Class Raises More Than $1,500 to Help Future Animals in Need

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

New Tazewell, Tenn. -- When Erica Pressnell's fourth-grade class at TNT Primary School found a stray dog with a visibly broken leg during recess, they sprang into action, launching a fundraising effort to raise the $400 needed for the dog's surgery. Their efforts caught the attention of the Animal Emergency Specialty Center, which then offered to provide the dog, now named TNT, with her much-needed surgery free of charge. She is now recovering from her surgery, and the class has decided to donate the more than $1,500 that it raised in just four days to the Claiborne Animal Shelter's Emergency Fund so that more animals can find the help that they need.

In recognition of the students' kindness and generosity, Pressnell's class will receive a Compassionate Classroom Award from PETA Kids, PETA's children's division.

"As the story of TNT's rescue and rehabilitation shows, kindness inspires kindness—and Pressnell's class is an inspiration to us all," says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "PETA hopes more communities will follow in New Tazewell's footsteps and come together to help animals in need. Even the smallest actions—such as taking a lonely dog for a walk or donating supplies to an animal shelter—add up to make a big difference in animals' lives."

Once TNT recovers from her surgery, she'll be available for adoption and will likely find a home. But not every stray dog is as lucky as TNT: Every year, 6 to 8 million animals end up in U.S. animal shelters, and half of them have to be euthanized because there simply aren't enough good homes for them. Countless more are abandoned on the streets, where they sustain injuries like TNT's or succumb to starvation, exposure, or disease. That's why PETA encourages families always to spay and neuter their dogs and cats and to adopt from animal shelters rather than buy from breeders or pet stores, which contribute to the animal overpopulation crisis.

Photos of TNT and of TNT Primary School students and teachers can be seen here. For more information, please visit PETAKids.com.

Group Will Grill Company Execs at Annual Meeting About Dairy Suppliers' Painful Dehorning of Calves

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Domino's Pizza's 2013 annual meeting will include a statement from a representative of PETA, which owns stock in the company, in support of a shareholder resolution filed by the group. PETA is calling on Domino's—the world's second-largest pizza chain with more than 9,700 delivery locations in 65 countries—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. PETA will point out how breeding for naturally hornless, or polled, cows eliminates one of the most painful things done to cows on dairy farms. PETA's statement will also serve to rebut Domino's misleading statement to shareholders in opposition to PETA's resolution.

When:   Tuesday, April 23, 10 a.m.

Where:  Domino's headquarters, 30 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Ann Arbor

"Everything from common sense to scientific studies tells us that calves experience excruciating pain when their horns are gouged out or their sensitive horn tissue is burned off with a hot iron," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Instead of standing idly by, Domino's should be taking action to help phase out this painful mutilation of baby cows."

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 and cry out in pain 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—dairy farmers can eliminate this cruel procedure.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Files Federal Complaint After Eyewitness Reports That Animals Were Hit, Kicked, Sick, and Left to Die

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Allentown, Penn. -- Based on a sworn affidavit from a whistleblower who reported that the general manager of Piccadilly Circus—which is set to begin performances in Allentown on Tuesday—and others routinely physically abuse and egregiously neglect suffering animals, PETA has submitted a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to the whistleblower, animals used by Piccadilly are routinely denied necessary veterinary care, including a sheep who suffered from a broken leg for at least two weeks and was left to give birth to a lamb in the back of a truck with no treatment for her injuries. Animals are also reportedly routinely beaten whenever their performances are "slightly off," including a zebra named Ziggy, who was held in place by a circus worker while being beaten by Zack Garden, owner of the animals and Piccadilly's general manager, so savagely that the animal fell over and screamed on Thursday, April 11, backstage during a performance in Waterbury, Conn. PETA is offering a $5,000 reward for more information about neglect and other abuse of animals by Piccadilly staff that leads to a conviction.

"Children love animals and would be deeply upset to hear of cruelty toward them in the circus," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA has filed a federal complaint but is meanwhile urging families to keep their kids far away from Piccadilly Circus."

