How many crocodiles does it take to make a leather bag?

It sounds like the start of a really bad joke, but in a recent article, the chief executive for the French "luxury" goods group Hermes said, "It can take three to four crocodiles to make one of our bags so we are now breeding our own crocodiles on our own farms, mainly in Australia." (emphasis added)

He then quipped, "The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!"

Oh, ho ho, funny guy. If you weren't ripping their skins off—sometimes while they are still alive and able to call out in distress—and turning them into overpriced purses, there would probably be plenty of crocodiles running around.

They did outlive the dinosaurs, after all, so my guess is that their survival instincts are pretty acute.

Here's what PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews had to say:

The thought of purposely breeding and killing crocodiles for an outdated, overpriced handbag should make any fashionista's skin crawl. If Hermes really wants to be a leader in the fashion industry, it should stop killing animals for cold-blooded vanity and use cruelty-free mock croc and fake snake instead. As Pink—who recently provided the voice of a computer-generated crocodile in PETA's "Stolen for Fashion" commercial—says, "Killing animals for their skins is so disgusting that it doesn't make me want to befriend designers who use them."

So how about this: Instead of breeding reptiles for fashion faux pas, watch "Stolen for Fashion," then pull a switcharoo and start using stylish synthetics instead.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

Desert temperatures rose even higher as PETA's hot "cops" patrolled the Las Vegas strip, where they educated tourists about how animals suffer when they are killed and skinned to become boots, belts, and bags.

Honeymooners, bachelor partygoers, and even some casino employees lined up to talk to and pose for photos with our "fashion police," who were armed with information about alternatives to fur, leather, and exotic skins.

Watch out, fashion felons. PETA's peace officers are on patrol.

After one construction worker promised the "cops" he would give pleather boots a try, they let him go with a warning—to stay away from animal skins in the future.

"Holy pleather, Batman!"

Next stop—KOMP's Rock & Roll Morning Show to give listeners the straight story on synthetics.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Wherever American artist Andrew Krasnow displays his maps, cowboy boots, and American flags, controversy is hot on his heels.

artcritical / CC

Why all the fuss, guys? Using human skin donated to medical science to make a nice pair of boots is a use of flesh that we should all throw our weight behind!

While the photos of his work (which he says is intended to question American ethics and values) might make you a wee bit queasy, Krasnow's creations are far more humane and understandable than leather jackets, snakeskin belts and baby-alligator–skin purses (their small heads included). Those turn my stomach because—unlike the folks who donate their bodies to science—cows, snakes, alligators, and other animals did not sign up to have their skins ripped from their bodies.

Krasnow's next show has been commissioned by the U.K. Human Tissue Authority. Hopefully, the protesters howling outside the show will stop to consider the skins used for their own belts and bags.

Posted by Karin Bennett

PETA's naked "snakes" have been spotted recently on both coasts, drawing attention to the cruelty inflicted on scaly species who are killed for their skins. Not since Rebecca Romijn slinked around in painted-on scales as Mystique for the X-Men trilogy have people found reptiles so alluring.

In New Haven, Connecticut, many appreciative Yale students were drawn in by this sultry snake. One woman was so moved that she penned a poem about the display.

Media buzzed around our demo in Santa Cruz, California, as crews from The Santa Cruz Sentinel, Metro Santa Cruz, KSMS-TV, and Inside Santa Cruz lined up to interview the demonstrators, who pointed out that animal skins are not "eco-chic."

Our sexy "snake" and a team of supporters braved the cold rain to bare the facts—that snakes and alligators suffer when they're skinned alive for their hides.

Thanks to everyone who's helping to tip the scales in favor of kindness over killing.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Those boots may be made for walkin', but were they made from an animal's sensitive skin? That may be the big question in the minds of travelers shuffling through the Memphis International Airport in the coming months.

In lieu of the nation's financial crunch, the Transportation Security Administration has decided to allow advertising on the shoe/belt/bag bins at security checkpoints in order to bring in extra revenue. Well, you can bet we're already all over this one!

In PETA's letter to the CEO of Memphis International Airport, we are requesting the right to advertise an anti-leather ad (shown below) on the shoe bins. The ad features the photograph of a "missing" calf named Charlie, who was pulled away from his mother, most likely branded without any pain relief, and eventually slaughtered for his meat. And his skin was made into someone's shoes, belt, or jacket—the very same items that get tossed into the bins at security checkpoints.

