Last Sunday, Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams ecstatically extended his middle fingers as he rejoiced in his team's victory against the Buffalo Bills—and later paid a titanic fine of $250,000.

Who knew that giving the bird could be so expensive?!

Lucky for Adams, we've got a bird for him to give that costs nothing and saves lives. We're sending him one of our newest McCruelty T-shirts and asking him to flip it to an opponent who's much more offensive than any of his football rivals.

Did we mention that he doesn't even have to lift a finger?

McDonald's allows its suppliers to break the wings and legs of chickens, cut their throats while they're still conscious, and scald them to death in defeathering tanks. Chickens continue to suffer these abuses despite the fact that there is a less cruel method of slaughter available. Who wouldn't flip at the chance to give the one-finger salute on behalf of birds who can't do it themselves?

Posted by Logan Scherer

It's not like I don't already watch Bones religiously, but I'm definitely tuning in for this week's episode, in which our intrepid heroes, Brennan and Booth, try to get to the bottom of the murder of a chicken factory farmer. The main suspects are the farmer's neighbors—who are no doubt not terribly keen about living next door to a stinky, putrid factory farm—and animal rights activists. Considering, however, that the show's star, Emily Deschanel, actually is an animal rights activist, I have a feeling we won't be dealt with too harshly.

In the past, Bones has done a great job of exposing the cruelty of dogfighting and horse slaughter, so I'm hoping that the producers will manage to squeeze in some of the factory farm and slaughterhouse footage that we sent them for this episode. It would be pretty cool for the millions of Bones fans to get a look inside a typical factory farm.

Set your DVR: "The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek at the action in this slideshow:

Bones: Episode 5.06 "The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken" Photos

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Oh, South Park. So irreverent, yet poignant! Consider last night's Whale Wars parody, in which Stan takes Captain Paul Watson's place in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and steps up the conservationists' campaign in a way only possible through cartoon violence. (Yes, there were explosions.)

Amidst the world's rightful outcry at the injustice of whaling, Stan fights the good fight—protecting whales from senseless slaughter—and along the way finds out the real reason why the Japanese government thinks it's A-OK to attack beloved marine life.

More commentary—with spoilers—after the jump.

The ideal conditions for a "naked" pro-veggie demo include warm weather, a morning show interview with a vegetarian host, hordes of onlookers and media, and volunteers willing to take on—or off—anything to ensure success. Oh, and a super-friendly cop who calls afterwards to say "Thanks!" for putting on a great show.

Those stars aligned for PETA's Amanda Fortino and "naked" volunteers during a stop in San Diego this week.

These are "Grade A" volunteers. They remained so still during the event that some onlookers inched closer to see if they were breathing.

Finish the caption: The photographer in front is wondering _____________.

Our meat trays were a reminder that those neatly wrapped packages of flesh at the supermarket are body parts of cows, pigs, chickens and other animals who suffered terribly on factory farms before they were killed.

Posted by Karin Bennett

I thought that getting Tom Cruise to squirm uncomfortably during the premiere of The Jay Leno Show would be the program's most misguided attempt at "fun." Wrong.

Apparently, Jay Leno's stint as a teenage employee under the Golden Arches got execs at NBC and McDonald's thinking that the talk show host should feature a month-long promo for the fast-food giant on his new program.

With the news that McCruelty is slated for some prime-time exposure, out came PETA's "chickens." They greeted audiences lining up for yesterday's taping of The Jay Leno Show with news that McDonald's refuses to adopt an improved slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK). McDonald's American suppliers still use an archaic killing method that causes countless birds to suffer broken wings and broken legs, have their throats cut while they're still conscious, and be scalded to death. Even McDonald's own advisers agree that the company should eliminate the worst abuses by switching to CAK, which is already used by McDonald's European suppliers.

It looks like someone's trying to start a conga line, doesn't it?

Ever the optimists, we're crossing our fingers in the hope that Mr. Leno will use his influence to convince McDonald's to help billions of birds.

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by Karin Bennett

uglybettynews / CC

Ana Ortiz—the award-winning actor of Ugly Betty fame—is just as awesome in person as she is in character as Hilda Suarez. Case in point? She's just written a letter to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—urging the group not to partner with McDonald's for any future events.

