page to find out when the peta2 road crew will be at a venue near you!

Posted by Sean Conner

gdargaud / CC

So, thanks to all of you who responded to PETA's call to action and contacted the EU about this issue!

That's another 27 countries that will most likely cut ties with an industry that bludgeons and skins baby seals alive. With European ports closed to seal fur, Canada's barbaric annual seal hunt may just come to an end. Kinda makes you want to sing "Another One Bites the Dust," doesn't it?

We are confident that EU leaders are finally starting to turn away from the annual torture of defenseless baby seals on Canada's ice floes each spring just to benefit Canadian fishers. Well, the whole world's watching you now, Canada, and the next move will be yours.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Upset about the torture of bulls, over 60 activists from across the globe, including some Americans, got completely downright naked and protested against the encierro, or the Running of the Bulls, in Pamplona this weekend. Notice any recurring themes in the protest tactics of animal rights folk? That's right! We're pretty good at, ya know, getting noticed.

Lying down near the end of the Running of the Bulls route and dressed only in black underpants with matador barbs protruding from their backs, the activists dramatically highlighted the immense cruelty and suffering that bulls endure. These half-ton animals are chased through crowded, winding, and sometimes rain-slicked streets while runners and spectators hit and taunt them. The bulls often crash to their knees or collide with walls in their panic. It's seriously sad, sick "hey, look at me, I'm a man" stuff that we're dealing with here, folks.

Even though Spain was recently in our good graces for their compassion to apes, the Running of the Bulls is a massive blemish on the country's reputation, and it needs some serious rethinking. Even Spanish TV stations know what's up, and they refuse to air this hideous event. Maybe Pamplona's mayor could learn a lil' somethin'-somethin' from the folks at Red Bull?

For more information, check out RunningOfTheNudes.com, and take a look at the below pictures from the demo.

Posted by Robbie LeBlanc

itvt / CC

Ready for even more good news? HSN has also agreed to donate any furry items leftover at the end of the year to PETA so that we can use them in our anti-fur campaign.

Way to go, HSN!

Although dozens of companies have adopted fur-free policies—including Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and the Gap—some callous companies still insist on using the fur of tortured animals to make their products. One of these companies is ShopNBC. Take a few seconds (literally, like 10 seconds) to send ShopNBC an automated message urging them to follow HSN's lead by dropping fur once and for all.

Posted by Matt Prescott

designofsignage / CC

Enter Weyco, Inc., a healthcare-benefits administration company, which has already insisted that its employees quit smoking because of the impact on their health. The company also refuses to hire smokers. We applaud Weyco's efforts to improve the health of their workforce and suggest they go further. After all, it's clear that eating meat and other animal parts raises the risk of cancer and heart disease, among other health problems. So in addition to the "cancer sticks"—what about the drumsticks?

To that end, our own Linday Rajt, manager of our vegan campaign, dropped Weyco a line. The following is a part of her letter to the company:

To help staff members who currently eat meat transition to a healthy vegetarian diet, we recommend providing all employees with a free, delicious vegetarian lunch every day. Once employees sample tasty meals, like vegetarian shepherd's pie and Buffalo wing-style "chicken" nuggets (meat-free and made from plant protein)—and as they shed unwanted pounds and feel more energetic—they will realize how easy it is to eat healthy foods.

At which point, she offered to send them free copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit." If you don't already have your own copy of the starter kit, go on over to GoVeg.com, and get one free! After all, it's your health at stake!

Posted by Jeff Mackey

As folks fire up their grills, load their children into station wagons bound for fireworks displays, or just go out to the bars in celebration of a day off (that would be me), let's all stop for a moment and take a look-see at some of the hilarious and provocative patriotic ads that PETA has created over the years. I proudly present PETA's top 10 patriotic ads:

10. Obese in the U.S.A.—Go Vegetarian
Just when you were wondering how you could possibly incorporate a Bruce Springsteen reference and some seriously husky butt crack, PETA came to your rescue with this one.

9. I Threw a Party but the Cattlemen Couldn't Come (90's Version)
Sex, sex, and … sausage links?

8. I Threw a Party but the Cattlemen Couldn't Come (New Version)
Sure, it's the same concept, but it's like twenty times hotter. Too bad those cattleman have such busy schedules.

7. We Want You to Go Vegetarian
If the military had used this image on recruitment posters during World War II, the U.S. might very well have conquered the world.

