Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Knox County, Maine -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas. 

For TV:PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here. For Print: PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here. For Radio: PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hampden County, Mass. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow predicted for the greater Springfield area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Cheshire County, N.H. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With low temperatures and snow predicted for the Cheshire County area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

New PETA Asia Undercover Investigation Reveals Animals—Including Cats and Dogs—Electrocuted, Strangled, and Skinned Alive

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- You've never seen anything like this before: Shocking new video footage captured by PETA Asia undercover investigators on Chinese fur farms reveals "who's really paying the ultimate price" for fur, according to The Newsroom star Olivia Munnin PETA's new video exposé.

The hard-hitting new video about fur farms in China, the world's largest fur exporter, opens with never-before-seen footage of workers on a fur farm placing a dog's head in a wire noose, restraining her, and genitally electrocuting her with a metal rod. Workers bludgeon raccoon dogs, cut off rabbits' heads, and rip the fur off still-living animals' bodies as they writhe in pain. Workers throw cages crammed with dogs and cats—many of whom are still wearing the collars placed on them by their loving families—to the ground, shattering the animals' bones. And often, fur from China is mislabeled as fur from another species so that consumers cannot be confident that they know whose fur they are really wearing.

"This new footage is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen before," says Munn, who is of Chinese descent. "Anyone who wears fur or is even thinking about wearing fur should watch PETA's video. It shows exactly where—and who—that coat or that 'little bit' of trim came from."

Bebe and Michael Kors continue to import fur from China, while compassionate designers such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Stella McCartney have all decided to be 100 percent fur-free.

Munn, who appeared in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, is part of a long list of celebrities—including Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, Penélope Cruz, Tim Gunn, Lea Michele, Pink,and Taraji P. Henson—who have teamed up with PETA to speak out against fur.

Broadcast-quality video footage of Munn's exposé can be downloaded here. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Tallahassee-Raised Actor Joins PETA in Calling Out Notorious Exhibitor Traveling With UniverSoul Circus

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Tallahassee, Fla. -- With the UniverSoul Circus headed to Tallahassee next week, Suburgatory star and Emmy nominee Cheryl Hines is turning her attention from Hollywood to her roots in Tallahassee in order to urge the North Florida Fairgrounds to follow the leads of other venues across the country and ensure that the circus does not force Nosey the elephant—who suffers from a painful skin condition—to perform in its shows. As Hines explains in her letter, Nosey's exhibitor, Hugo Liebel, faces nearly three dozen formal charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, mostly for abusing and neglecting Nosey, including by failing to provide her with desperately needed veterinary care and appropriate shelter as well as chaining her so tightly that she could barely move.

"I'm writing today on behalf of my friends at PETA—and as someone who grew up in Tallahassee and has fond memories of the city—to urge you to cancel plans to allow the UniverSoul Circus to exhibit a suffering elephant named Nosey," writes Hines. "Very recent evidence shows that Liebel continues to deny this elephant the care that she so desperately needs. … UniverSoul can put on an excellent circus show without exploiting a suffering, neglected elephant."

Hines joins a long list of celebrities—including Alec Baldwin, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sarah Silverman, Demi Moore, and Wilmer Valderrama—who have teamed up with PETA to combat circuses that use elephants.

Cheryl Hynes' letter to Mark Harvey, manager of the North Florida Fairgrounds, is available here.For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

peta2 Street Teamer Educates Classmates About the Link Between Eating Animal Flesh and Heart Attacks, Cancer, Obesity, and More

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

North Potomac, Md. -- Wootton High School sophomore Wyatt Oring is wearing a hospital band on his wrist these days, even though he's probably one of the healthiest kids in the school. That's because Wyatt has gone vegan, which has significantly reduced his chances of suffering from diabetes, cancer, obesity, strokes, and particularly heart disease, which can begin developing in childhood.

The band includes his name, "condition," date of admission, and the word "Connection" for peta2's new campaign "Making the Connection," which each month addresses a different topic related to animal rights and of interest to young people. The bands are also being worn by other Street Teamers across the country.

"When someone asks Wyatt why he's wearing a hospital band, it's a perfect opportunity to explain that the best way to stay out of the hospital is to go vegan," says peta2 Director Marta Holmberg. "Wyatt is giving his classmates—and teachers—a lesson in good nutrition that could someday save their lives and the lives of countless animals as well."