NCLR's 2009 conference was sponsored by the dreaded McDonald's, and Ana's letter points out that slaughterhouse workers (many of whom are Hispanic immigrants) are poorly paid, usually receive no medical benefits, and face dismal working conditions. As Ana writes in the letter, "McDonald's has no regard for animals or for the people who are paid an unfair wage to kill them." To that end, she's asking NCLR to join PETA in urging McDonald's to switch to a less cruel slaughter method that would improve conditions for both chickens and workers.

Our thanks go out to Ana. You can read the rest of her letter here.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

With Yom Kippur just around the corner, we'd like to urge all our Jewish readers to speak out against the killing of chickens for kapporos.

Kapporos is a sacrificial ritual that takes place on the eve of Yom Kippur. This ritual is sometimes performed by swinging a live chicken around the head three times and then slaughtering the terrified, abused bird. In Brooklyn alone, 50,000 chickens are killed every year during kapporos ceremonies.

Rabbi Joseph Karo, who composed the Shulchan Aruch (an important codification of Jewish law), wrote that killing an animal for kapporos is "a foolish custom."

Using money instead of live chickens to perform the kapporos ritual is an acceptable substitute for outdated chicken sacrifices, which all compassionate Jews should condemn.

After all, you can't expect forgiveness and mercy when you have blood on your hands.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

aceshowbiz / CC

Kevin's been given a new start on life. Wouldn't it endear him to millions of people if he were to extend that same second chance to those in need—say, to chickens who were abused on factory farms?

We're asking Kevin to donate part of his prize money to a farmed-animal sanctuary to help care for chickens abused by the meat and egg industries. Kevin has the opportunity to give chickens the chance to enjoy all the things that they were denied on factory farms, such as building nests, caring for their young, and enjoying the company of their flock.

We also sent him a congratulatory present, of course: a package of Boca Chik'n Patties. Delicious!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

As a PETA blogger, I know that male chicks in the egg industry are simply discarded and killed—but knowing about it didn't make watching it any easier.

This new footage from an undercover investigation by Mercy for Animals shows workers at an Iowa hatchery killing 150,000 newborn male chicks every single day.

Chicks born at hatcheries are sent off to slaughter the very day they take their first breath. The only lives these babies know is one in which they are sorted and handled like pieces of garbage. Workers grab them by their wings, toss them onto conveyor belts, and throw them down a chute to spend their final moments in a grinding machine—in which they are ground up while they are still alive.

All this is standard procedure, widely accepted at commercial hatcheries and within the bounds of animal welfare laws. The egg industry considers male chicks to be useless because they don't lay eggs and can't be raised profitably for meat. Their sisters are not exactly lucky to remain alive.

For anyone who thinks that eating eggs doesn't kill animals, millions of male chicks each year are born in hatcheries and promptly thrown into the blades of giant garbage disposals.

Egg-free recipes, anyone?

Posted by Heather Drennan

KFC has just started test-marketing a new "sandwich" that is sure to have customers beating down its doors (sarcasm alert).

I'm going to ignore for now that countless pigs, cows, and chickens will suffer for this sucker (and I'm betting that the "secret" in the sauce is crushed ducklings).

Instead, I'm going to bring to your attention its nutritional value—or lack thereof. While KFC won't release the Double Down's fat and calorie stats, there's plenty of speculation. The Vancouver Sun's educated "guess-timate" is that "this one menu item can be estimated to supply more than the daily recommended allowance in fat (124%), saturated fat (117%), cholesterol (105%), sodium (125%) and protein (194%), as well as 61% of your daily recommended calorie intake" and "compares closely to the fat, salt and calorie totals of three McDonalds Big Macs put together …."

In other words, eating a Double Down makes Russian Roulette look like child's play.

What happened to KFC being the "better-for-you option for health-conscious customers"? Its carcinogenic grilled chicken wasn't much better, but this oozing pile of grease just screams, "We're out to kill you." Keep up the genius marketing, KFC. You're doing our job for us.

Posted by Karin Bennett

What happens when a demented Ronald McDonald sits down with one of television's most befuddling interviewers? Visitors to Will Ferrell’s FunnyOrDie.com are finding out today. A bizarre PETA video just debuted featuring Martin Short’s Jiminy Glick character grilling a "fried" Ronald McDonald (Andy Dick) about the company’s slaughter practices.

While I'm excited about PETA's first FunnyOrDie exclusive (so much so that I'm going to get down on my knees and beg you to vote "Funny"), I'm even more thrilled that The PETA Files has the exclusive on the bonus feature.

