Horse Racing's Widespread Drug Abuse Problem Is Focus of Provocative Student-Designed Award-Winning Mobile Ad

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Louisville, Ky. -- Visitors to Churchill Downs will see a stark reminder of the dark side of horse racing this week as PETA's mobile billboard is driven up and down Central Avenue and Ninth Street in front of the racetrack's entrance all day, every day, beginning on Thursday and extending through Saturday, the day of the Kentucky Derby.

The billboard, designed by Temple University graphic design student Dana Mulranen, depicts a horse with a syringe-shaped blaze on her forehead and the words "Drugs. Breakdowns. Death. Horse Racing Is a Bad Bet" and draws attention to the misuse of both "therapeutic" and illegal drugs that the racing industry uses to keep injured horses running. As last year's New York Times exposé of the thoroughbred racing industry pointed out, drug use leads to the deadly breakdown of more than three horses every day on racetracks across the U.S.

"The biggest tradition in thoroughbred racing isn't fancy hats or cocktails—it's illegal drugs that cause countless tragic breakdowns and the deaths of dozens of horses on racetracks every week," says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. "PETA's message to people who care about animals is that when it comes to horse races, don't attend 'em, don't watch 'em, and don't bet on 'em."

Horses who survive being pumped full of performance-enhancing drugs and being forced to run at breakneck speed face another threat: When thoroughbreds can no longer run, they are often sold at auction, packed onto crowded trucks, and shipped to slaughterhouses, where they are shot in the head, are hoisted into the air by one leg, and have their throats slit so that their flesh can be sold for human consumption.

For more information, please visit PETA's blog.

Group Joins Hall County Sheriff's Office in Effort to Bring Animal Abuser to Justice

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Gainesville, Ga. -- On April 5, a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever named Macey got loose from her home along Lake Lanier and returned several hours later with buckshot in her hip and hind leg. She is currently recovering from her wounds and the infection that they caused. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the shooting. That's why PETA is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this violent crime.

"Animal abusers are cowards," says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. "They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them. Area residents have good reason to be concerned. According to law-enforcement agencies and leading mental-health professionals, perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat to all animals—including humans."

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Hall County Sheriff's Office at 770-531-6885.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. To view PETA's anti-violence public service announcement featuring Inglourious Basterds star and Hostel director Eli Roth, please visit http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=eli_roth_violence_link_psa_peta.

P.S. 244 Gives Kids a Valuable—and Delicious—Lesson in Good Health and Kindness

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Queens, N.Y. -- Public School (P.S.) 244 in Flushing has been attracting a lot of attention since school officials made the health-conscious decision to offer an all-vegetarian menu to its elementary school students for both breakfast and lunch. It's believed that P.S. 244 is the first public school in the nation to go all-vegetarian. That news didn't escape TeachKind—PETA's humane-education division—which is giving P.S. 244 a Compassionate School Award.

"Good health begins with good food, and our hats are off to the educators who've put P.S. 244 in a class of its own," says Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "As the bad news about meat and other animal products mounts every day, we believe that P.S. 244 could be the flagship for a new trend that may be emulated at schools across the country."

Although the program was initiated to promote good health among students, according to news reports, the kids are really eating it up—figuratively and literally. Offerings include black beans, tofu, falafel, and other healthy fare prepared in ways that are putting smiles on students' faces. The best part is that kids can easily skip the eggs and cheese and dig into a healthier Earth- and animal-friendly vegan meal.

Besides being turned off by the massive suffering of animals raised and killed for food, students have other good reasons to shun animal products. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity than meat-eaters are. Many children who are raised on the traditional cholesterol- and saturated fat–laden American diet show symptoms of heart disease by age 7. Also, the United Nations has concluded that factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every level—from local to global—and that a worldwide shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change.

The school will receive a framed certificate and a letter of appreciation. For more information, please visit TeachKind.com.

PETA Shows That Latest Deadly Crash Caused by Truck Operator With Numerous Charges on Record, Including DWI

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
David Perle  202-483-7382

Monroe, N.C. -- PETA has fired off a letter to Ronnie Parker, general manager of Monroe, N.C.–based Circle S Ranch, Inc., asking him to institute a policy immediately against hiring and contracting with drivers who have a record of driving-related offenses or who have been found to have been at fault in an accident. PETA is also calling on the company to develop and implement a crash-response policy to ensure that turkeys who are victims of crashes are promptly rescued and humanely handled. PETA's letter follows the April 24 crash of a truck loaded with Circle S turkeys and operated by Mark Nepsa that ran off U.S. 220 in Henry County, Va., killing hundreds of the birds. Nepsa has an abysmal driving record, including a conviction for driving while impaired and driving while his license was revoked. His past charges also include felony manufacture of a controlled substance. This marks at least the sixth accident involving a truck hauling for Circle S just since September 2009.