The medical facts are compelling: People who consume a lot of meat—as tens of millions of Americans do—are significantly more likely to die from heart disease than are people who don't eat meat. Meat-, dairy, and egg-free diets can help reverse heart disease and can also help lower the risk of cancer. Vegans are also, on average, fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and being overweight is one of the leading risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Going vegan can also help reverse this potentially life-threatening disease.

peta2's Street Team is a group of youth activists dedicated to helping animals through in-person events, online campaigns, and social media.

For more information, please visit peta2.com or click here.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Washington County, Okla. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With a blizzard warning in effect for the greater Bartlesville area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Sedgwick County, Kan. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With a blizzard warning in effect for the greater Wichita area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA Says President Negligent in Failing to Order USDA to Confiscate Crippled and Beaten Elephants From Circuses 

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Newport News, Va. -- Brandishing a sign that reads, "Mr. President: Tell USDA to Confiscate Beaten Circus Elephants," PETA's enraged "pachyderm"—who, although often mistaken for a Republican, doesn't belong to either party—will protest in Newport News tomorrow as President Barack Obama prepares to deliver a speech. The group is calling on the president to step in and order the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do its duty and confiscate elephants used in circuses who are trained, disciplined, and punished with bullhooks (heavy weapons resembling fireplace pokers with a sharp steel hook at the end) in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

When:   Tuesday, February 26, 10 a.m.

Where:  Newport News Shipbuilding, 4101 Washington Ave., Newport News

In late 2011, PETA's complaints against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—"the cruelest show on Earth"—resulted in the biggest fine in circus history, $270,000. Cole Bros. Circus also recently paid a fine to settle numerous violations of the AWA.

"The government has taken an important step by fining these cruel circuses, but now it must confiscate the lame, overworked, and beaten elephants," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA is calling on the president to urge the USDA to take action—and on parents to keep their children away from the circus."

PETA's elephant appears at President Obama's events across the country.

Please note that PETA is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to stopping the abuse of animals and promoting healthy vegan eating. We take no position in support of or opposition to any political party or candidate for public office.

For more information and to view photos and video footage of Ringling trainers abusing elephants, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.

Elephant Owner Charged With 33 Current Animal Welfare Violations

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Tallahassee -- Holding signs that read, "Free Nosey the Elephant" and "33 Violations of Animal Welfare Act," PETA members will hold a spirited protest outside the North Florida Fairgrounds on Tuesday as the UniverSoul Circus prepares for its opening show. PETA is also calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Tallahassee Animal Control to seize Nosey, the elephant set to appear in the show. According to recent veterinary reports, Nosey suffers from an untreated skin condition. Her exhibitor faces almost three dozen charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act—mostly for abusing and neglecting Nosey. Her handler uses a bullhook—a fireplace poker–like device that trainers use to beat elephants and teach them "who's boss." Tallahassee law prohibits using devices that force "an animal to perform by causing pain."

When:   Tuesday, February 26, 6:15 p.m.

Where:  North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Rd., Tallahassee

"Despite Nosey's years of suffering, UniverSoul Circus has paid her owner, a man now facing 33 counts of violating federal law for abusing her, to force her to perform tricks," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA is urging the authorities to step in and take this ailing elephant off the road—and is telling families to stay far away from this abusive circus."

Last week, Suburgatory star and Tallahassean Cheryl Hines appealed to the fairgrounds to cancel Nosey's planned appearance. This week, hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmonscalled on UniverSoul to cancel its contract with Hugo Liebel.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

Elephant Owner Charged With 33 Current Animal Welfare Violations

For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Tallahassee -- Holding signs that read, "Free Nosey the Elephant" and "33 Violations of Animal Welfare Act," PETA members will hold a spirited protest outside the North Florida Fairgrounds on Tuesday as the UniverSoul Circus prepares for its opening show. PETA is also calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Tallahassee Animal Control to seize Nosey, the elephant set to appear in the show. According to recent veterinary reports, Nosey suffers from an untreated skin condition. Her exhibitor faces almost three dozen charges for violations of the Animal Welfare Act—mostly for abusing and neglecting Nosey. Her handler uses a bullhook—a fireplace poker–like device that trainers use to beat elephants and teach them "who's boss." Tallahassee law prohibits using devices that force "an animal to perform by causing pain."