So gather your senses after watching the full-length on FunnyOrDie and check out this little "bonus feature" for some more outré commentary from Ronald "They're Just Animals" McDonald.

Now doesn't that just make you want to head over to Facebook and join our "Not eating McDonald's" fan page?

Posted by Joel Bartlett

But you, McDonald's, with that scary clown pimping your packages of abused and bruised chickens—you always ensure a very unhealthy, unhappy meal.

For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, we're giving away 10 of PETA's spoof "Unhappy Meals." Each "meal" contains a "blood"-filled packet with a message urging Mickey D's to "Ketchup With the Times," a paper cutout of a menacing Ronald McDonald with PETA's parody "i'm hatin' it" logo, a "bloody" plastic chicken, and a "McCruelty" T-shirt wrapped up to resemble a sandwich. It's a chicken defender's best weapon in the campaign to wipe out the fast-food giant's suppliers' worst abuses of countless birds.

Score yours by telling us about the vegetarian meal at your favorite fast-food joint or other restaurant that makes your belly the happiest.

The contest ends on August 26, 2009, and we'll choose 10 of the most tempting vegetarian meals on August 28, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you'll be agreeing to both by commenting.

Good luck!

Posted by Karin Bennett

Remember this?

Hot, right? Well, we have one more stellar Jenna ad to add to her ever-growing body of work with PETA. The super-sexy star just shot a new TV ad in support of our McCruelty campaign, and it will be hitting the airwaves this fall!

In the 30-second spot, Jenna says, "If you ask chickens, there's no such thing as a 'Happy Meal.' Chickens killed for McNuggets are dumped onto conveyer belts. Their fragile legs are slammed into metal shackles. … Spinning blades meant to cut their throats often tear through their wings or bodies instead. Many birds survive this terrifying, painful process, only to be scalded to death in defeathering tanks. There's a less cruel method of slaughter that renders chickens unconscious, but McDonald's chooses to allow birds to be mutilated and scalded instead."

Stay tuned!

Posted by Shawna Flavell

This New Yorker usually steers clear of Midtown, thanks to the crowds, the horse-drawn carriages, and Macy's.

But I'm willing to ride the jam-packed Q to Times Square because I'm excited to see PETA's eye-popping McCruelty posters, which features an illustrated eye of a chicken who's been scalded to death and have been plastered all over Midtown. These posters are a follow-up to last week's Chi-town light show and are meant to pressure McDonald's to implement new slaughterhouse technology that would eliminate the worst abuses of chickens killed for McNuggets.

If you're like me, you're wondering where our eye-catching ad will show up next. Maybe on a huge banner draped over the St. Louis Arch? Share your suggestions in the comments section below.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Members of the lunch crowd at a McDonald's in Providence, Rhode Island, probably weren't expecting to be greeted by a giant "chicken" bearing "Unhappy Meals" when they headed out on their lunch breaks. But hardly anyone could resist the lure of our chicken, and word is that almost every driver stopped to talk with the big bird and his posse. Many people even went elsewhere for lunch once they learned how countless chickens are forced to suffer painful broken bones, bruises, and scalding—while they're still alive—at slaughterhouses run by McDonald's suppliers.

None of this chicken's relatives were harmed in the making of our "Unhappy Meals."

It's hard to tell by her shocked face if she's opening one of our "Unhappy Meals" or a far more gruesome McNugget box.

I'm not sure what a "Brownie Meit" is, but I'm sticking with Allison's Gourmet's vegan Brownie of the Month, regardless.

Demonstrators are revved up to distribute leaflets all summer long. Get in on the action and help bring McDonald's to its knees. Sign up for our Action Team today!

Posted by Karin Bennett

PETA is poised to take the mic on Wednesday to speak in behalf of chickens at McDonald's shareholder meeting in Oakbrook, Illinois. We're all set to grill CEO Jim Skinner and plan on asking him to change the way that his restaurants' suppliers slaughter birds by switching to controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK), a less cruel slaughter method.

For years, we've tried to convince McDonald's to require its suppliers to use CAK, which would eliminate some of the worst abuses suffered by the millions of chickens who are turned into McNuggets every year. But despite our efforts, the company still refuses to implement CAK.

After the meeting at 12 noon, we'll lead a protest at a nearby McDonald's restaurant, during which two PETA members will soak in "bloody" water to draw attention to the fact that many chickens at slaughterhouses that supply McDonald's are boiled alive in scalding-hot water.