"This driver's record reads like a rap sheet, yet the turkey hauler still handed him the keys, and he crashed, causing the painful and terrifying deaths of animals—as well as endangering other motorists," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "PETA wants this incident to serve as a wake-up call to Circle S Ranch to hire and contract with only drivers with clean records and to enact a crash-response plan that ensures prompt and humane help for injured birds." 

In its letter, PETA points out that Circle S employees arrived on the scene more than four hours after the crash. When a truck hauling 600 Circle S turkeys flipped last year on the same road, several witnesses reported that workers jumped on live birds and struck the animals' heads against cages.

PETA has posted an action alert on its popular website asking visitors to urge the company to follow the group's recommendations.

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to Circle S Ranch follows.

May 2, 2013

Ronnie Parker
General Manager
Circle S Ranch, Inc.

Dear Mr. Parker:

I am writing to share the disturbing driving record of Mark Robert Nepsa—who, while hauling nearly 1,000 turkeys for your company, crashed a tractor trailer in Henry County, Va., on April 24—and to ask you to take immediate personnel and planning measures to protect all whose safety is put at risk by these wrecks. Nepsa, of Monroe, N.C., ran off U.S. 220 and overturned the vehicle, and many turkeys were killed upon impact and in the hours that followed. Nepsa was cited for failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle.

Nepsa's driving record is remarkably bad. He has been charged with at least

12 traffic offenses in North Carolina and South Carolina since 1986.In July 2003, Nepsa was convicted of driving while impaired in Mecklenburg County, N.C., and had his driver's license revoked—for at least the second time. Nepsa has also been convicted of driving while his license was revoked and of speeding, after being charged with traveling 63 mph in a 45-mph zone in Union County, N.C. Nepsa's record also includes charges of driving with no license, having an expired vehicle registration, unlawful motor carrier operations, and felony manufacture of a controlled substance.

Circle S Ranch's history of such crashes—and its slow, inhumane response to them—is just as abysmal. Despite wrecks in June 2012, March 2011, August 2010, February 2010, and September 2009 involving trucks that were hauling your turkeys, Circle S employees did not arrive at last week's crash site until more than four hours had passed. When a truck hauling 600 turkeys flipped last year on the very same road in Henry Co., Va., several witnesses reported seeing your workers jump on live birds, throw birds against the side of a truck, and strike birds' heads against cages.

Many hope that you will finally grasp the urgency with which your company must act to prevent these deadly wrecks. We urge Circle S to review all company and contract drivers' records and fitness to haul live animals immediately and to prohibit the use of any drivers who have multiple driving-related offenses or are found to have been at fault in any crash. We ask that you please develop and implement a detailed plan to ensure that turkeys who are victims of crashes are promptly rescued, humanely handled, and painlessly relieved of their suffering on site. Doing all this would be in the best interests of the public and of animals alike. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dan Paden
Senior Research Associate
Cruelty Investigations Department 

Bikinied Beauties Will Give Away Free Vegan Burritos

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Phoenix -- Wearing chili-pepper bikinis and holding signs that read, "Spice Up Your Life—Go Vegan," PETA's sexy señoritas will hand out delectable, freevegan burritos on Friday to show people that the best way to heat things up this Cinco de Mayo is to go vegan.

When:   Friday, May 3, 12 noon

Where:  The intersection of Washington Street and Central Avenue, Phoenix

"Adding a little zing to your life is as easy as adopting a vegan diet," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "What could be hotter than being both passionate and compassionate?"

Cutting meat and other animal-derived products out of your diet can lead to a sizzling physique and plenty of heat in the bedroom. The consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products has been linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and cancer—not to mention higher rates of impotence. Cholesterol and animal fat slow the flow of blood to all the body's vital organs—not just to the heart. Eating meat also causes an enormous amount of animal suffering.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Bikinied Beauties Will Give Away Free Vegan Burritos 

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Phoenix -- Wearing chili-pepper bikinis and holding signs that read, "Spice Up Your Life—Go Vegan," PETA's sexy señoritas will hand out delectable, freevegan burritos on Friday to show people that the best way to heat things up this Cinco de Mayo is to go vegan.

When:   Friday, May 3, 12 noon

Where:  The intersection of Washington Street and Central Avenue, Phoenix

"Adding a little zing to your life is as easy as adopting a vegan diet," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "What could be hotter than being both passionate and compassionate?"