6. Road to the Greenhouse
It feels odd to call puppetry of produce "cute," but I really lean toward saying that it's appropriate in this case. Oh, and don't miss the outtakes!

5. Drill Sergeant Michelle Manhart: I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur
You might remember back when Sargent Manhart made headlines for her spread in Playboy magazine, but we'll always know and love her best for speaking out against fur.

4. We Can Do It (Featuring Playmate Lauren Anderson)
Oh, Rosie! You're absolutely … riveting.

3. and 2. It's a tie!
Did you ever sit through the State of the Union Address and think, "Man, I wish the president would just shut up and bring out a totally naked girl." Well, we decided to help you out with that. If you're at least 18 years old, please check out our State of the Union Undress for 2007 and 2008.

1. Chris P. Carrot for Prez
Remember all the hubbub about counting votes in the 2004 election? When people announced that the race was down to just Kerry and Bush, I thought, "Really? What about Chris P. Carrot?" Though I've been crushed since his defeat, I'm still hopeful that he'll start a last-minute write-in campaign for '08.

Posted by Sean Conner

This morning, The Today Show ran a fluff piece that literally made my skin crawl, and the complaints started pouring into our office—and for good reason! The show glorified alligator "harvesting" and called it the "deadliest catch, Florida-style." By alligator harvesting, they really mean alligator slaughtering, but harvesting sounds just oh-so-much comfier. To wrap your head around what we're saying, check out our own video footage from the "glamorous" world of the alligator harvest, and spot the difference between that and, say, the Vermont apple harvest:

Luckily, we've got some wicked smart and compassionate folks working at PETA, like our Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. Lisa fired off this fantastic letter to Today Show correspondent Kerry Sanders, who covered the story this morning. In the letter, Lisa said, "If people want to buy handbags and shoes made from [alligators'] skins, we think they should know exactly how the animals were killed and what better vehicle than Today?" All too true, Lisa. Hopefully, Today will respond, but until then, check out this compelling ad, and say sayonara to the exotic skins in your closet.

Posted by Christine Dore

Sexy and blogger aren't two words that you often find in the same sentence. That's not to say that there aren't sexy bloggers (and don't forget the vloggers) out there—because there are—but some people still picture those of us who do anything remotely tech related as more homely than hot.

Let's prove them wrong!

PETA here's to bring all you sexy bloggers out of hiding to show the world that we really do exist. So stop checking your Technorati rank or page views for two seconds, and enter our first-ever Sexiest Vegetarian Blogger contest.

No, you don't have to submit a picture of yourself scantily clad or in a provocative pose, and you don't have to look like a wanna-be model who's pretending to be deep in thought. We're just looking for normal vegans and vegetarians who write blogs and—you know—are ridiculously good looking.

Use the form below to nominate yourself or another sexy vegetarian blogger that you know for a shot at the title. The winner will receive a snazzy banner for their blog and a certificate announcing the win. Since I'm a PETA employee, I probably can't enter, so that means someone else out there in the blogosphere still has a chance. But I wouldn't be mad at you for nominating me...

Sorry! The entry round is over. Stay tuned to The PETA Files to learn more about the finalists and winners.

Posted by Amy Cook from the VegCooking Blog

cbc / CC

The ever-lovely Pamela Anderson is back on television, and to the delight of all her fans—including those of us right here at PETA—this time, she'll be playing the person that she knows best: herself! Her documentary series, Pam: Girl On the Loose, premiers August 3 on E!, and it's sure to satiate the needs of gossip queens everywhere.

Pam says, "Aside from keeping up with my kids, I don't exercise much, so I credit my veggie diet for my good health. Los Angeles is the easiest place in the world to eat vegan."

So while you're anxiously waiting for a hugely fun dose of Anderson reality, check out some of Pam's favorite places to eat at in Los Angeles. And if you don't live in the City of Angels, well, don't fret! It doesn't mean your future is full of boring green salads. Just visit HappyCow.net, and search for vegetarian restaurants in your city. Here's the list from Pam herself:

1. Flore Vegan Cuisine
   You've never—even when you ate meat—eaten a Rueben sandwich as rich and yummy as the one Flore cooks up.
   
2. Madeline Bistro
   Beet tartare to beat the band and you don't have to like beets! And vegan chocolate soufflé.
3. Pure Luck Restaurant
   Fried pickles, vegan sloppy joes and BBQ sandwiches. And they cook with jack fruit, which is an amazing fruit they use to make the mock meat tangy.
4. Astro Burger
   Lastly, if you are a fast food junkie you can always count on the Astro Burger on Melrose near Paramount Studios for veggie chili dogs and soy chicken fajitas.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

This is one of my new favorites.