If you live in the Chicago area, feel free to join the festivities!

Posted by Karin Bennett

There was no love lost between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings as they battled on the ice last night in game three of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but there was love in the stands during intermission when Jason Levy asked his girlfriend, Nicole Hughes, to marry him.

But wait—there's more! While the couple's special moment was rolling live on the stadium's huge screen, Jason surprised the audience when he held up a sign reading, "McDonald's Breaks Birds' Wings and Legs."

Jason jumped at the perfect opportunity to tell thousands of people that the fast-food giant refuses to alleviate the suffering of the chickens killed for its restaurants by adopting an improved slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing." Currently, birds killed for McDonald's are grabbed by their legs and slammed upside-down into shackles, and many are still conscious when their throats are cut and they are immersed in scalding water.

So, to sum up: First, PETA Foundation staffer Alex Bury and her then-fiancé Jack Norris got hitched at a KFC restaurant in Toronto to celebrate the introduction of a faux chicken sandwich at most Canadian KFC outlets. Then, Jason Levy spotlights McDonald's cruelties to birds in his marriage proposal.

Anybody else have any ideas for the "fast-food cruelty nope-tials" (ouch) tour?

Posted by Karin Bennett

For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, we're calling out Colonel Sanders for Kentucky Fried Cruelty! As you know from our Super Chick Sisters game and The Roost Web series, the farms that supply the Colonel's KFC restaurants raise and kill chickens in horribly cruel conditions. Birds raised for KFC are forced into filthy cages and sheds and are sometimes scalded alive while they are still conscious. It takes a pretty awful mindset to be responsible for this kind of cruelty, so we created an evil Colonel bobblehead figurine to reflect KFC's true nature.

How do you win? Post a comment about what you'd say to Colonel Sanders if he were still around. I know it's difficult, but keep it PG-13 so that we can make sure your comment gets approved. The five people who post the most creative answers will each win a Colonel Sanders bobblehead.

The contest ends on April 29, 2009, and we'll contact the winners on May 1, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

Credit: Star Max Inc.

We’ve seen tons of stories and photos of Miley Cyrus stopping on the side of the road to rescue strays. So we weren't one bit surprised when we found out that she had rescued some chickens from the set of her new flick, Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Apparently, Miley fell in love with one of the chickens on the movie set and decided to take her and several others home because, according to the article, she thought "they were sad to be working." (Awww, of course they were―animals aren't actors!) The article also alludes to the fact that she may be asked to go naked for one of our campaigns—um, no. She's underage, for goodness' sake! Not that we wouldn't LOVE for her to star in any ad for PETA—Miley, in case you're reading this, we think you'd make a beautiful "Angel for Animals"!

When we find out about celebs (or anyone!) who do nice things for animals, we like to acknowledge it, so PETA is giving Miley Cyrus our Compassionate Citizen Award.

Posted by Patricia Trostle

In our fight to get KFC to enact minimal welfare standards for the more than 350 million chickens slaughtered for its U.S. restaurants each year, our supporters have helped us choose billboards and dressed up like the Colonel for Halloween. Now we'd like to ask your help with an even bigger task.

We're filing a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking it to take action against KFC for the chain's deliberately deceptive and unfair statements to consumers about the treatment of chickens raised and killed for its buckets and boxes. KFC allows its suppliers to house chickens in crowded sheds—with waste on the floor so thick that the ammonia burns the chickens' skin, feet, eyes, and throats. It allows its suppliers to use a slaughter method in which birds' throats are cut while they are still conscious. A company like that should not be allowed to claim a "commitment to animal welfare."

Please, take the time now to file your own, polite complaint with the FTC about KFC’s false claims of humanity and send this video to 10 friends so they can see just how "humane" KFC chicken really is.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

If you've kept up with our campaigns, you're well aware of the horrors of the factory farms and slaughterhouses that supply chickens to greasy fast-food joints such as KFC and McDonald's. After learning about the cruelty that goes into making every "Happy Meal" (more like Unhappy Meal), some PETA members took to the streets to turn the tables on old Ronald.

Check out these photos, and then send a letter to McDonald's and let officials there know that you won't stand for any more McCruelty.

Finally, the chicken gets revenge. He's boiling mad that his brothers were scalded alive.

So, Ronald, how does it feel to be on the other end of the knife? The chickens aren't too happy about it either.