Further incidents attested to in the affidavit include the following:

• On April 1, Garden struck a 2-year-old camel named Thor with the handle of a whip causing the animal's eye to bleed, and a suffering baby goat named Salem, who had been paralyzed in a transportation accident, was left to die in the woods.
• In December 2012, a llama named Spot developed "uncontrollable" diarrhea, received no veterinary care, was left to lie in his own waste, and finally died.
• Rain, a lone tiger who is kept caged almost constantly, has a persistent cut on her nose from rubbing it on the bars of the cages. Despite USDA orders to treat her injury, she has received no veterinary care.
• This past winter, Garden instructed an employee to carry a dying sheep into the woods, cut the ID tag from his ear, and leave him to die.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Calls On Mayor Coleman to Enforce Cruelty-to-Animals Laws When Ringling Bros. Comes to Town 

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Columbus, Ohio -- Holding signs that read, "Mayor Coleman: Enforce Anti-Cruelty Laws," and holding bullhooks—weapons with a sharp metal hook on the end that are used by circuses to train and discipline elephants—a group of PETA members will gather outside Columbus City Hall on Tuesday in advance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' arrival in May.

When:   Tuesday, April 23, 12 noon

Where:  City Hall, 90 W. Broad St. (near the intersection with N. Front Street), Columbus

As PETA has pointed out in a letter to Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ringling's routine use of bullhooks to strike, jab, prod, and otherwise terrorize elephants clearly appears to violate an Ohio law stating that "[n]o person shall … use ... electric or other prods, or similar devices" on animals being used in a circus. Handlers often embed a bullhook in the soft tissue behind the ears, inside the ear or mouth, in and around the anus, and in tender spots under the chin and around the feet. Alec Baldwin's video exposé reveals Ringling personnel beating elephants with bullhooks. In late 2011, Ringling paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for Animal Welfare Act violations. The circus is currently under investigation for additional violations.

"As we read the Ohio law, beating animals into performing—which is exactly what Ringling does—is illegal and punishable," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "The mayor has an opportunity—and an obligation—to keep Ringling's reign of terror over elephants out of Columbus, and he should exercise it."

For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.

Going Vegan and Protecting Animals Is a Family Affair for English Major and Her Sister

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Huntington Beach, Calif. -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and 22-year-old Marchesa Schroeder, a junior at Costa Mesa's Orange Coast College and part-time construction worker, could take home the grand prize. That's because Schroeder has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one male and one female) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

Schroeder's sister first inspired her to go vegetarian when they were in elementary school by informing her what—or, rather, whom—her bologna sandwich was made from. "Even though I was very young, it disturbed me enough to consciously, from that point on, ask, 'Does this have a face?' before I would eat anything," explains Schroeder. And five years ago, her sister again led the charge for the two to go vegan. "I grew up in a household of people who are extremely compassionate, caring, considerate, and supportive," says Schroeder. "When my sister and I announced we were vegan, we were met with love and support."

When she's not in class, Schroeder enjoys working for her parents' construction firm, playing sports—especially basketball—and riding her motorcycle. She is also a dedicated guardian to her cat, Penelopea, whom she adores.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

Nonmedical Army Personnel Now Banned From Mutilating and Killing Animals in Deadly Drills—More Changes to Come

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Washington -- The Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) of the Army has confirmed to PETA a major shift in Army policy that will significantly reduce the number of animals cut apart, shot, stabbed, and killed in archaic trauma training drills at military bases.

A new Army policy states, "Non-medical personnel are not authorized to participate in training that involves the use of animal models." Previously, many nonmedical Army personnel participated in these exercises, which are similar to the disturbing military trauma course PETA exposed last year in undercover video footage showing live goats having their limbs broken and cut off with tree trimmers.

Servicemembers will instead be trained using modern non-animal methods, including "commercial training manikins, moulaged actors, cadavers, or virtual simulators." Studies by military and civilian researchers have shown that these humane methods prepare personnel to treat traumatic injuries better than animal laboratories do.

"The days when military personnel are forced to mutilate and kill animals in archaic training exercises are numbered," says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. "The Army's new policy is an important step, and PETA will continue to push all branches of the military to stop using animals in all trauma training exercises—for nonmedical and medical personnel alike."

According to the OTSG, this change is one of several that will be unveiled in the coming months as a result of a series of meetings that began in February about restructuring the Army's medical training program.