When:   Tuesday, February 26, 6:15 p.m.

Where:  North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Rd., Tallahassee

"Despite Nosey's years of suffering, UniverSoul Circus has paid her owner, a man now facing 33 counts of violating federal law for abusing her, to force her to perform tricks," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA is urging the authorities to step in and take this ailing elephant off the road—and is telling families to stay far away from this abusive circus."

Last week, Suburgatory star and Tallahassean Cheryl Hines appealed to the fairgrounds to cancel Nosey's planned appearance. This week, hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmonscalled on UniverSoul to cancel its contract with Hugo Liebel.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Shawnee County, Kan. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

As snow and low temperatures affect the greater Topeka area, would you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Wapello County, Iowa -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

As snow and low temperatures affect the greater Ottumwa area, would you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Hollywood TV Writerto Visit Hampton Roads for Dedication of the Sam Simon Center 

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Norfolk, Va. -- Entertainment giant Sam Simon—the multiple Emmy Award–winning writing genius behind Taxi, Cheers, The Tracey Ullman Show,The Drew Carey Show, and Charlie Sheen's recent FX series, Anger Management, who is also the co-creator of The Simpsons—will cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony at PETA's Norfolk headquarters, soon to be called the Sam Simon Center. Simon, who serves on PETA's Executive Committee, is also known for his work with the Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues dogs from animal shelters and trains them to help soldiers who return from war with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities.

When:   Friday, March 1, 1:30 p.m. sharp

Where:  PETA's Sam Simon Center, 501 Front St., Norfolk

"Sam Simon's combination of philanthropy for animals and America's war veterans makes perfect sense to PETA—after all, we're an animal rights organization headquartered in a military town," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "He may be a big Hollywood figure, but it's his big heart that makes him a PETA soulmate."

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Monroe County, N.Y. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

As Winter Storm Rocky delivers snow and low temperatures to the greater Rochester area, would you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Will Give Students a Feel for Intensive Confinement That May Have Them Going Vegan

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Stillwater, Ok. -- Most students at Oklahoma State have probably never been to a factory farm, so peta2—PETA's youth division—is bringing factory farms to them. As part of a national college tour, the group will set up a 20-foot-by-30-foot inflatable tent, inside of which students can confine themselves to sow gestation crates—which are so small that pregnant pigs can't even turn around or take two steps—and watch "Glass Walls," a video exposé of the meat industry narrated by PETA pal Paul McCartney, who famously said, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian." Students will also receive samples of vegan foods and free vegetarian/vegan starter kits with recipes and tips for helping the Earth, animals, and their own arteries by going meat- and dairy-free.

When:   Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Engineering South lawn, Oklahoma State campus, Stillwater

"College is the time to consider new ideas, and peta2's factory-farm display gives students an idea of how much suffering goes into a chicken nugget or a beef burger," says peta2 Director Marta Holmberg. "Once students see what cows, chickens, and other animals go through on factory farms, in transit, and in slaughterhouses, they'll want to load up their cafeteria trays with humane vegan selections."

Pigs, chickens, fish, and cows feel pain and fear just as intensely as do the animals who share our homes with us, yet they are abused in ways that would be illegal if dogs and cats were the victims. Chickens and turkeys have their throats cut while they're still conscious, piglets are castrated and have their tails cut off without being given any painkillers, and calves raised for their milk have their horns burned out of their skulls. On the decks of fishing boats, fish suffocate or are cut open while they're still alive.

For more information, please visit peta2.com.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Bennington, Vt. -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, and it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

As Winter Storm Rocky delivers snow and low temperatures to the Bennington area, would you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and throughout the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals indoors until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Urges Teens to Break Out of Bad Eating Habits to Keep Their Faces Clear and Cows From Suffering

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Austin, Texas -- Teens and pimples go together, right? Not necessarily. According to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, and one of the major villains is dairy products. So PETA is negotiating with Austin-area outdoor advertisers to erect a brand-new billboard that shows a teen with a milk mustache and reads, "Got Zits?"—a play on the old "Got Milk?" campaign. It goes on to say, "Studies show: Milk and cheese trigger acne. Ditch dairy." PETA plans to place the billboard at locations near high schools.

