rightpundits / CC

Thanks to PETA's investigation and the great job done by Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, officials, Holly Crawford—the woman who disfigured several kittens in hopes of selling them as oddities on eBay—has been convicted of cruelty to animals and may face up to several years in jail!

In December '08, an eBay shopper tipped us off to Crawford's auction of a miserable-looking kitten with a docked tail and heavy jewelry through much of his body. Crawford marketed him as a "gothic kitten." The ad read: "[S]ix weeks old floppy eared pure black gothic kitten.14 gauge ear piercings.14 gauge submission ring on the back of the neck. docked tail with 14 gauge barbell on the end of the nub. comes with 14 gauge surgical steel jewelry and decorative submission lead." Yes, not only had Crawford repeatedly pierced this kitten (which is bad enough), she had also "docked" his tail with a rubber band—and all without any anesthesia. Oh, and she'd done this to his littermates as well!

Posing as interested buyers, PETA learned that one of the kittens had already ripped out a piercing and that Crawford was waiting for the wound to heal before she pierced him again. During conversations with PETA, Crawford stated that the kittens could be walked by an ornamental leash fastened to the "submission rings" in their necks. The woman said she had done it to these tiny animals because she thought it was "neat." In addition to inflicting immense pain and disfiguring these beings, Crawford had effectively impeded their hearing, physical balance, and psychological health, according to court testimony from a veterinarian.

We submitted information to local authorities, Crawford was charged with cruelty to animals, and all the kittens were confiscated. A year later, she went to trial and—thanks to a blistering prosecution that included testimony from PETA investigators—Crawford was found guilty!

As we await Crawford's sentencing, please keep in mind animals who depend on you as their witnesses. Speak up for any animals you know of who are being abused. Remember, they are voiceless. It's up to you!

Posted by Logan Scherer

Elizabeth Carlisle—the former Petland employee who drowned two rabbits in the backroom of a store in Akron, Ohio, and then posted a now-infamous photo of the animals on Facebook—recently pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to animals.

Carlisle's case caused a media storm and drew attention to the epidemic of animal abuse at pet stores across the country. Time after time, undercover investigations have revealed that Carlisle's shocking behavior is par for the course at places where animals are bred and sold. Although the Akron store has been closed, Petland continues to sell animals at its stores across the country, meaning that many more animals just like Carlisle's victims are at risk. Take action now and urge Petland to stop selling rabbits forever.

Posted by Logan Scherer

PETA's headquarters in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is well known to local residents, many of whom volunteer to help animals in their spare time. Thousands in the area have taken advantage of our low-cost animal clinics and the Bea Arthur Dog Park, which is open to the community.

But every once in a while, someone visits PETA headquarters with ill intentions—like the guy who dumped this sweet, starving, nearly-naked bag of bones in our parking lot late one August night and then tried to drive away.

Not realizing that people were watching, the driver shoved an ailing cat, who has since been named Nadia, out of his car, and ignored the terrified and confused animal as she tried to get back into the car, running after it as the man drove away. Fortunately, he was spotted by two PETA Foundation staffers who immediately approached him and saw right through his lame excuses for dumping Nadia on the street.

It took us more than 10 days, during which time the temperature soared to more than 100 degrees, to catch the poor, petrified cat. When we finally did, we rushed her to a veterinarian, who determined that Nadia was 3 pounds (!) underweight—she weighed just 5 pounds—and that she was missing hair on more than half her body, likely because of a severe allergic reaction to fleas. Nadia has been recuperating in foster care ever since and is waiting for her new forever home.

As for the heinous man who attempted to abandon her, he had his moment in court on Friday. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of abandonment and received a suspended sentence of a $1,000 fine and five days in jail. He was also sentenced to two years of probation, during which time he cannot own or keep any animals, and he had to pay restitution to PETA. Most importantly, he learned that abandoning an animal is never an option, no matter the circumstances.

Posted by Karin Bennett

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

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

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

PETA demonstrators outside Taylor’s hearing today