Airport advertising has the potential to reach gazillions of people, and by placing our ad in such a highly visible location we can help high-flyers get the message that leather kills—and make them think twice about their next purchases. Gorgeous, durable, cruelty-free shoes await their feet. Besides, the production of leather is catastrophic to the environment; planting a carbon offset tree for flight miles won't cover that!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

PETA's sexy "fashion police" are on patrol again. Last week, they took their beat to the street - in New Haven and Providence, handing out citations to leather-wearers for "violating common decency." For some reason, every "offender" loved being "detained." In fact, this is pretty much what happened every time:

Fashion Cop: No more leather, promise? Passerby, hanging head in shame: OK.

Of course, looking at photos of our cops, I have to say—they look like they mean business! I wouldn't want to argue with them, either.

And, if you're looking for some pleather boots as awesome as those (I know I am!), we have a few cruelty-free suggestions for your consideration.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Update: Here's a sweet quote from PETA campaigner Lindsay Rajt in the Amarillo Globe News: "We just thought Tex would be a huge help to us to expose the whores in the leather industry." Apparently Lindsay needs to work on her enunciation a bit. She swears she said, "horrors"!

I'm not going to repeat the cliché that "everything's bigger in Texas"—though I guess I just did—because, as a Texan, I know that some things are actually smaller in Texas. In the computer age alone, it was Texas-based companies that pioneered "small" technologies such as semiconductors and the portable PC.

Still, there's no denying that Texans have a thing about big stuff. Heck, some folks here haven't come to terms with the fact that a larger state (Alaska, natch) was admitted to the union—nearly 50 years ago. So think about how Lone Star residents would feel about a super-sized version of that most Texan of icons: the cowboy.

Now one such giant buckaroo might find himself homeless. "Tex Randall," a 47-foot-tall, 7-ton cowboy sculpture in Canyon, Texas, faced eviction when the owner of the property he stands on decided not to keep him there. Another business owner purchased Tex, but doesn't have enough money to move him.

So, despite our opposition to ranching, PETA is stepping in to see if we can find a permanent home. Why? 'Cause what could be a better symbol than a big ol' cowboy to help us make a huge statement about how cows are hurt by the leather "bidness"? All we have to do is add a little sign, like so:

Posted by Jeff Mackey

babble / CC

Stella is the first recipient of this new ACE Award—and rightly so! As someone who abstains from fur and leather, which are toxic for the environment, she's light-years ahead of certain other designers who are around … cough, Donna, cough, Giorgio. Sorry, must've had a little phlegm in my throat!

When Stella began her leather-free accessories line in 2006, she told Women's Wear Daily, "I do want to show that accessories can be made from a more ethical viewpoint—and be sexy and cool. The myth of leather—that every bag and shoe needs to be made from it—needs to be broken down. It's a bit caveman." Amen, Stella! Stella is also featured in Ingrid's newest book, One Can Make a Difference.

So congratulations to Stella on her well-deserved ACE Award. Hopefully, it'll only be a matter of time before all designers realize that (a) skins aren't green, and (b) we aren't cavemen. Are you listening, Donna?

Whoopsie, I meant to disguise that with another fake cough. Oh well.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

ericaberghan / CC

Wait, what? No, seriously—89-year-old Edna Jester of Ohio, in a move straight out of every kids' movie I ever watched growing up, declined to return the errant football that made its way onto her lawn. Here's where the story changes, though; Ms. Jester was then arrested and charged with petty theft for refusing to hand over the ball—and you know we just had to get involved. Fortunately (for Ms. Jester, anyway), the charges have since been dropped.

"But," our hearts cry, "what about the kids who lost their football? Will they ever get it back?"

Probably not—as of yesterday, one of the kids' fathers told news sources that his son just wanted the $15 football back. Well, we hear ya, Paul—and you know what? Being the charitable people that we are, we are more than happy to send your son a football (leather-free, of course) to replace the one he lost.

Heck, we'll even send two. Ya know, in case the first one ends up over the fence.

You can check out the letter we're sending to the boy's mother—or you can check out where you can get your very own leather-free football! (Defiant elderly neighbor not included.)

Posted by Amanda Schinke

jalopnik / CC

TMZ might be on to something, frankly. Besides the composition of the memo itself (which is making me a little, ahem, sic), there's the fact that the Chrysler folks are totally ignoring all the many rugged, non-porous leather alternatives out there. Of course, nobody on a factory floor should be wearing peep-toe stilettos, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with a good pleather—which, you might notice, is specifically outlawed. Work boots work if they have steel toes and are made of a sturdy material; the skins of dead, abused animals are not required.