Posted by Lianne Turner

The design for our pothole ad, which doesn't promote torturing chickens

KFC even hired a Colonel Sanders lookalike for the kickoff of the program in its hometown of Louisville.

KFC might concentrate instead on improving conditions for the chickens it abuses, but it won't, so we're offering to double the money that KFC offered the City of Louisville—if the city will use our ads against KFC cruelty on its potholes instead. After all, drivers have a right to hear the chickens' side of the story—and it isn't pretty.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Our McCruelty campaign has been raging on for about a month now, with no word from McDonald's about improving welfare standards for the animals killed for its restaurants. But since when has a little resistance stopped us? That said, we think it's the perfect time to kick the campaign up a notch, don't you agree?

Our latest efforts have us thinking big—as in billboard big. Check it out:

We plan to place the eye-opening billboard in select cities across the country. We're certain it will have motorists seeing red once they learn that the biggest seller of chicken meat in the country refuses to compel its suppliers to switch to a better slaughter method.

Contrary to what Ronald would like consumers to believe, it's not all Happy Meals and hamburger patches under the golden arches. Far from it.

Please take action now by urging McDonald's to support only suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing.

I know if I were a parent, I certainly wouldn't allow my child to visit the home of a scary giant-shoe–wearing clown with blood on his hands. But that's just me.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Just as David Novak, CEO of KFC's parent company, Yum!, stepped up to address a crowd of Louisville business owners yesterday, two animal rights activists entered the stage, commandeered the mic, and told the assembled captains of Kentucky industry that "David Novak tortures animals," a reference to the millions of chickens who have their wings and legs broken in shackles and transport crates and are scalded alive (among other abuses) by KFC suppliers because KFC won't take any action to stop it.

The women were removed by security, but their words had already caught the attention of reporters and was front-page news on the Louisville Courier-Journal's Web site.

Consummate "suit" that he is, Novak proceeded by leading the crowd in the "Yum! cheer" (which we assume is not to be confused with the Bronx cheer that KFC so richly deserves).

Novak also—presumably with a straight face—told the crowd that he rewards outstanding employees with rubber chickens. I'm not making that up. "It does not take a lot of money to give away a rubber chicken," he said. It wouldn't take a lot of money for KFC to implement the minimal animal welfare standards we've asked for, but that's not of any interest to him. Who came up with this business model—Stalin?

We have some lovely shots of PETA protesters outside the event. Check it:

Posted by Alisa Mullins

scienceblogs / CC

Of course, the museum would also promote compassion for animals and educate people about the suffering endured by the 9 billion chickens who are killed for food every year. What better job is there for a former factory-farm worker than to educate others about how wonderful chickens really are?

Most people don't realize that chickens are sensitive animals who are as intelligent as cats, dogs, and even primates. Probably the coolest thing that you didn't know (but would if you visited our proposed museum) is that mother hens actually cluck to their unborn chicks, who chirp back to their mothers and to one another from within their shells!

Oh, and did I mention that the museum would also include a fancy restaurant with an array of delicious vegetarian options and would offer free plush chickens to all kids under 12? Post a comment to let Gov. Jindal know that you'll be booking your ticket to Farmerville as soon as the museum is up and running.

Posted by Liz Graffeo

It should be no surprise to regular readers of this blog that we keep an eye on happenings at KFC, so this caught our eye: According to news reports, the manager of a KFC in Manchester, New Hampshire, received a hoax phone call from someone who claimed to be from KFC's corporate offices and told her to test the fire-suppression system. When she did so, she and two staffers preparing sandwiches were coated with a chemical powder that is a respiratory irritant. Authorities were summoned, who took the unfortunate trio to the hospital for decontamination.

Just a couple of observations:

1. Even without being doused with firefighting chemicals, KFC's chicken sandwiches are already contaminated.



2. Pulling a dangerous hoax on unsuspecting people is cruel, but it's much less cruel than what KFC does to chickens.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

As the Midwest's snowy winter drags on, PETA beauties have been heating things up. They recently flocked to a KFC in Champaign, Illinois, to tell customers the "naked" truth about how cold-hearted KFC abuses chickens. After hearing the gruesome details, I think it's safe to say that many would-be customers were seriously thinking about flying north to one of the KFCs in Canada that sell the delicious faux chicken sandwich.