"The only people who benefit when teens drink milk from animals or eat dairy-based  ice cream are dairy factory farmers and the makers of acne medication," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "With delicious products such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, nondairy ice cream, and faux cheeses on the market, kids don't have to sacrifice their complexion and overall health in order to eat the foods that they like."

A previous study by the Harvard School of Public Health—called the Nurses' Health Study II and involving more than 47,000 people—concluded that the consumption of milk and other dairy products significantly raised the incidence of acne. And Liz Vaccariello, fitness guru and former editor in chief of Prevention magazine, wrote that within six weeks of cutting back on drinking milk, her skin completely cleared of the blemishes that had been plaguing her. A dairy-free diet can also lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity in adults as well as allergies, ear infections, and juvenile-onset diabetes in children.

Teens aren't the only ones who suffer because of dairy consumption. Cows on dairy factory farms are genetically and chemically manipulated to produce unnaturally high quantities of milk, and as a result, many cows contract mastitis, a painful infection of the udder. Newborn calves are torn away from their mothers, and the males are sold to veal farms, where many are chained for months inside crates so small that they can't even turn around or lie down comfortably.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Urges Teens to Break Out of Bad Eating Habits to Keep Their Faces Clear and Cows From Suffering

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Kansas City, Mo. -- Teens and pimples go together, right? Not necessarily. According to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, and one of the major villains is dairy products. So PETA is negotiating with Kansas City–area outdoor advertisers to erect a brand-new billboard that shows a teen with a milk mustache and reads, "Got Zits?"—a play on the old "Got Milk?" campaign. It goes on to say, "Studies show: Milk and cheese trigger acne. Ditch dairy." PETA plans to place the billboard at locations near high schools.

"The only people who benefit when teens drink milk from animals or eat dairy-based ice cream are dairy factory farmers and the makers of acne medication," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "With delicious products such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, nondairy ice cream, and faux cheeses on the market, kids don't have to sacrifice their complexion and overall health in order to eat the foods that they like."

A previous study by the Harvard School of Public Health—called the Nurses' Health Study II and involving more than 47,000 people—concluded that the consumption of milk and other dairy products significantly raised the incidence of acne. And Liz Vaccariello, fitness guru and former editor in chief of Prevention magazine, wrote that within six weeks of cutting back on drinking milk, her skin completely cleared of the blemishes that had been plaguing her. A dairy-free diet can also lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity in adults as well as allergies, ear infections, and juvenile-onset diabetes in children.

Teens aren't the only ones who suffer because of dairy consumption. Cows on dairy factory farms are genetically and chemically manipulated to produce unnaturally high quantities of milk, and as a result, many cows contract mastitis, a painful infection of the udder. Newborn calves are torn away from their mothers, and the males are sold to veal farms, where many are chained for months inside crates so small that they can't even turn around or lie down comfortably.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Pizza Chain Taken to Task for Misleading Response to Investors About Dehorning of Dairy Cows

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Louisville, Ky. -- Papa John's 2013 annual meeting will include a shareholder resolution from PETA, which owns stock in the company, that calls for the pizza chain to require that its dairy suppliers begin phasing out dehorning, a painful process in which calves have their horns gouged out or horn tissue burned out of their heads. Because the company's currently planned statement in opposition to the resolution is designed to mislead investors away from the facts—that dehorning has been scientifically proved to cause calves immense pain and that breeding for naturally hornless cattle is a currently used practice that is growing in popularity—PETA is now calling on Papa John's to amend its statement to remove falsehoods and inaccuracies.

"Everything from common sense to scientific studies tells us that calves suffer excruciating pain when their sensitive horn tissue is burned off with a hot iron," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA is urging Papa John's to stop pretending and admit that dehorning is so cruel that the company should take action to stop it."

As shown in PETA's dehorning video exposé, narrated by Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck, workers on dairy farms burn searing-hot irons into calves' heads to destroy horn tissue or use sharp instruments or other tools to saw, gouge, or cut out the horn and sometimes the surrounding tissue. Cows struggle desperately during these procedures, which are routinely performed without giving them any painkillers. By breeding for polled cattle—which causes at least half the calves to be born hornless since the polled gene is dominant—dairy farmers can eliminate this cruel, costly, and labor-intensive procedure.

PETA's shareholder resolution and correspondence with Papa John's is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.