Plus, as PETA Director of Corporate Affairs Matt Prescott points out in his letter to Chrysler—oh yes, of course we wrote them a letter—this policy might "discriminate against employees whose religious beliefs forbid or discourage the wearing of leather such as Jains, many Hindus and Buddhists, and others"—not to mention those, for example, who refuse to wear skins for other ethical reasons (hmm … do I know anyone like that?).

So seriously, Chrysler, discriminating against employees while promoting an industry that is cruel to animals and toxic to the environment? Not cool. But the news this morning is cool: Chrysler did consider changing its tune and says that no one who doesn't adhere to the leather rule will be punished.

They might also want to consider hiring a proofreader, but we're content with the cruelty-free boots.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

They've both been featured in killer PETA street demonstrations this month! Now, we're known for being clever, sexy, and interesting when it comes to our eye-catching demos, but in my opinion, the last few weeks have really taken the cake. Check it:

These hottie-boom-botties have teamed up at San Francisco's annual leather-fetish festival to remind people that you can still have the fetish without the flesh.

This devoted peta2 crowd got in the Halloween spirit this year by donning fake blood and zombie makeup to remind the rest of New York City that they'd rather be dead than eat at KFC.

This awesome activist removed her clothes and slapped on the tiger stripes to remind circusgoers that wild animals don't belong behind bars.

PETA Germany activists staged a naked die-in to draw public attention (as well as tons of German media attention) to their frustration with the European Union's support for the cruel bullfighting industry.

Our good pal Frieda the Sea Kitten laid out our ever-popular (not to mention massive) sea kitten quilt for aquarium attendees in Tampa to remind them that sea kittens are wonderful animals who shouldn't be held in captivity.

Posted by Christine Doré

As if there weren't already enough terror attached to the loathsome leather trade, the notoriously cruel Indian leather industry has now been linked to Islamic terrorists groups. According to a recent article in The Times of India, the illegal cattle-smuggling trade, an integral part of the leather supply chain, has been funding terrorism in India. For years now, money made in this thriving racket has reportedly been funneled to various terrorists, including one of the men convicted of killing American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

It's pretty ironic that a country in which cows are considered sacred is one of the largest leather manufacturers in the world. In fact, Indian law makes it illegal to export cows. To get around this, traffickers force cattle to march hundreds of miles across the country. Marched for days without food or water, cows often collapse from exhaustion or despair, To keep them moving, workers smear the cows' eyes with chili peppers and tobacco and break the cows' tails. By the time the cows are crammed into illegal transport trucks and smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border, many are so sick and injured that they have to be dragged into the slaughterhouse—where their throats are slit while they are still alive.

I say we fight the war on terror by buying pleather and signing this petition to the Ambassador of India.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

This is a must-see video.

If you're moved, click here for ideas on how to spread the word. We'd really like to see this video reach 1 million viewers—help us make that a reality!

Posted by Carrie Ann Harris

If an animal's skin has already been stolen from its rightful owner, how can you make the best of an awful situation? By giving the skin to charity!

Recently, PETA Europe donated around 100 fur coats and leather and wool items to the charity Let's Help Africa in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The charity then took the coats into the freezing mountains of Lesotho and gave them to needy farmers and poor herd boys. Even when the temperature plummets to below freezing, these folks have no choice but to spend their days working outside.

As you can see from the photos below, the people of Lesotho definitely needed these coats—and they loved having them!

After PETA Europe donated the fur coats, the president of Let's Help Africa wrote a very lovely note. In his letter, he wrote, "I am sure you sowed in good soil; those boys are beyond grateful and some of their lives will be saved because of your donation. So thank you very, very much; we honor you for your generosity."

Stories like this are only possible with your support. Every year PETA receives hundreds of fur, leather, and wool donations from compassionate people who appreciate that animals are not ours to wear. (Really, why would someone want to wear a dead animal for fun?!) So they mail us their old coats or new gifts, and we in turn donate them to charities or wildlife rehabilitation centers. This way, only people and animals who are truly in need can benefit from them.

Do you have something to donate today?

Posted by Carrie Ann Harris

the clones / CC

Short of dogfighting, there isn't any lower activity than abusing animals for the sake of art. Anyone who has a tattoo knows that you voluntarily tough it out and do it in stages, but Belgian artist Wim Delvoye has apparently put countless pigs—who have extremely sensitive skin—through hours of tattooing, covering their whole backs and down their sides in designs that range from religious emblems and Disney princesses to Louis Vuitton's logo.

Pig skin closely resembles human skin in sensitivity, so just imagine what the pigs endured by being jabbed with a needle over and over and over and over and over again—by a giant person who has restrained them and seems to have no end point in mind. The sheer intensity of the anxiety, fear, and confusion that these animals go through as they fail to understand what is happening to them is an atrocity in and of itself.

If life imitates art, what's this artist's life like, do you think? One presumes that these pigs will eventually be slaughtered for their skin—in the name of meat, art, or fashion. So please give a thought to the pigs and other animals: Check your closet for leather bags and other items, then ask yourself: Should you really hang that piece of "art" on your arm or over your shoulder?

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Animal rights is not just an American or European issue. All the way across the world, our colleagues in PETA India are doing their part as well. Each month, The PETA Files will bring you an update on PETA India's accomplishments.

On August 13, in Hyderabad, PETA India protesters held signs reading, "Broken Wings and Legs," while a giant crippled "chicken" crossed the road in front of a KFC to protest the company's abusive treatment of chickens and urge people not to eat at KFC until the company improves their animal welfare standards.

In Delhi, on August 22, PETA India members stood outside the Livestock and Dairy Expo to protest against the cruelty inflicted on animals raised for milk and to point out that those who drink milk share responsibility for the suffering of cows and calves outside the dairy industry. They also wanted to inform the public that dairy products are linked to heart disease and certain types of cancer in human beings.

On August 27, a PETA India activist in Lucknow led a protest against the cruel and bloody leather industry, hoping to raise awareness about the horrible suffering that animals endure before they are killed and their skin is made into leather shoes, bags, and other products.

Keep up the good work, PETA India!

Posted by Carrie Ann Harris

Beachgoers at Puri Beach in Orissa, India, were greeted by a little more than just sun and surf yesterday. PETA India recognized World Environmental Day with a giant sand sculpture of a polar bear crushed beneath a larger-than-life shoe and a sign that read, "Your carbon footprints have leather shoes." You can catch the full story here.

The 10-foot-tall sand sculpture coincided with PETA India's new environmental campaign, highlighting the harmful effects that the leather industry has on the environment. And given that India is one of the top producers of leather, the sculpture is perfectly fitting, I'd say.

Leather products full of chemicals, dyes, oils, and finishes cause irreversible devastation not only to the world's waterways and ecosystems but also to human health. And the cruelty involved with the leather industry isn't any better—since leather is the most important byproduct of the meat industry, leather production directly contributes to factory farms and slaughterhouses. And according to a 2006 United Nations report, raising animals for food creates more greenhouse gasses than all trucks, cars, planes, and ships in the world combined. The damage caused by India's leather industry makes the country a major contributor to global warming and the further endangerment of polar bears and their natural habitat.

I think PETA India's N.G. Jayasimha puts it best when he says, "Consumers can save polar bears and cows at the same time by giving leather products the boot." And well, we tend to agree.

--Jen

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky, Membership Correspondence Coordinator

Here’s a sneak preview of a pair of ads targeting the cruel exotic-skins trade that will be featured in the latest issue of PETA’s Animal Times magazine.

We have a ways to go before people stop abusing these amazing animals for the sake of fashion accessories, but I did get one piece of good news today on the issue—Yves St. Laurent, who are among the worst offenders when it comes to using exotic skins in their designs, now have a vegan men’s Oxford shoe. It’s just a tad out of my price range, but a great sign of things to come.

virginmedia/Creative Commons

This is the second time in recent months that Tobey has been in the news standing up for animals: In a recent interview, the Spidey star told Parade magazine:

“I’ve never had any desire to eat meat. In fact, when I was a kid I would have a really difficult time eating meat at all. It had to be the perfect bite, with no fat or gristle or bone or anything like that…. I don’t judge people who eat meat—that’s not for me to say—but the whole thing just sort of bums me out.”

Yeah, it kind of bums me out too, honestly. Anyway, thanks, Tobey, for sticking up for your beliefs.

This is pretty much apropos of nothing, but I loved this so much that I had to post it. You may remember an entry from a couple of weeks ago about an anti-leather demonstration held by PETA India members in Bangalore. Well, here's the picture of the demo again, and below it is a photo from a slightly wider angle that kinda puts the whole thing in a different light. The point is still the same, of course — the leather industry is hideously cruel, and there are plenty of humane non-animal alternatives to leather — but in this particular case, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture is more amusing than you might think.

Indian protesters staged a colorful demonstration against the leather industry last month ...

... After a thorough investigation, officials are reportedly still completely confused

For anyone who's done animal rights protests before, you'll know that—no matter what the issue—the first thing anyone ever asks you is whether your shoes are leather (seriously, the question is almost a reflex for some people—I've heard of people being asked that at naked demonstrations). So it's always a bonus when the demonstration is focused on the treatment of cows in the leather industry—at least then, you can stay on topic.

And this particular topic is an exceptionally gruesome one in India (which, along with China, provides most of the world's leather), as today's protest in Bangalore showed to dramatic effect. The powerful demonstration was staged by a pair of PETA India members (in what appear to be canvas shoes, in case anyone's wondering) and was covered widely in the Indian media. Great work, guys.

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. Mine would have been pretty close to perfect if it hadn’t all been tainted by yesterday’s sad events in Tampa Bay. But the show must go on, and though it may not seem like it right now, there are more important things than the apparent inability of the Washington Redskins to throw accurate passes inside the 20-yard-line. For instance: While half the country was busy stuffing their shopping bags with every piece of fabric they could find this Friday, a number of animal lovers around the U.S. spent their holiday reminding shoppers that—as much as their rabid consumerism helps America—there are plenty of ways of doing that without hurting animals, and that it’s the easiest thing in the world to buy comfortable, stylish clothes without fur, leather, or wool. Here are a couple of the pics that ended up in my Inbox this morning—the first is from a Fur-Free Friday demonstration outside the mall here in Norfolk, and the second from a great demonstration in Miami Beach.

Here’s what Natalie Portman told The Sun last week when she was asked about her refusal to wear leather for a role:

“I'm an animal lover and I've been a vegetarian for 17 years. I won't wear leather in my own life and I won't wear it for a movie either. They have to make me clothes from fake leather.”

I’m still waiting for the right time to let Natalie Portman know the extent and depth of my feelings for her. I’ll let you know how that goes.

AskMen/Creative Commons

Last week, handbag company Hogan found themselves in a bit of an awkward spot after releasing promotional materials proclaiming that they had named a new pony-skin handbag "The Chrissie," after Pretenders singer and anti-leather crusader Chrissie Hynde. The folks at Hogan are backpedaling furiously, but Chrissie Hynde is not pleased about the situation in the least. You can read the letter she sent them this morning here.

In other Chrissie news, if you have a moment, you should definitely check out this article in The Miami Herald about how a badass like Chrissie Hynde deals with those endless nonsensical questions vegetarians often get from die-hard meat-eaters about their diet choice. Priceless.

Ummm, OMFG. Think Wynona Ryder in Beetlejuice meets that scary 35 year old Hot Topic employee at the mall, and you’re on the right track to getting your head around our annual “I’m Too Sexy For Leather” contest.

Granted, I’m more of a Paul Frank flannel nightshirt kind of guy, but all joking aside, there’s no denying that all of these pics are super hot in their own way. . . Even for sticks in the mud like me who aren’t all that into dreadlocked dudes riding vintage bikes while wearing pleather pants and straightjackets.

You know what I’m saying? Seriously, it just makes me happy to be alive. Her name is Annamarie, the place is Fresno, and there was evidently a bit of a traffic jam for a while. As Annamarie puts it, "I’ll gladly bare some of my skin if it will help save animals’ skins. With all the luxurious alternatives available, there’s absolutely no excuse to wear animal skins."

And finally, in the interest of fairness, here are some boys too.

Ever hear of the town of Totnes, England? It’s a small town in southwest England known for being a pretty progressive place to live. How progressive, you ask? Well, yes, it has the art shops, coffee houses, used bookstores, street markets, musicians and other tell-tale signs typically associated with places like Boulder, CO, and Eugene, OR, but check this out: the city government is actually considering re-covering its furniture in pleather instead of leather to keep from “offending vegetarians.” Even in a place like Totnes, this is amazing and is hopefully a sign of things to come. Boulder and Eugene, you listening?

Ahhh, tis stories like this that make me miss the motherland . . .