Many U.S. military facilities—and more than three-quarters of U.S. NATO allies—use only non-animal methods for training medical personnel.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Files Federal Complaint After Eyewitness Reports That Animals Were Beaten, Kicked, Sick, and Left to Die

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Waterbury, Conn. -- Based on a sworn affidavit from a whistleblower who reported that Piccadilly Circus General Manager Zack Garden beat a zebra backstage during the circus's April 11 performance in Waterbury so savagely that the animal fell over and screamed, PETA has submitted a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to the whistleblower, the animal—named Ziggy—jumped out of the ring during an evening performance, after which a Piccadilly supervisor held him down backstage while Garden struck him with a 3-foot rod until the animal fell down and wailed. When Ziggy got up, Garden struck him at least two more times. The whistleblower further reported that physical abuse in the circus is routine and that he never saw the animals used by Piccadilly receive veterinary care, including a sheep who suffered from a broken leg for at least two weeks and was left to give birth to a lamb in the back of a truck with no treatment for her injuries. PETA is offering a $5,000 reward for more information about neglect and other abuse of animals by Piccadilly staff that leads to a conviction.

"Circus handlers use violence, fear, and pain to keep animals under control—and to punish them for not obeying," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA has filed a formal complaint with the federal government but meanwhile urges families to stay far away from Piccadilly Circus."

Further incidents attested to in the affidavit include the following:

• On April 1, Garden struck a 2-year-old camel named Thor with the handle of a whip causing the animal's eye to bleed, and a suffering baby goat named Salem, who had been paralyzed in a transportation accident, was left to die in the woods.
• In December 2012, a llama named Spot developed "uncontrollable" diarrhea, received no veterinary care, was left to lie in his own waste, and died.
• Rain, a lone tiger who is kept caged almost constantly, has a persistent wound on her nose from rubbing it on the bars of the cages. Despite USDA orders to treat her injury, she has received no veterinary care.
• This past winter, Garden instructed an employee to carry a dying sheep into the woods, cut the ID tag from his ear, and leave him to die.

For more information, please visit PETA's blog.

Compassionate and Super-Fit Model's Inner Beauty Shines Through

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Sterling Heights, Mich. -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and 29-year-old Rachelle Ryerson, who grew up in Sterling Heights and now lives in Las Vegas, could take home the grand prize. That's because she has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one female and one male) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

"I love what I am doing for myself, the animals, and the environment," says Ryerson. "I never had so much energy. I wake up and feel good every day." In fact, Ryerson—who counts French acting legend and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot among her role models—recently convinced two of her closest friends to kick the meat habit, and she created a Facebook page titled "Vegan 2013." A model who's used to being in the public eye, Ryerson has worked as a ring-card girl for boxing matches at The Palace of Auburn Hills, graced the pages of Maxim magazine, and also done some acting. Her interests include working out, cooking, traveling, writing, photo editing, cosmetology, and fashion.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

Pitt Med Student Aims to Let His Patients Know That if They Want to Keep Their Tickers Ticking, They Should Try Kicking the Meat Habit

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Pittsburgh -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and 25-year-old Pittsburgh resident Jayshiv Badlani could take home the grand prize. That's because he has beaten out more than 100 other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 male contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one male and one female) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

Badlani, who has lived in Pittsburgh all his life, is a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and he enjoys discussing diet and health with his patients. "I let patients know that … they can greatly reduce their risk of certain diseases … by limiting the amount of meat and animal products in their diet," he says. Badlani credits his Hindu religion and respect for all life with inspiring him to go vegan and says that even as a young child, he felt that it was wrong to eat animals. Now that his energy level has soared and he has replaced a few unwanted pounds with lean muscle, he's prouder than ever about his ethical choice. He also has his own blog, which discusses why he went vegan and manages to treat a very serious subject in a very funny way, and his grandparents and several of his friends have gone vegetarian after he showed them how easy it is. Badlani enjoys working out as well as hip-hop, salsa, and classical Indian dancing.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

TV Host, Budding Entrepreneur Says Her Health Improved After She Kicked the Meat and Dairy Habit

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and 35-year-old Los Angeles resident Asra Iftekaruddincould take home the grand prize. That's because she has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one female and one male) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

Iftekaruddin went vegan three years ago after visiting a farm sanctuary in Acton, Calif., and seeing the rescued animals firsthand. Although her motivation for the switch was based on ethics, she shed a few unwanted pounds and lowered her cholesterol by a whopping 45 points. Several of her family members and friends have also gone vegan, including one woman whose migraines disappeared after she stopped eating meat and dairy products. Iftekaruddin is a D.J. hosts a weekly heavy metal TV-radio show on TradioV and makes it a point to talk about her healthy vegan lifestyle. A top-notch baker with a degree in marketing, she's planning to launch her own line of vegan baked goods. She enjoys music, yoga, reading, hiking, and attending animal rights actions, including the ones that led to West Hollywood's becoming the first city in the country to ban fur.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

Group Files Complaint With Feds After National Zoo Fundraiser Features Dangerous Cheetah

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Washington -- Several live exotic animals—including a cheetah, a penguin, and a wallaby, among others—were reportedly flown in from the Columbus Zoo for a cocktail-party fundraiser for the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo, leading PETA to fire off a letter urging the Smithsonian to adopt a policy of never using wild animals as party props again. As PETA explains in its letter, photo opportunities at such noisy events as cocktail parties are extremely stressful for wild animals, who are typically carted about in cages and denied everything comfortable, comforting, natural, and important to them, including housing, privacy, and quiet.

"By using exotic animals as money-making props, the Smithsonian is acting like a circus, not like an educational institution," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA is urging the National Zoo to adhere to its stated mission to protect wildlife—and that means recognizing that a cocktail party is no fun for animals who avoid human interaction and are scared by human chatter and music."

PETA is also filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the cheetah, with whom partygoers were allowed to have direct contact. The federal Animal Welfare Act strictly limits direct contact with dangerous big cats to those under 3 months of age, and Moya, the cheetah who appeared at the party, is reportedly 3 years old. Dangerous incidents with big cats, including cheetahs, have resulted in the deaths of dozens of big cats and injuries—many fatal—to hundreds of human beings.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to the Smithsonian Institution follows.

April 23, 2013

Robert J. Lamb, Executive Director
National Zoological Park
Smithsonian Institution
Office of Advancement
P.O. Box 37012 MRC 5508
Washington, DC 20013-7012

Dear Mr. Lamb:

We are writing, with all due respect, to ask for your assurance that the National Zoo is not going into the circus business.

As you must know, wild animals naturally shun contact with humans. The cheetah and other animals used at Jim Kimsey's zoo fundraiser do not enjoy being held and handled for photo opportunities. Partnering with the Columbus Zoo in this marketing campaign calls the integrity of both facilities into question.

It is well acknowledged these days that just because animals can be forced into "acclimating" to public settings doesn't mean that they should be, and if the National Zoo is to uphold its mission to demonstrateleadership in animal care and to teach and inspire people to protect rather than exploit wildlife, it will not support such gratuitous use of animals.

We hope to hear that you will step in and implement a policy against forcing animals to interact with the public for zoo promotions. Thank you for your time.

Very truly yours,

Delcianna Winders, Esq.
Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement

Groups Challenge Have Trunk Will Travel's Bid for Permit to Breed Elephants Into Violent and Law-Violating Business

For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hollywood, Calif. -- Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), a Hollywood provider of elephants for television and movies, has a long and well-documented history of violating the law—as shown in Animal Defenders International's (ADI) video footage of HTWT owners Gary and Kari Johnson and other trainers beating endangered Asian elephants, including a baby, with bullhooks and shocking them with electric prods, two devices whose use is prohibited by California state law. That's why PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) have submitted formal comments to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) opposing the Endangered Species Act Captive-Bred Wildlife Permit application recently filed by the elephant provider. The groups point out that three of the four elephants bred by HTWT died before their fourth birthdays.

"Have Trunk Will Travel is trying to fool federal authorities into letting them breed baby elephants, hire them out for use in TV and movies, and then sell them to zoos and circuses, which are not activities allowed under the Endangered Species Act," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Claims that this abusive outfit makes of 'helping the species' do not hold water."

"The Endangered Species Act was designed to protect elephants from exactly the kind of abuse that occurs routinely at Have Trunk Will Travel," says ALDF Executive Director Steve Wells. "PETA and ALDF urge the Fish & Wildlife Service to ensure that this company is not able to breed any more endangered elephants into a life of bullhooks, electric prods, and chains."

PETA will also be asking for criminal charges to be filed against Kari Johnson for her alleged perjury in federal court in 2009, which PETA discovered while preparing its official comments. In her testimony, Johnson swore under oath that she had never seen anybody in her life strike an elephant with a bullhook—even though she herself hits elephants with a bullhook in ADI's video, which was recorded prior to 2009.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or ALDF.org.