Click for a larger version

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

dailymail / CC

So in an effort to find out if Sharon is cruel because of a brain glitch, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk sent Stone a letter volunteering to "pay for a scan of the prefrontal region of [her] brain to determine if comments and actions that seem to demonstrate a lack of empathy are the result of a physical defect."

Will she respond to the offer? And if so, will we find out that Sharon's thoughtlessness is the result of being dropped as a baby or that she's cruel because the "empathy gene" skipped a generation? And most importantly, will she seek professional medical help if the results show that her cruel mindset is actually a medical problem? We'll keep you posted! ConnieTalk has more on this story and one really fantastic picture!

Posted by Jeff Mackey

I know what you're thinking: There's an upside to rising fuel costs? We won't see it at the fuel pump or in the grocery story, but perhaps there really is a silver lining—and not just for the Saudis and the speculators.

This isn't news to loyal readers of The PETA Files, but fattening and killing animals so that we can eat them is wildly inefficient, to say nothing of gross. It uses up a lot of grain and fuel. With the prices of corn—which makes up 60 percent of turkey feed—and fuel going through the roof, some factory farms and slaughterhouses have started cutting production.

A turkey slaughterhouse in Utah is putting operations on hold for three months, and the turkey breeders, turkey hatcheries, and other operations that supply turkeys to the slaughterhouse will be cutting back on production. Over one million turkeys—"smart animals with personality and character," in the words of Oregon State University poultry scientist Tom Savage—will be saved. Check out the letter that we sent to the farm today asking it to consider stopping turkey production all together!

Here are five more good things about rising fuel costs:

1. Squid fishers suspended fishing for two days to protest rising fuel costs. Don't let any dopey people shrug their shoulders and think, "So what?" When you can, show them this mind-blowing video about squids' satin-smooth seduction moves.


2. Later this month, 230,000 Japanese fisherman will strike over fuel prices. Sushi lovers fear shortages of tuna sushi and sashimi, but vegan sushi is delicious and doesn't require that the seas be fished until they're devoid of all life. Win-win.


3. A rash of gas thefts across the nation might inspire reward money for nabbing criminals caught siphoning gas. Crime is bad. Reward money for catching criminals is good.


4. With airlines now charging for checked bags and soda, there's speculation that they might start charging by weight, which could inspire more people to go vegetarian.


5. And leave it to our friends in Boulder, Colorado, to strip down to the basics and wheel out the fun with a caravan of naked bicyclists. The cyclists' message? Depending too much on oil is nuts.

Her new role in The Wackness is already getting rave reviews, and we couldn't be happier! The Rama's Screen review says, "Every year there's always one independent movie that premieres at Sundance Film Festival that goes on to be the year's most groundbreaking film worthy to compete with other Oscar worthy contenders and for this year, The Wackness is definitely it." Right on, Famke! Ya'll need to get your behinds to your most eclectic lil' indie theatre tomorrow to see this movie!

You probably remember that Famke showed that she deserved a halo and wings for her devotion to her dog Licorice. Both Licorice and Famke appeared in a PETA "Be an Angel for Animals" ad. In the ad, Famke reminded everyone to spay or neuter their companion animals and ensure that they receive proper veterinary care and get plenty of attention and exercise.

Thanks, Famke, for using your beauty in the most attractive way possible! We all wish you the best with The Wackness!

Posted by Robbie LeBlanc

Now imagine the spectators' surprise if the corner was rounded not by tortured animals but by Formula 1 racing cars. The mighty, 600-kilogram (1323-pound) masses of metal are operated by professional drivers who squeal their tires on the cobblestones and maneuver around corners so tightly that spectators are forced to scramble to safety. How freakin' awesome—and better—would that be?

Well, it turns out that that's what actually happened last weekend. Red Bull sponsored an event where two drivers, David Coulthard and Sebastien Bourdais, tore through the streets of Pamplona early on the morning of June 28. They finished the Red Bull Run with car demonstrations in the bullfighting arena and on a 1.2-mile track.

The best feature of this event was that—unlike what happens at that other Running of the Bulls—the drivers who gave chase weren't beaten before the race, and chemicals weren't smeared in their eyes. The drivers were paid, too. Oh yeah—and the drivers weren't stabbed to death afterward, either, which is nice.