Check out these pictures of the demonstration and tell us what you think:

Posted by Liz Graffeo

claytonguiltner / CC

Well, Quiznos has just taken its first major step. We've been working quietly with the company for about a year, talking about the importance of animal welfare reforms to improve the lives and deaths of the animals killed for its products. Now, Quiznos has officially moved forward. It will do the following:

• Begin phasing in the purchase of eggs from suppliers that don't cage their hens, starting with 5 percent by next year


• Begin phasing in the purchase of pig meat from suppliers that don't confine pregnant sows to barren, metal "gestation crates" (causing extreme physical and psychological trauma), starting with 15 percent by 2012


• Begin phasing in the purchase of turkeys killed using a less cruel slaughter method called "controlled atmosphere killing" (CAK), starting with 5 percent by the end of 2009


• Give purchasing preference to suppliers using these less cruel production methods, including chicken suppliers that switch to CAK

Quiznos has also removed the eggs entirely from three of its four cookies. (Unfortunately, they still aren't vegan, but this will still prevent thousands of hours of suffering for laying hens).

These reforms mark the first steps forward for Quiznos, and we wish those companies resisting change would at least make similar moves (come on Subway, what are you waiting for?). That said, not eating animals (or their eggs or milk) is still the best way to help them. So while it is terrific that pigs, chickens, and turkeys will now suffer less for some of Quiznos' products, I'll stick with those veggie subs.

Posted by Matt Prescott

We've all seen those transport trucks whiz by us with little regard for the safety of the animals jostled about inside, often struggling to stay on their feet on the slippery floors. It's horrible enough that these animals are headed for the slaughterhouse, but many people don't realize that millions of animals each year die when they are trampled or succumb to untreated illnesses before they even reach that awful destination.

The numbers are heartbreaking, but they're no surprise when you factor in the abuse these animals face: Workers routinely poke pigs with electric prods and beat them—sometimes on the snout with baseball bats, breaking their noses. Birds are often thrown into the holding space, resulting in broken bones and wings. Animals are piled on top of each other with no room to turn around, and no food or water is given to them during transport. The sheer number of animals crammed into the cargo containers can cause some to suffocate, especially in the heat. During the summer months, temperatures inside the metal fixtures are sweltering, and during the winter months, the animals have almost no protection from the wind, ice, and snow. Many pigs actually freeze to the sides of the trucks in winter.

Truck drivers can be reckless and absentminded, putting both the animals and humans in danger. Transport truck accidents like this one are common. If an animal is lucky, he or she might escape injury and be able to flee and avoid the slaughterhouse forever, but most are not so fortunate. These accidents are horrifying for animals who are injured—often they are simply reloaded onto another truck to continue the journey to the slaughterhouse.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

In case you don't happen to be a regular reader of the Journal of Infection and Public Health, a recent study found that driving behind trucks taking chickens to slaughter could expose the car's occupants to the aforementioned deadly bacteria. And not just any bacteria. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

You see, chickens (like other animals raised and killed for food) spend their short lives living in filth. By which I mean they stand around in sh—um, sheds. Filled with their own feces. This makes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. And to keep the chickens from dying horribly from infections before they can be killed horribly at the slaughterhouse, the poor birds are pumped full of antibiotics, giving rise to—you guessed it!—bacteria that can't be killed by antibiotics.

OK, so the poor chickens are crammed into open crates that are loaded onto a flatbed truck. The wind blows over them (half-freezing them in winter) and also carrying the germ-laden feces into the air. And if you're traveling behind the truck … well, you do the math.

Now, of course, the best way to prevent this health hazard would be to stop using chickens for food—something you can help along by going vegetarian. But, so long as people continue to eat birds, we think they should be aware of the risks. Since the study was done in the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia region, we're urging officials in those states to post signs on roads and trucks to warn motorists of the dangers.

Still, even if you live in the balmier parts of the world, you might want to drive with your windows up and no outside air flow until all this, uh … blows over.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

As I'm sure you are already aware, today is World Farm Animals Day! It's a good time for all of us to remember the pain that many farmed animals go through every day for human consumption, but it's also a good time to remember the joy that animals bring to our lives. In light of this holiday, we are hosting Kentucky Fried Cruelty demonstrations all over the country to encourage people to think about how their meal choices affect the environment—and the pain that meat-based diets inflict on farmed animals.

We're hoping that the demos today will really make people think, but it's not the first time we've donned chicken suits and sat in scalding tanks to make the public aware that KFC tortures birds and that chickens are intelligent, wonderful animals who feel pain and fear for their lives just like dogs and cats.