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

For Immediate Release:
April 24, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Columbus, Ohio -- Most students at Capital 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, April 25, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Schaaf Lawn, Capital University, Bexley

"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.

Mother of Two and Fitness Enthusiast Says Vegan Meals Are the Ticket to Good Health

For Immediate Release:
April 24, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

San Diego, Calif. -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and 29-year-old Nastasha Rassel, a lifelong San Diego County resident, could take home the grand prize. That's because she has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one male and one female) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

Rassel, a proud mother of two, is a passionate fitness and nutrition enthusiast who was inspired to go vegan two years ago after watching Earthlingsand Forks Over Knives, two documentaries that tackle the meat industry's impact on animal welfare and human health. Now, she is a plant-based nutrition consultant who raises her own kids on vegan meals and teaches Mommy and Me vegan cooking classes in San Diego. Although she loves all sports—from football and soccer to wakeboarding and snowboarding—she says that she is "obsessed" with surfing and CrossFit workouts, which she does six times a week. And she credits vegan meals with keeping her energy up: "Being a healthy vegan has helped me perform at optimal levels for longer periods of time over and over again," she says.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

Abscess Consistent With Violent Use of Bullhook—PETA Urges Residents to Avoid Abusive Circus

For Immediate Release:
April 24, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Butte, Mont. -- PETA sent a formal complaint today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) calling for an investigation into a large abscess on the left hip of an elephant traveling with the Jordan World Circus, which is scheduled to perform in Butte on Thursday. PETA received a photo taken by a member of the public and had it examined by a veterinarian with decades of experience working with captive elephants. The veterinarian reports that the wound is likely what is referred to in the industry as a "hook boil," which results after an elephant has been violently beaten or gouged with a bullhook—a weapon resembling a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook at one end that is used by circuses to punish elephants for failing to obey commands quickly. In the complaint, PETA urges the USDA to take appropriate enforcement action.

"Physically abusing animals forced to perform in circuses is against the law, and a wound like this one is consistent with a nasty bullhook beating," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Circuses that still use animals, keep them in shackles, and train them with force are places of misery for animals, so the last place to take kids is to the circus."

Jordan World Circus borrows the animals it uses from the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus because Jordan no longer holds a USDA license. When it was licensed, Jordan had an abysmal record of animal care, including waiting a month to seek medical attention for a malnourished tiger with a fractured leg. In July 2010, the government of British Columbia denied Jordan a permit to transport and display wild animals because the circus didn't have a safety plan in place that would protect the public. The circus had reportedly already entered the province illegally. The USDA has cited and fined Carson & Barnes for numerous violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including abusive elephant handling practices. Other violations include failing to provide elephants with adequate veterinary care and clean water. Last year, Carson & Barnes paid a penalty for 10 violations of the AWA, including for endangering both animals and the public.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA Rep Will Deliver Statement to Shareholders Blasting Company's Use of Thousands of Animals in Painful, Deadly Surgeries

For Immediate Release:
April 24, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

New Brunswick, N.J. -- Covered in fake blood and bandages, two PETA members wearing pig costumes while hobbling on crutches will join others to protest outside Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) annual meeting in New Brunswick on Thursday. They'll also be holding signs that read, "Don't Cut Me Up" and "I Am Not Lab Equipment." Inside the meeting, a representative of PETA, which owns stock in J&J, will read a statement condemning the company's deadly experiments and training exercises on dogs, pigs, and other animals.

When:   Thursday, April 25, 9 a.m.

Where:  Outside the Hyatt Regency, 2 Albany St. (at the intersection with Burnet Street), New Brunswick

"It defies reason that Johnson & Johnson would choose to use cruel, painful, and inferior training methods in one facility and superior, non-animal methods in another," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "For the sake of animals and shareholders, the company needs to get its act together and stop maiming and killing animals."