You can check out all sorts of details and videos of the rockin' event here.

Posted by Sean Conner

evilbeetgossip / CC

So it was great to read on People.com this morning that the actress and producer is jumping headfirst into the blogging world. And by headfirst, I mean straight into the deep end of animals rights. Hey, we like a girl who gets right down to business!

She mentions her love for her dogs, nonprofit organizations, and Hole in the Paper Sky, a recent short film about the life of a man who is forever changed by the companionship he receives from a laboratory dog. Whether you've seen PETA's video about animal testing or not, Hole in the Paper Sky sounds like a definite tearjerker.

Anyway, Biel is MySpace Celebrity's feature icon, and here's her blog. So while she's mastering the whole blog-lingo thing, I recommend jumping on over there to see what she has to say.

And don't worry, Jessica. There are no blurkers here. ...

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Our very own Pam Anderson has auctioned off her Dodge Viper. Why did she give up this super speedy racer? Because she cares more about real reptiles—and all other exotic animals whose skin is torn from their flesh for fashion. (Don't you love the alliteration bug that I caught today?) Pam has pledged to give the proceeds from the auction to PETA so that we can use the money to inform people who think that they might want a reptile-skin bag about how these amazing animals are treated when they're converted from captivating creatures to cruel clothing. (There I go again!)

Snake skin and alligator skin—heck, all animal skin—were designed for the original occupants' use only. Several thousand years of evolution went into making their scales and hides fit them beautifully—not some misguided fashionista who's going for the "I just got kicked off the island" look.

Posted by Sean Conner

It's a bird! It's a plane! Wait! It's a plane looking to help birds—chickens, to be precise.

Beachgoers flocking (geddit?) to Panama City's crowded beaches had something far more interesting to gawk at this weekend than women in skimpy bikinis, as an airplane hired by PETA flew overhead, towing a banner that read, "Boycott KFC Cruelty."

Now if you've been following PETA campaigns for the last, oh I don't know, 7 years or so, you'd know that this is a huge success considering we spelled all the words right this time around! Way to go, literate banner-manufacturers! (Yes, we got our money back when one banner company misspelled "dangerous")

After reaching a landmark animal welfare agreement earlier last month that will mean better living and dying conditions for all chickens killed for KFCs in Canada (the new faux fried chicken sandwiches offered at most Canadian KFCs are even causing us to celebrate that today is Canada Day), PETA is unleashing its "air force" to turn up the heat on Canadian KFCs' lousy, mean U.S. affiliate. Celebrities from Ryan Gosling and Pam Anderson to Sir Paul McCartney and Russell Simmons have all spoken out against KFC's extreme abuse of chickens, but this is the first time that an airplane has "spoken up" for chickens.

Check out this picture of our superhero for chickens in action!

Posted by Grace Friedan

You might remember when we broke the news back in December about our undercover investigation at a pig farm in Garland, North Carolina, owned by Murphy Family Ventures, which supplies pig meat to Smithfield Foods. Murphy Family Ventures workers were documented cutting off piglets' tails and pulling out piglets' testicles without any pain relief, among other abuses. You might also remember that at least one employee at the pig farm was fired in response to our investigation. Well, this story just keeps on progressing in the right direction—and that's the way we like it!

Thanks to PETA's undercover work and follow-up, criminal charges have been filed against one of the workers employed by the farm during the undercover investigation.

That worker faces six misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals for actions documented by PETA's investigator, including dragging pigs by the ear, striking a pig in the face with a handling board, and poking a pig in the eyes with his fingers. If he returns to North Carolina from out-of-state, a second worker will face one count of cruelty to animals for also dragging a pig by the ear. FoxNews.com has a great article with more details on the investigation, and you can view footage from the investigation below.

I have to say, it's great to see that the officials who are presiding over the case are taking this one seriously—as seriously, in fact, as they would a case that involved a sadistically tortured dog or cat. And rightfully so: Just like dogs and cats, pigs have the ability to feel pain. And if someone just happened to say that a pig is smarter than a dog or a three-year-old child, well, he or she would be right.

It's about time that these pigs—whose suffering and misery PETA has caught on film—finally get some justice. This case sends a message loud and clear to factory farms and slaughterhouses that cruelty to farmed animals will not be tolerated and that violations of animal welfare laws will have consequences such as, oh, say—a court date.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky