Rapper Performs Exclusive Concert on PETA's Rooftop Deck

For Immediate Release:
March 12, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- Kid Ink—the hottest new addition to RCA's lineup—is on a roll. After just dropping the video for his new single "Bad Ass," featuring Wale and Meek Mill, the MC hit the rooftop deck of the Bob Barker Building, PETA's West Coast headquarters in Los Angeles, for an exclusive performance and the unveiling of his brand-new "Ink, Not Mink" ad for PETA (available here). In the ad, Kid Ink shows off the tattoos covering his torso and arms above the words "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and Let Animals Keep Theirs." Photos from Monday's event are available here.

"As much as I just love my pets and animals, I could never think of my dog getting skinned or anything happening to him," says Kid Ink in an exclusive PETA interview. "Why wouldn't I compare that to a rabbit or a fox or any other animal with a brain and a heart?"

Kid Ink's first independent album,Up & Away, debuted at number 20 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and he has been a featured performer on songs by Chris Webby, Bun B, Ty$, Sterling Simms, and others. His fans can enter for a chance to win an autographed poster of his new ad here.

Kid Ink joins a growing list of musicians and other celebrities—including Kid Sister, Amar'e Stoudemire, Travie McCoy, Dave Navarro, and Waka Flocka Flame—who have teamed up with PETA to speak out against fur.

For more information and to view Kid Ink's ad and video, please visit PETA.org or click here.

Meat-Free Meals Can Help Concerned Americans Reduce Their Carbon Footprints, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
March 12, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Portland, Or. -- Wearing green bikinis and bodypaint, sporting green hair, and holding signs that read, "Go Green, Go Vegan," three PETA members will distribute PETA's "Meat's Not Green" leaflets to lunchtime shoppers in downtown Portland on Wednesday. The bodypainted beauties' point? Whether you were born with the luck of the Irish or not, the best way to go green and help the environment is by chucking meat, eggs, and dairy products and going vegan.

When:   Wednesday, March 13, 12 noon 

Where:  The intersection of S.W. Morrison Street and S.W. Broadway, Portland

"Between polluting the soil, water, and air and gobbling up our natural resources, the meat industry is as toxic to the Earth as it is to human health," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA wants Americans to know that each of us can personally fight climate change—and save animals—simply by going vegan."

According to the United Nations, raising animals for food is "a top contributor to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." In its report, the U.N. found that the meat industry causes local and global environmental problems even beyond climate change. It said that the meat industry should be a main focus in every discussion of land degradation, air pollution, water shortages and pollution, and loss of biodiversity. In addition, vegans are, on average, trimmer than meat-eaters, and they're less prone to suffering from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. And of course, every vegan saves more than 100 animals every year from daily suffering and a terrifying death.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Encourages Gamers to Have a 'Heart for the Swarm' 

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Irvine, Calif. -- StarCraft players lining up for the launch of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm will get a new perspective on the game's arthropodal extraterrestrials, the Zerg, courtesy of PETA—or, as the group is renaming itself in honor of the expansion pack's launch, "Terrans for the Ethical Treatment of Zerglings." The group will attend Monday evening's launch event in Irvine and distribute copies of its "Zerglings Have Feelings, Too" leaflets as a lighthearted reminder that gamers and nongamers alike should have compassion for all beings—even those who are different from us.

When:   Monday, March 11, 9 p.m.

Where:  GameStop, by the fountain at the Giant Wheel Court at Irvine Spectrum Mall, 71 Fortune Dr. (near the intersection with Pacifica), Irvine

"To paraphrase a great philosopher, the question is not 'Can Zerg reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but 'Can they suffer when attacked with a Perdition flamethrower?'" says PETA Director of Marketing Joel Bartlett. "PETA is full of StarCraft players, but we've always had empathy for the Zerg—and for anyone who is killed without consideration because they don't speak our language."

Like the Zerg, many species on Earth are killed or abused simply because Terrans can't or won't understand them. Some are caged, poisoned, and cut up in cruel experiments. Others are chained and beaten into performing tricks for Terrans' amusement, and more are slaughtered en masse so that Terrans can eat them. PETA encourages everyone to greet all living beings with kindness, not violence.

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:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Raleigh, N.C. -- Most students at North Carolina State University 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, March 14, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  The Brickyard, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

"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.

Meat-Free Meals Can Help Concerned Americans Reduce Their Carbon Footprints, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Spokane, Wash. -- Wearing green bodypaint, sporting green hair, and holding signs that read, "Go Green, Go Vegan," two PETA members will distribute PETA's "Meat's Not Green" leaflets to lunchtime shoppers in downtown Spokane on Thursday. The bodypainted beauties' point? Americans can help the environment by chucking meat, eggs, and dairy products and going vegan.

When:   Thursday, March 14, 12 noon

Where:  River Park Square, on the northeast corner of W. Main Avenue and N. Post Street, Spokane

"Between polluting the soil, water, and air and gobbling up our natural resources, the meat industry is as toxic to the Earth as it is to human health," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA wants Americans to know that each of us can personally fight climate change—and save animals—simply by going vegan."

According to the United Nations, raising animals for food is "a top contributor to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." In its report, the U.N. found that the meat industry causes local and global environmental problems even beyond climate change. It said that the meat industry should be a main focus in every discussion of land degradation, air pollution, water shortages and pollution, and loss of biodiversity. In addition, vegans are, on average, trimmer than meat-eaters, and they're less prone to suffering from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. And of course, every vegan saves more than 100 animals every year from daily suffering and a terrifying death.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Company Ignores Cease-and-Desist Letter, Continues Lying to Callers About Fur Sales

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

San Francisco -- bebe's continued claims that it is a fur-free company—even though it sells items made with rabbit and chinchilla fur—have led PETA to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). In the month since PETA sent bebe a cease-and-desist letter—which the company has yet to respond to—demanding that it either stop lying or stop selling items made with real fur, bebe representatives have refused to answer callers' questions about fur, saying that they "don't have any information regarding the exact materials," that they "do not have a way to actually respond to this," and even that they are "not obliged to answer your question." Representatives have also lied to callers, saying that the company sells "only fake fur."

"Deceiving customers—many of whom care about animals and would never patronize a store that sells fur—is as unethical as skinning animals for their fur is cruel," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA is calling on the Better Business Bureau to step in and tell bebe that if it doesn't want to be known as a fur monger, then it needs to stop selling fur—not lie to customers about it."

InChina—one of the countries from which bebe obtains rabbit fur and where there are no penalties for abusing animals on fur farms—workers pull rabbits out of cages by their ears and stun the screaming animals with electrical devices. Workers cut the rabbits throats and hack off their heads and paws with knives before peeling their skin off their bodies. In other parts of the world, animals killed for their fur spend their entire lives confined to tiny, filthy cages amid their own waste until farmers break their necks, smash their skulls, or slit their throats.

For more information about PETA's campaign to end bebe's fur sales, please visit PETA's blog.

Actor Takes Action After PETA Investigation Prompts Seizure of Thousands of Suffering and Dying Rats, Reptiles, and Other Animals

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Riverside, Calif. -- Actor Jenna Dewan Tatum has joined the more than 30,000 people who have signed PETA's petition calling for criminal charges to be filed against the owner and operators of Global Captive Breeders (GCB), where a PETA undercover investigation led to the largest animal rescue in California history. In a letter sent today to Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach, Jenna calls for justice for the nearly 18,000 rats and mice and 600 reptiles who were found languishing in waste-filled cages, many of them starved, injured, gravely ill, and/or with no access to water, when rescuers entered GCB in mid-December.

"As an expectant mother, I was particularly heartbroken to see photos of ailing mother rats with open wounds on their bodies who stood guard protectively over their dead or dying babies," Jenna writes. "I implore you … to take action and send the strong and compassionate message that cruelty to animals is taken seriously and will not be tolerated in Riverside County."

PETA's investigation uncovered routine, severe neglect at GCB, including scores of rats drowning on a near-daily basis because of a faulty watering system, rats dying of dehydration and eating each other alive in an effort to survive, mother rats confined to bins so short that they could not sit upright or even groom themselves or properly nurse their young, reptiles slowly wasting away over the course of weeks as a result of systemic deprivation, and more. PETA's investigator recorded employees killing rats by slamming them against walls, shelves, and other hard surfaces and shooting them with a BB gun.

Jenna previously starred in a "naked" PETA ad (available here), which called attention to the millions of snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and other reptiles who are killed for their skins every year in the name of "fashion."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

It Doesn't Take a Genius to Know That Ditching Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products Is Always a Smart Move, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382 

Princeton, N.J. -- If you think about Albert Einstein, his acclaimed equation E=mc² comes to mind. But he made another brilliant "discovery"—that neither he nor any other human should eat animals. So to mark his birthday, March 14, PETA will bring its giant Einstein inflatable to Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., where Einstein lived and taught in his later years. Standing more than 9 feet tall and holding a sign that reads, "Think Before You Eat—Go Vegan," PETA's Einstein will remind students that the best thing that they can do for animals and their own health is to go vegan.

When:   Thursday, March 14, 12 noon

Where:  At the intersection of Hulfish and Witherspoon streets, Princeton

"Everyone would agree that Einstein was no dummy, and going vegetarian was one of the most intelligent moves that he ever made," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "With so many delicious vegan choices available, there has never been a better time to make the switch to a kinder, smarter diet."

Einstein once stated, "So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It almost seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivore." And the facts back him up. Meat causes animal suffering on a massive scale and is also full of saturated fats and cholesterol, which are linked to health problems such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Meat is even linked to Alzheimer's disease, and the mercury in fish can cause learning problems and memory loss. Plant-based foods, on the other hand, contain powerful nutrients that help students' growing minds reach their full potential.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Shark Reportedly Flown Cross-Country and Put in a Backyard Pool With Actors Shortly Before Dying

For Immediate Release:
March 14, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Chicago -- Following reports from whistleblowers that a whitetip shark died during the production of a Kmart commercial, PETA has fired off a letter urging the chain to investigate the incident immediately and to adopt a policy against using any wild animals in its ads. The shark was flown to Los Angeles on March 6 and placed in a small above-ground pool in Van Nuys, Calif. PETA was told that actors jumped in and out of the pool with the shark, stressing the animal, who died later that day. It was reported to PETA that the crew was upset by the obviously distressed state of the shark, but only after approximately an hour did the American Humane Association—which allegedly approved the script and was on set—stop the shoot.

"Again, it appears that no one on set is protecting animals from exploitation, suffering, and death, making it clear that the only sure way to prevent real-life animal snuff movies is not to use animals in the first place," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "PETA is telling Kmart that there's no excuse for risking animals' lives, especially when modern, creative companies today are using CGI [computer-generated imagery] and animatronic technology instead of captive wild animals."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

6-Year-Old Uses Birthday Party to Rally Support for Tormented Animals

For Immediate Release:
March 14, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382 

Leland, N.C. -- Most 6-year-old kids celebrate their birthdays with presents, games, and lots of treats. But Leland resident Riley Etheridge isn't your average 6-year-old. Riley, who attends kindergarten at The Roger Bacon Academy, made good use of her birthday party by having all her friends write letters to politicians and others urging them to do whatever they can to shut down the state's shameful bear pits and send the animals to a sanctuary. For her leadership in seeking justice for the bears suffering at Chief Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee and other bear pits, Riley is receiving a Compassionate Kid Award from PETA Kids.

"The kindness and drive of this 6-year-old should serve as an inspiration to people of all ages," says Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "Riley reminds all of us that young people often help look out for the most vulnerable among us."

Between July and October 2012, PETA's undercover investigation of Chief Saunooke Bear Park revealed the systemic neglect and abuse of bears. They were deprived of food so that they would beg tourists for pieces of stale bread and were so stressed from being confined to barren concrete pits that they paced aimlessly and chewed on the pits' metal bars, causing their teeth to break. At nearby Cherokee Bear Zoo, bears languish in nearly identical circumstances and are deprived of everything that's natural and important to them. There is one hopeful sign of change in the midst of this misery: Tribal elders have proposed a resolution to close all the bear pits under their control. The proposal is pending.

Riley—who can always count on the guidance and steadfast support of her compassionate grandmother Rhonda Hennis—will receive a framed certificate from PETA Kids.

For more information, please visit PETAKids.com.

Meat-Free Meals Can Help Concerned Americans Reduce Their Carbon Footprints, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
March 14, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382 

Seattle -- Wearing green bodypaint, sporting green hair, and holding signs that read, "Go Green, Go Vegan," three PETA members will distribute PETA's "Meat's Not Green" leaflets to lunchtime shoppers in downtown Seattle on Friday. The bodypainted beauties' point? Americans can help the environment by chucking meat, eggs, and dairy products and going vegan.

When:   Friday, March 15, 12 noon

Where:  On the northeast corner of Pine Street and Fourth Avenue, Seattle

"Between polluting the soil, water, and air and gobbling up our natural resources, the meat industry is as toxic to the Earth as it is to human health," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA wants Americans to know that each of us can personally fight climate change—and save animals—simply by going vegan."

According to the United Nations, raising animals for food is "a top contributor to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." In its report, the U.N. found that the meat industry causes local and global environmental problems even beyond climate change. It said that the meat industry should be a main focus in every discussion of land degradation, air pollution, water shortages and pollution, and loss of biodiversity. In addition, vegans are, on average, trimmer than meat-eaters, and they're less prone to suffering from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. And of course, every vegan saves more than 100 animals every year from daily suffering and a terrifying death.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Shojin and The Vegan House Serve Up Dozens of Delectable Cruelty-Free Rolls, From Vegan Tuna to Soy Crab

For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382 

Los Angeles -- If you think of raw fish when you hear the word "sushi," think again. That's because top Japanese restaurants today are meeting consumers' growing demand for vegan sushi—that is, rolls free of the flesh of fish who are impaled, yanked out of the water, and cut open—by dishing up vegan crab, shrimp, and tuna in colorful rolls packed with fresh and flavorful fruits, vegetables, and much more. Two Los Angeles restaurants that offer creative, delicious fish-free fare are Shojin, which is number seven on PETA's list of the top 10 restaurants for vegan sushi in North America, and The Vegan House, which grabbed the number 10 spot on the list.

Located at 333 S. Alameda St. in Little Tokyo, Shojin offers more than a dozen varieties of fish-free sushi, including a roll with barbecue seitan (protein from wheat) and a roll made with spicy vegan tuna, vegan mayo, and green onion Vegan House, located at 1717 N. Wilcox Ave., also offers a variety of sushi, including a roll with grilled onions and eggplant and the California Roll with soy crab, soy fish, and vegan mayo.

"There's a sea change taking place in North America's eating habits—the more we humans learn about how fish feel pain and fear and value their own lives, the less interested we tend to be in eating them," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA is proud to recognize restaurants such as Shojin and The Vegan House for going above and beyond when it comes to offering creative sushi that is as delicious as it is kind to animals."

First place went to Loving Vegan in Albuquerque, N.M., second place went to Minako Organic Japanese Restaurant in San Francisco, and New York's Beyond Sushi grabbed third place. Rounding out the top 10 are Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine in Markham, Ontario; New York's Soy & Sake; Kotobuki in PETA's hometown of Norfolk, Va.; Washington, D.C.'sSticky Rice; and New York's Franchia Vegan Cafe. San Francisco's Cha-Ya garnered an honorable mention.

For more information, please click here.

Bikini-Clad Activists Bring Life- and Earth-Saving 'Go Vegan' Message to Country's Biggest St. Patrick's Day Celebration

For Immediate Release:
March 17, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382 

Boston -- Wearing nothing but strategically placed lettuce leaves, a pair of PETA's lovely "Lettuce Ladies" surprised attendees of Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade by hitting the parade route with signs that read, "Green Means Vegan," to encourage people to safeguard their health and help the environment by eating a "green" diet year-round. Photos of the Lettuce Ladies' surprise appearance at the St. Patrick's Day Parade are available here.

"PETA's message this St. Patrick's Day is 'Erin Go Vegan,'" says Lettuce Lady Krissy Addington. "With an abundance of delicious vegan choices now available, there's never been a better time to make the switch to a healthier, 'greener' diet."

On average, vegans are significantly leaner than meat-eaters are. Also, the consumption of meat and other animal-derived products has been conclusively linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and of course, obesity. In addition to being responsible for the daily suffering and terrifying deaths of billions of animals, the meat industry is a top emitter of the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change—so going vegan is a great way to keep the Earth "green," too.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Cousin of 2-Year-Old Who Was Killed by Chained Dogs Joins Suffolk Residents in Call for a Ban on Tethering

For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Suffolk, Va. -- As the Suffolk City Council prepares for Wednesday's vote on a proposed ordinance that would regulate the continuous chaining of dogs, local resident Alice Conner—who made a public service announcement for PETA after her 2-year-old cousin was fatally mauled by chained dogs in Suffolk in 2005—has sent a letter on PETA's behalf to the City Council in support of the ban. PETA responds to more chained-dog cases in Suffolk than in any other city in the area, and as Conner knows from personal experience, chained dogs present a threat to public safety since dogs who have been forced to spend their lives on a chain are more likely to become aggressive and attack people—especially children.

"It is too late for Jonathan and those who loved him, but ever since the horrific attack that took him from us, I have felt an obligation to prevent similar tragedies in the future," writes Conner. "Being trapped would drive anyone crazy. The dogs who killed Jonathan belonged to his own family—it didn't make any difference that they knew who he was. They had gone mad from confinement and neglect."

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

Alice Conner's letter to the Suffolk City Council follows.

March 18, 2013

The Honorable Linda T. Johnson, Mayor of Suffolk
The Honorable Charles F. Brown, Vice Mayor of Suffolk
Members of City Council
Suffolk Municipal Building
441 Market St.
Suffolk, VA 23434

Dear Mayor Johnson, Vice Mayor Brown, and Council Members:

My name is Alice Conner, and I live in Virginia Beach. In October 2005, two dogs who had spent most of their lives chained up outdoors attacked and killed my beloved 2-year-old cousin, Jonathan, in Suffolk. Jonathan loved dogs. He had no idea how dangerous they can be when chained up. It is too late for Jonathan and those who loved him, but ever since the horrific attack that took him from us, I have felt an obligation to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Last September, Portsmouth enacted a law that limits the tethering of dogs to no more than three hours in any 24-hour period, and Hampton has banned tethering completely. Would you, on behalf of little Jonathan, help make Suffolk safer for children and for animals by voting for an ordinance that bans or drastically restricts chaining?

Chained dogs are a threat to the public. Since losing Jonathan, I've learned that his death was not an isolated incident. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chained dogs are nearly three times as likely to attack humans as are dogs who are not kept chained. Since an 8-year-old Hampton boy was killed by his family's dog in 2000, hundreds more Americans have been injured or killed by chained dogs. Most of those victims were innocent children like my little cousin, including toddlers in Orange and James City counties.

I am a dog lover, and I share my home with a mixed-breed dog named Zoey. She lives indoors with me. She is part of my family, and I wouldn't dream of chaining her up outside like an old bicycle. Dogs are social pack animals who need more than just food, water, and a doghouse (and even those basics are often withheld from chained dogs, who tend to be "out of sight, out of mind"). They thrive on interacting with people and other dogs, exercise, praise, companionship, and simple pleasures, such as tummy rubs, scratches behind the ears, and watching TV on the sofa next to their human companion.

So it's no wonder that dogs who have none of the things that they need and crave become frustrated, territorial, and dangerous—they can't even escape or hide from a perceived threat! Being trapped would drive anyone crazy. The dogs who killed Jonathan belonged to his own family—it didn't make any difference that they knew who he was. They had gone mad from confinement and neglect.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Alice Conner

PETA Exposé by Nurse Jackie Star Reveals Ringling's Abusive Baby Elephant Training

ForImmediate Release:
March 18, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

New York -- With Ringling Bros. headed to Brooklyn this week, Emmy-winning actor and Brooklyn native Edie Falco is starring in a new PETA video in the hope that her fellow New York City parents will keep their kids far away from the circus. In the video, she says, "I'm a mother. I cannot imagine having my children taken from me and forced to spend the rest of their lives away from everything that matters to them." Falco's video reveals how baby elephants—with whom females would have stayed for their entire lives in the wild—used by Ringling Bros. are stretched out, slammed to the ground, shocked with electric prods, and mercilessly beaten with bullhooks to teach them to obey and perform the confusing, unnatural, and physically taxing tricks of a circus routine.

"Mother elephants in the circus cannot help their babies, but we can," concludes Falco. "Never take your children to the circus. Let's teach our kids to respect and show compassion for all beings—both human and animal."

Ringling Bros. has a long history of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and paid the largest penalty in circus history to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to settle numerous violations of the AWA. PETA documented and reported that Ringling handlers beat and shock elephants to keep them in constant fear of punishment. The USDA is currently investigating Ringling for abuse after an arena worker reported in a sworn affidavit that he witnessed a Ringling employee strike a chained elephant with a bullhook violently, angrily, and excessively.

Falco, who has won multiple awards for her starring roles in Nurse Jackie and The Sopranos, is part of a long list of celebrities—including Pink, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cloris Leachman, Demi Moore, and Alec Baldwin—who have joined with PETA to condemn circuses that use elephants.

Broadcast-quality versions of Falco's anti-circus video as well as PETA's exclusive interview with her are available upon request. For more information and to watch the videos, please visit PETA.org. 

TV Icon Joins PETA in Urging Lawmakers in Five States: Don't Let Factory Farms Cover Up Animal Abuse

Immediate Release:
March 18, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- TV icon and lifelong Republican Bob Barker, inspired by his successful efforts to stop Wyoming's "ag-gag" bill, which would have hindered undercover investigations on factory farms by banning filming and forcing witnesses of abuse to report it within 48 hours of the first incident, is turning his attention to five states where other GOP-sponsored "ag-gag" bills are pending: Arkansas, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. In letters sent last week to legislators on behalf of PETA, Barker explains that evidence of repeated, routine abuse is crucial in order for law-enforcement officials to make a strong case against an animal abuser.

"I am a lifelong Republican who feels that authorities should have access to everything that they need to enforce the law," writes Barker. "Americans today want better treatment of animals killed for food, not for their legislators to hide illegal cruelty on farms behind locked doors.… I hope to hear that you'll stand up for protecting our right to document and expose cruelty to animals."

The sponsors of Wyoming's "ag-gag" bill acknowledged that "negative publicity" killed the bill. Similar bills have died or been tabled in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York, thanks in part to opposition from prominent people, including Mary Matalin and Temple Grandin.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

USDA Cites UW for Violation of Law: Cats Suffered From Infections, Deprived of Food, and Burned in University Laboratory

For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Madison, Wis. -- A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report has confirmed PETA's allegations of unrelieved, ongoing suffering of cats in the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW) laboratory that was first exposed by the animal rights group with the release of photos of a cat with a steel post screwed to her skull. The graphic photos prompted a high-profile protest by actor James Cromwell at the February 7 Board of Regents meeting.

According to the report just obtained by PETA through the Freedom of Information Act, the USDA cited UW for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act by negligently burning a cat named Broc so badly with a heating pad that she required surgery. The USDA report—which includes federal inspectors' photos of seven mutilated cats who are still being used in the invasive brain experiment—also details widespread suffering of cats who had steel posts screwed into open wounds on their heads and metal coils implanted into their eyes. The federal inspector stated that there was "a pattern of recurring infections" and that all the cats profiled by PETA in its complaint had been "diagnosed with chronic infections."

"When I close my eyes at night, I'm haunted by the images from inside UW's laboratories of cats whose heads had been sliced open, skulls penetrated by metal rods, and infected eye wounds from metal coil implants," says Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell. "It's torture for these animals, plain and simple. Now the government has confirmed what PETA has been saying all along: UW left these cats to suffer from chronic infections, with some dying slow, lingering deaths."

The USDA noted that some cats have died from the infections and that one cat named NJ, who is depicted in one of the new photos, even had to have her eye removed after the metal coil caused an incurable infection.

"The USDA has confirmed what PETA alleged and what UW tried so hard to distort: that UW has inflicted tremendous suffering on the cats it has imprisoned, mutilated, and killed in its laboratories," says PETA Director of the Laboratory Investigations Department Justin Goodman. "Federal funding for this pointless cruelty must end now."

The USDA report, which was written in December but just now released to the public, starkly contradicts UW's many recent op-eds, media statements, and interviews claiming that it has not been cited by the USDA for these cruel experiments and that PETA's allegations were "unsubstantiated."  

For more information, please visit PETA.org/DoubleTrouble.

PETA Alleges That Leaving Dorado to Suffocate to Death Constitutes a Violation of State Law

For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Unalakleet, Alaska -- In the wake of the death of Dorado—the 5-year-old dog who had been "dropped" from the Iditarod and who asphyxiated on Friday after being buried in drifting snow—PETA has sent an urgent letter to Nome District Attorney John A. Earthman calling for cruelty-to-animals charges to be filed against those whose negligence resulted in Dorado's death. As PETA points out in its letter, Dorado would not have died if he had been given adequate protection from the extreme weather. Approximately 100 other "dropped" dogs spent the night indoors.

"Once again, we've seen that when mushers chase prize money, it's the dogs who pay the price—in Dorado's case, with his life," says Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. "Dorado's death was as horrific as it was preventable, and PETA is calling on the district attorney's office to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable."

At least 20 dogs used in the 1,000-plus-mile Iditarod have died just since 2005. Common injuries and conditions afflicting dogs forced to run the Iditarod include everything from sore wrists and bleeding paws to hypothermia, gastric ulcers, and "sled-dog myopathy" (or being run to death). On average, more than half the dogs who start the race don't make it across the finish line, and 81 percent of those who do finish have lung damage.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to District Attorney John A. Earthman follows.

March 18, 2013

The Honorable John A. Earthman
2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office
103 E. Front St., 2nd Fl.
Nome, AK 99762-0160

Dear Mr. Earthman:

Your attention is urgently requested.

PETA is an international animal protection organization with more than 3 million members and supporters globally. This letter concerns the alarming March 15 death of an Iditarod sled dog, Dorado, during severe weather in Unalakleet. According to news reports, the 5-year-old dog was left outdoors unattended by his owner, Paige Drobny, and was exposed to temperatures of negative 15 degrees and 45 mph winds. Reportedly, a necropsy revealed that Dorado asphyxiated upon being buried in drifting snow. Had Dorado been provided with adequate shelter from such extreme weather, as were approximately 100 other "dropped" sled dogs who spent the night in airport storage buildings, he surely would not have suffered this fate. It would appear that Drobny and any Iditarod organizers responsible for Dorado's safety can be directly blamed for this animal's horrific death.

Alaska §11.61.140 states that "[a] person commits cruelty to animals if the person … with criminal negligence, fails to care for an animal and, as a result, causes the death of the animal or causes severe physical pain or prolonged suffering to the animal." Alaska §03.55.100 defines minimum care as "an environment compatible with protecting and maintaining the good health and safety of the animal."

On behalf of our members and supporters in Alaska, we respectfully request that your office do everything in its power to ensure that those responsible for this predictable, preventable tragedy are charged appropriately and vigorously prosecuted. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. We hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Kristin Simon
Senior Cruelty Caseworker
Cruelty Investigations Department

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
March 19, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Worcester, 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.

As Winter Storm Ukko delivers snow and low temperatures to the Worcester 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.