mca-agency / CC

Not too long ago, Trish Deseine was pushing for people to embrace the taste of foie gras served with dried fruit. (Did anyone else just throw up a little?)

But after taking the time to visit a foie gras farm, this chef changed her tune.

"You see ducks who have lived outside then put in small crates … and force fed," she told The Guardian. "They can't stand up or move. You can see their livers bursting out of their skin. Nobody can tell me that's not cruel."

And for anyone who tries to tell you it's not, *cough* Olivier Berté *cough*, I have a suggestion. How about volunteering yourself to have a metal piped forced down your throat and then have 20 to 30 percent of your body weight in food shoveled into your body two to three times a day?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

columbia / CC

Brookstone's "Frog-O-Sphere"—a tiny plastic box containing two African frogs and a snail—is a guaranteed death sentence for these animals, who are slowly poisoned by their own waste in these mini-prisons.

Brookstone store employees—many of whom are straight out of high school, not vet school—are the sole caretakers of these animals while the Frog-O-Spheres are in the stores. According to Brookstone's head honchos, the only time these frogs receive any "care" is when employees briefly peer into the Frog-O-Sphere to check on the animals' condition. After performing these spot checks, employees are instructed merely to write down whether the frogs are "expired," sick/injured, or healthy. Despite any store's claim that it has a veterinarian on file (per the Frog-O-Sphere SOPs), sick or injured frogs never receive medical attention. Instead, these animals—who are sensitive to sound and even minimal changes in temperature—are merely stashed in the back of the store until they either die or recover on their own.

Turns out this is illegal—in the Garden State, at least.

We did some digging and discovered that pet shops in New Jersey are required to provide veterinary care for sick or injured animals and must be licensed with the township in which they're located—both are details that Brookstone seems to have missed.

After we brought this to the attention of NJ authorities, PETA received word from across the state that inspectors were on the case (PETA quickly confirmed that a Princeton-area Brookstone has no license on file, and alerted local health authorities, who immediately issued a cease and desist order to the store.). The state's Office of Animal Welfare has also taken an interest in this matter because Brookstone was informed about the various permits that were needed before its stores even began selling these tiny torture chambers, but the company failed to obtain them.

Click here to tell Brookstone that it's time to stop selling living beings at all its stores.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Kids love animals—so if anyone told them the truth about what goes on behind the scenes, they would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to circuses like Ringling Bros.

Over at PETAKids.com, we recently asked kids what they thought about circuses, and the results were too cute not to share!

"I feel sad for those elefants. The circus people should get in bad trouble! We will never go to a circus with animals in it." Donna Rhoades, age 5, Conway, Missouri

"[I] think people that put elephants n circus acts are so dumb and stupid and one day every thing is gonna come back for what they did grrrr!!!." Dalila Solorio, age 11, Baja, California

"My mom talked to me about the cruelty that happens to the animals at the circus, when they were in my town. I decided I would rather not go, than know that I was watching them harm the animals!" Sydni Denman-Moyer, age 6, Villa Hills, Kentucky

"Circuses that abuse animals make me SO sad. Elephants don't belong in a circus; they want to be with their families and live in the place they were born. People who abuse animals should be ashamed and sent somewhere to think about what they've done!" Bea Kubasik, age 4, South Portland, Maine

"What the Ringling Bros do to the Elephants it should be done back to them. Ex. poking them with it Bullhook." Emilie Daniel, age 11, Ontario, Canada

"I think circuses are very bad because animals can die there and they take babies away from their mamas. I never go to circuses." Francis Ménard, age 7, Québec, Canada

"I don't think it's right that they abuse animals like that because the animals are alive and they have feelings. I just wish the circuses would be banned for life. [PETA] thank you so much for trying to help these animals." Isabel Simon, age 7, San Diego, California

"I think someone should put the circus people in a circus and let the animals go!" Xavier Finch, age 10, Lincoln Park, Michigan

"I think if they're mean to any animal they should go to jail. No one should go to the circus" Michael Cioffi, age 6, West Haverstraw, New York

"[I] think abusers are losers!!!!" Lupita Mesa, age 12, Stockton, California

If you want to educate your kids about why elephants, tigers, bears, and other animals shouldn't be forced to perform cruel, unnatural tricks at the circus—but don't want to show them the disturbing undercover footage—order our Circus Activity Booklet.

Posted by Liz Graffeo

guardian.co.uk / CC

Benson, a giant carp and a celebrity of sorts in Britain, has died. Angling fanatics are blaming her death on nuts, and so are we. But we aren't talking about peanuts, cashews, or pistachios—we are blaming the hordes of unhinged humans who hurt her for "fun."

It is estimated that during Benson's lifetime, she was painfully hooked and dragged from her aquatic home more than 60 times—that's right, six-zero—so that anglers could pose for a photo and then fling her back into the water.

Isn't it logical to believe that the pain and stress that she suffered over and over …

(and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over)

… again for anglers' so-called "sport" were contributing factors in her death? Why yes, it is.

As our friends over at PETA Europe told BBC News, "If common sense isn't enough, the science is clear: Being repeatedly impaled with a hook and yanked into an environment in which fish cannot breathe, like Benson [was], undeniably causes distress [and] pain and can lead to infections. Even simply handling or netting fish can abrade their protective coating and lead to death."

I'd say that pretty much sums it up, wouldn't you?

Posted by Karin Bennett

Though 27 greyhound tracks have closed in the U.S., with Rhode Island's last two tracks closing on August 8—and while countries around the world have all shuttered their once-active tracks—a legislature in the Philippines has just introduced a bill that would allow a company to build and operate a brand-new greyhound racetrack.

If approved, this bill has the potential to doom thousands of greyhounds to miserable existences. But have no fear: PETA Asia-Pacific has teamed up with Senator Maria Ana "Jamby" Madrigal—and her fearless dog, Prasad—to urge senators in the Philippines to vote "no" on this cruel bill. Check out Senator Jamby and Prasad in action at Tuesday's press conference inside the Senate building:

Photo © Erving Go
Prasad, a seasoned doggy-do-gooder, is howling mad about the introduction of this bill.

Senator Madrigal has pledged her opposition to this so-called sport because greyhounds who are forced to compete are kept muzzled and confined to cramped cages when they're not training or racing. Once they have slowed down or suffered career-ending injuries, the dogs are often abandoned, killed, or sold to laboratories to be used in experiments.

Don't all greyhounds deserve a loving home like Prasad's?

Posted by Liz Graffeo