At least two J&J companies—Ethicon Institute of Surgical Education in India and Ethicon Endo-Surgery in the U.S.—have used animals in lethal experiments, even as the company used non-animal simulators for the very same purpose at other facilities. According to federal reports, last year, in the U.S. alone, J&J's Ethicon and Ethicon Endo-Surgery facilities experimented on 1,221 animals—including 36 dogs, 56 rabbits, five sheep, 14 goats, and 1,110 pigs. All these animals experienced pain. The use of animals in medical-device training contradicts J&J's own principles as stated in its "Our Commitment to Ethical Animal Care and Use." The use of animals for laparoscopic training has been eliminated in all top American medical colleges.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Protesters Will Draw Attention to Ringling's Violent Treatment of Baby Elephants 

For Immediate Release:
April 24, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Louisville -- An "injured elephant" will lead PETAprotesters on Thursday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show in Louisville. The protesters will display signs that read, "This Is Ringling Baby-Elephant Training," emblazoned with compelling photos taken inside Ringling's training center. The photos expose how baby elephants used by Ringling are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. These abusive sessions go on for several hours a day in order to force the baby elephants to learn to perform circus tricks out of fear of punishment. Actor Alec Baldwin recently narrated a video exposé that focuses on how circuses abuse elephants.

When:   Thursday, April 25, 12 noon 

Where:  At the intersection of S. Second and W. Main streets, Louisville

"Louisville residents would run screaming from the big top if they knew how baby elephants are violently forced to perform difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful tricks," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Since children love animals, the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

In late 2011, Ringling Bros. paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently opened a formal investigation into Ringling for further violations of the AWA.

For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com. 

Agency Must Now Decide Whether to Offer Captive Orca the Same Protection Afforded Her Wild Kin

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Miami -- The National Marine Fisheries Service has found that PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), and the Orca Network have presented "substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that" their petition to have the solitary orca Lolita included in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the Southern Resident orcas, the family she was taken from more than 40 years ago, "may be warranted." The agency will now have nine months to determine whether Lolita's unlawful and unexplained exclusion from her family's listing should be reversed. The cruel exclusion has allowed the Miami Seaquarium to hold Lolita in the smallest orca tank in North America without the constraints of the ESA, which prohibits such harm and harassment.

"There is simply no lawful justification for excluding Lolita from the Endangered Species Act's protection," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "The National Marine Fisheries Service's decision is an important step toward ensuring that Lolita will finally receive the same protection offered to her family members, who are waiting for her in the ocean."

"Lolita has swum circles in a tiny, barren tank for over 40 years," says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. "It is time for the government to grant her the protection she has been denied for many lonely decades."

PETA, ALDF, and the Orca Network want Lolita to be released into a seaside sanctuary that is waiting for her in her home waters and, if possible, back into her family pod. In the wild, Southern Resident orcas often spend their entire lives with their mothers. Lolita recognized her pod's calls decades after being captured, and her mother is still thriving at more than 80 years of age.

For more information, please visit PETA.org and ALDF.org.

One a Model, the Other a Marathoner—Both Prove That Radiant Looks and Kindness Toward Others Go Hand in Hand

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Chicago -- PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2013contestis down to the wire, and one of two Chicago-area women—Yerika Sojo from Bolingbrook or Annie Fosnacht from the city—could take home the grand prize. That's because they have beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become two of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round. Two lucky winners (one female and one male) will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com. Although the annual contest dates back to 2004, this is the first year that participants must be vegan.

"Going vegan can help make you feel better on the inside, look better on the outside, and save more than 100 animals a year from the violence of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "On average, vegans are fitter and trimmer than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier, too."

Sojo, who grew up in Puerto Rico, is a freelance model, an event photographer, a makeup artist, and a professional baker, whose Azucar Vegan Bakery is known for its creative and delicious line of vegan cupcakes in a variety of Latin tropical flavors. What else does this super-energetic girl on the go enjoy? "I absolutely love vegan food," she says. "I also love to advocate about animal rights!"

Fosnacht describes herself as "obsessed with fitness" and loves cooking vegan food. She has run three marathons—her most recent after going vegan. "I had more energy, more endurance, and I recovered faster than while eating animal products!" she says. What turns on this runner and professional trainer? "Men who stand up to others for exploiting innocent animals. Now that's a turn-on!"

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine the winners ends at 12 noon EDT on May 3. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here. Winners will be notified and announced by May 9.

For more information and to cast your vote, please click here.

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

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Youngstown, Flo. -- Most students at Youngstown 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:   Friday, April 26, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Campus Core, Youngstown State University, Youngstown

"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.