Please check out our slideshow of KFC demos from around the world and leave a comment to tell us which is your favorite picture! If you haven't yet, please order a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit." World Farm Animals Day is the best time to take that first step!

Posted by Christine Doré

Staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning to catch your fave Olympians go for the gold in Beijing? That's cool. But what's even cooler is the fact that the best athletes in the world can be found in the animal kingdom, not the Olympic Village. If the Summer Olympics were open to all of the planet's species, humans probably wouldn't even have a shot at medaling—especially if they had to compete against these top five animal athletes:

5. Cows. Natural track and field stars, cows have been known to hurdle a 6-foot fence to escape from a slaughterhouse and trot 7 miles to reunite with calves sold at auction.

4. Ants. Known for their Herculean strength, ants can lift 20 times their own body weight. That's the equivalent of a 200-pound weightlifter bench pressing 4,000 pounds!

3. Cheetahs. The fastest land animal, cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. Able to accelerate faster than a Ferrari, cheetahs can go from 0 to 68 miles per hour in just 3 seconds.

2. Sharks. Frightfully fast, sharks are excellent swimmers thanks to scales covered with tiny teeth that enable water to flow smoothly over their bodies. Hoping to reduce drag and increase speed, many Olympic swimmers are now sporting swimsuits modeled after shark skin.

1. Chickens. Chickens know how to bend it like Beckham. Give a small round object to a group of chickens, and they'll happily pass it around, much like they're playing soccer.

Yep, chickens. Take that, all you live-animal markets! Speaking of China not exactly giving a cluck about animal protection (see also: fur farms), I say that we honor the true Olympic spirit of friendship and fair play by treating all animals like gold.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

You know what it's like—you get started with something, thinking you'll have just this one or do it just this once, and then you think, "One more wouldn't hurt, right?" And before you know it, it's all out of hand.

Of course, when I do it, I end up eating half a package of Newman-Os, not egging 400 people's houses and cars.

That's right—a couple in Pennsylvania have recently been charged with perpetrating an 18-month "egging spree" that resulted in $7,000 worth of damage.

This news article explains that the couple started egging because they "wanted to retaliate against friends for damages they said were inflicted upon them" but moved on to other targets to avoid suspicion.

Hate to break it to you (geddit?), but 400 targets might arouse a little suspicion, don't you think?

Now, the county's district attorney is urging the victims of the spree to come forward, saying, "We have an obligation under the law to seek to make them whole and to get restitution for them."

Sure, the people who had to wash their cars and hose down their driveways deserve "restitution." But let's take this further: What is washing your car compared to being crammed into battery cages and having your beak cut off with a hot wire?

When you think about it that way, aren't the hens the number one victims here?

We think that all the victims of this crime deserve restitution. For this reason, we've written a letter to the DA with a logical suggestion: It takes up to 34 hours for a hen to produce a single egg, and during that time, she isn't watching TV—she's crammed into a cage that doesn't allow her to take a step or stretch one wing, and she has to balance on wire and do her business on the backs of other birds. If the DA has an "obligation" to "get restitution" for the victims of this crime, wouldn't justice best be served by sentencing the perpetrators to 34 hours of community service in a vegan soup kitchen or doing bird rescues for each egg wasted? We think so!

Check out our letter to the DA:

The USDA just completed an investigation of a Butterball turkey slaughterhouse in Arkansas that confirmed PETA's findings of intentional cruelty to animals, including punching, kicking, and tormenting turkeys destined for slaughter. So what happens next? Well, not much, as far as the law’s concerned: Because there simply aren’t any federal legal protections for chickens and turkeys. None. The only thing that can be done is to take matters into our own hands and put pressure on places like Butterball to make changes that will benefit the animals they profit from. And, more importantly, boycott these companies by going vegetarian. Here’s the video of the Butterball supplier’s abuses:

Posted by Christine Dore

It's not too often that you hear about a chicken who is the center of attention rather than the center of a dinner plate. That's why I was so psyched to run across this article about Mr. Joy. A therapy chicken who visits assisted-living centers around Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr. Joy totally digs it when people pet and coo over him. And from the sound of it, people totally dig this cock-a-doodle dude too!

Also a patron of the arts and an animal rights activist (I kid you not), Mr. Joy and his adopted mom, Alisha Tomlinson, are on a mission not only to spread cheer but also to spread the message that chickens are smart, interesting animals who don't deserve to be turned into nuggets.

In fact, when he's not working the rest-home circuit or kicking it with his two wives in their spacious coop condo; he can usually be found in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. Sticking up for all his fallen peeps who have been abused, butchered, battered, and thrown into buckets, Mr. Joy charms the crowd from the safety of the car while his mom hands out leaflets about factory farming.

Want more Joy? Check out his Web site here. On a more comical note, check out a video showing Mr. Joy getting the beauty-shop treatment below:

-Amy

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

Remember when your mom would tell you that you should finish your food because there were kids in China who were going to bed hungry? Well, it turns out that moms in the U.K. never told their kids that—or the kids just plain didn't listen. Earlier this month, the U.K.-based Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) reported that a lot of food—much of it unopened and not yet expired—gets tossed by U.K. consumers.

Perfectly good bread, potatoes, vegetables, baked goods, and packaged meals wind up in British landfills. Also on the list: 1.5 million (yes, million) single-serving containers of yogurt and 5,500 whole chickens (yes, five thousand and five hundred whole chickens on Styrofoam trays and wrapped in plastic) get discarded every single day in the U.K.

Now, I don't consider the corpse of an animal to be food. I don't want that suffering anywhere near my plate. But the fact that there are people who will unthinkingly buy what in essence is misery wrapped in plastic and then throw away that misery without a second thought pretty much makes me lose my lunch (and breakfast and dinner).

I remember reading once that in commercial egg operations, it can take a hen 34 hours to lay a single egg. I would see a plate of half-eaten scrambled eggs left by a diner in a restaurant or a recipe that called for just part of an egg with the rest presumably discarded, and I would wonder how many hours of suffering were represented in that waste.

There are oceans of misery and oceans of indifference, but with all our teaspoon acts of kindness and mercy, we might just be the change that this world needs.

—Grace

Posted by Grace Friedan, Researcher

Sometimes it’s kind of hard for people to make the connection between their pets and the animals they eat, so here are some masks our Production department made to help with that. What do you think?

Do you really need a letter from PETA and an official ban from your school administration to figure out what's wrong with throwing live chickens onto a basketball court during a game? In the case of the moronic Kansas State fans who did exactly that during a game against rivals KU, the answer, of course, is yes, and despite my tone of outraged disbelief, I can't honestly say I'm all that surprised. Especially given the attitude of KU Coach Bill Self, whose reaction to watching animal abuse take place in front of him was that he was glad he didn’t get hit by a chicken himself:

"My first year here one of them hit me. I'm glad we were on the other side of the court this year. It didn't upset me. That's tradition here that's gone on many years, I guess."

The good news is that, after receiving a letter from PETA, Kansas State has banned this tradition, and the story has received a lot of positive pickup in sports press. But seriously, how embarrassing is it to attend a school where your handbook has to have a whole section devoted to explaining why you shouldn't throw chickens at people?

The high school I went to was a small Catholic school in DC called St. Anselm's Abbey School, which was run by Benedictine monks. Although it was pretty stressful academically—and kind of traumatizing that there were no girls there—the experience was one of the best of my life, in no small part because of the powerful example of wisdom and kindness that all of the monks provided, both in their teaching and in their daily life. (I also really liked the fact that we had a ping pong table in our senior lounge, but that's a different story.) But the point here is, as those of you who have seen the huge breaking investigation on the front page of our website will have guessed, that my personal experience with the genuine compassion that's a fundamental part of the Catholic monastic tradition has made it even more difficult for me to try to comprehend the tragic blindness to horrifying cruelty that is shown by the monks at the Mepkin Abbey, who run an egg factory farm to fund their South Carolina monastery.

One of the worst parts of this video for me is when a monk compares the process of forced molting to a fast that he and his brethren practice to show their devotion to God. The difference—for the benefit of any Mepkin Abbey monks who happen to be reading this—is that a fast is a voluntary religious practice, while forced molting is an excruciating torture in which chickens who are already crammed together in cages so small that they barely have room to spread their wings are starved for up to two weeks to shock their bodies into another laying cycle.

Before I get too carried away here, the point I want to make is that, while torturing birds is particularly reprehensible when you find out that the people who are doing it should damn well know better (because, for instance, they're monks, for God's sake), the truth is that most of the horrific practices documented in our investigation are industry standard. If you're looking for something to give up this Lent, please think seriously about giving up eggs. You can always give up chocolate next year.