Cutting meat and other animal-derived products out of your diet can lead to a sizzling physique and plenty of heat in the bedroom. The consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products has been linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and cancer—not to mention higher rates of impotence. Cholesterol and animal fat slow the flow of blood to all the body's vital organs—not just to the heart. Eating meat also causes an enormous amount of animal suffering.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

The Best Way to Educate Visitors Is to Let Them Know That Wildlife Belongs in the Wild, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Wilmington, Del. -- PETA has sent a letter to Megan McGlinchey, president of the Delaware Zoological Society, which operates Wilmington's Brandywine Zoo, urging her to consider the names Crave and Freedom for two newly acquired North American river otters in the zoo's "Name the Otters" contest. In the letter, PETA points out that zoos severely restrict otters' freedom of movement, routinely break up families and other tightly knit social groups, and do little to educate visitors about these complex and intelligent animals' needs and natural behavior.

"Naming the two new otters Crave and Freedom would send a message that naturally free-roaming animals don't belong in captivity," says PETA Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "The best way to preserve animals in the wild is to protect their natural habitat, not put them on display like they're nothing more than animated museum pieces."

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to the Delaware Zoological Society follows.

May 2, 2013

Megan McGlinchey
President
Delaware Zoological Society

I'm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 3 million members and supporters, including thousands across Delaware. We read that The Brandywine Zoo is hosting a "Name the Otters" contest for two North American river otters recently acquired from a Minnesota facility, and we'd like to suggest names that would most accurately describe the otters to zoo visitors: "Crave" and "Freedom."

As I'm sure you will admit, captivity cannot begin to replicate animals' natural habitats, even under the best of circumstances at the best of zoos. As I'm sure you also know, in nature, where they belong, North American river otters are highly mobile and regularly travel up to 26 miles a day. In captivity, their range is measured in feet, not miles. North American river otters are very social and commonly establish large, enduring social groupings. At The Brandywine Zoo, these otters will have only each other for companionship.

When zoos treat animals like commodities—buying, selling, borrowing, and trading animals without regard for established relationships—the physical and mental frustrations of captivity often lead to abnormal behavior. For these otters, having little to no opportunity to express natural behavior or make choices in their daily lives may lead to boredom, neurosis, or self-destructive behavior, such as repetitious swimming patterns, pacing, or self-mutilation.

Given how accurate our names would be, I hope they are given consideration. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Chris Holbein
Associate Director 

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

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Roanoke, Va. -- PETAprotesters will assemble on Thursday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show in Roanoke. 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, May 2, 6 p.m.

Where:  Roanoke Civic Center (intersection of Rutherford Avenue N.E. and Williamson Road N.E.), Roanoke

"Roanoke 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 is currently investigating Ringling for further violations of the AWA.

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

P.S. 244 Gives Kids a Valuable—and Delicious—Lesson in Good Health and Kindness

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Queens, N.Y. -- Public School (P.S.) 244 in Flushing, New York, has been attracting a lot of attention since school officials made the health-conscious decision to offer an all-vegetarian menu to its elementary school students for both breakfast and lunch after working closely with the group New York Coalition for Healthy School Food. It's believed that P.S. 244 is the first public school in the nation to go all vegetarian. That news didn't escape TeachKind—PETA's humane-education division—which is giving P.S. 244 a Compassionate School Award.

"Good health begins with good food, and our hats are off to the educators who've put P.S. 244 in a class of its own," says Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "As the bad news about meat and other animal products mounts every day, we believe that P.S. 244 could be the flagship for a new trend that may be emulated at schools across the country."

Although the program was initiated to promote good health among students, according to news reports, the kids are really eating it up—figuratively and literally. Offerings include black beans, tofu, falafel, and other healthy fare prepared in ways that are putting smiles on students' faces. The best part is that kids can easily skip the eggs and cheese and dig into a healthier Earth- and animal-friendly vegan meal.

Besides being turned off by the massive suffering of animals raised and killed for food, students have other good reasons to shun animal products. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity than meat-eaters are. Many children who are raised on the traditional cholesterol- and saturated fat–laden American diet show symptoms of heart disease by age 7. Also, the United Nations has concluded that factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every level—from local to global—and that a worldwide shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change.

The school will receive a framed certificate and a letter of appreciation. For more information, please visit TeachKind.com.

For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Behind to Fend for Themselves

San Diego— As the area continues to be threatened by wildfires, PETA is offering important advice for ensuring the safety of animal companions. Please alert your audience to the following information, which could help save the lives of cats, dogs, companion birds, and other animals who need to be included in evacuation plans:

• In the event that your area is evacuated, never leave companion animals behind to fend for themselves. They aren't any better equipped to survive disasters than humans are.
• Know your destination ahead of time. Shelters for human victims don't often allow animals, but motels in the area will probably accept them in an emergency. Call destinations in advance and find out which ones will accommodate you and your animals.
• Never leave animals unsupervised in a car—they can panic and try to escape or suffer from heatstroke once ambient temperatures rise above 70 degrees, even if water is provided and the windows are slightly open.
• Place small animals in secure carriers. Dogs should be leashed with harnesses because frightening sounds and unfamiliar surroundings may make them bolt and strangle. Take water and food bowls, your animal's favorite toy or blanket, a towel, and enough food for at least one week.
• Make sure that dogs and cats are microchipped and put legible ID tags with your phone number on them so that your companions can be found in case they get separated from you.

Please visit PETA.org for additional disaster-preparedness tips, or click here to view or link to PETA's disaster-preparedness public service announcement.

Operator of Banks in Eight States Shows a Big Heart for Small Animals

For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Tulsa, Okla. -- BOK Financial Corporation, whose operations are based in Tulsa, is getting an award for a practice that has nothing to do with dollars and cents. That's because after learning from PETA about the cruelty of using sticky glue traps to kill mice, BOK banned the devices from its approximately 200 banking locations in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. For rejecting the cruel pest-control method, BOK Financial will receive a Compassionate Company Award from PETA and a big box of vegan chocolates shaped like mice.

"It's wonderful to see one of the largest regional banks in the country take the suffering of the smallest and most vulnerable animals into consideration," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "Thanks to BOK's decision to ban glue traps, mice, birds, and other small animals will be spared a terrifying and painful end."

Glue traps are pieces of plastic or cardboard coated with a strong adhesive. After getting caught in the traps, panicked animals struggle to escape—often breaking their bones and ripping the flesh, fur, or feathers off their bodies in the process. Some animals chew off their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves, and others get their noses, mouths, or beaks stuck in the glue. The more the animals struggle, the more they stick to the traps, only to die from exhaustion, injury, shock, dehydration, asphyxiation, or blood loss. Glue traps are also ineffective because they fail to address the source of the problem—more mice simply move in to take the place of the animals who have been killed.

Like BOK—the 47^th-largest financial institution in the country—22 of the nation's top 30 financial institutions contacted by PETA have also agreed not to use glue traps.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Unwanted Offspring Die by the Thousands in Animal Shelters and on the Streets, Says Group 

For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Calgary, AB -- Holding signs that read, "Condoms Won't Work: Fix Your Dog/Cat!" two PETA members dressed as giant condoms—one pink and one blue—will hand out leaflets on animal birth control at a busy intersection in Calgary on Monday. Their point? That the only way to get a handle on the cat and dog overpopulation crisis is always to have your animals spayed or neutered.

When:   Monday, May 6, 12 noon

Where:  The northeast corner of Stephen Avenue S.W. and Second Street S.W., Calgary

"If cats and dogs could wear condoms, tens of thousands of animals would be spared suffering and death," says PETA campaigner Emily Lavender. "But they can't—so it's up to their guardians to take responsibility for spaying and neutering them."

Complete euthanasia statistics aren't available for Canada. But looking at a fraction of intake numbers from animal shelters around the country, in 2011 alone more than 200,000 animals were admitted to shelters, and more than 70,000 were euthanized—more than 10,000 of whom were kittens and puppies.

Thousands more never make it to an animal shelter and are left to fend for themselves on the streets, where they are often subjected to cruelty, are struck by cars, or suffer from starvation, disease, or injuries. The solution is simple: Always spay or neuter your animal companions, and adopt—never buy animals from pet stores or breeders. Spaying one female dog can prevent 67,000 births in six years, and spaying one female cat can prevent 370,000 births in seven years.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Behind to Fend for Themselves

For Immediate Release:
May 3, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Ventura County, Calif. -- As the area continues to be threatened by wildfires, PETA is offering important advice for ensuring the safety of animal companions. Please alert your audience to the following information, which could help save the lives of cats, dogs, companion birds, and other animals who need to be included in evacuation plans:

• In the event that your area is evacuated, never leave companion animals behind to fend for themselves. They aren't any better equipped to survive disasters than humans are.
• Know your destination ahead of time. Shelters for human victims don't often allow animals, but motels in the area will probably accept them in an emergency. Call destinations in advance and find out which ones will accommodate you and your animals.
• Never leave animals unsupervised in a car—they can panic and try to escape or suffer from heatstroke once ambient temperatures rise above 70 degrees, even if water is provided and the windows are slightly open.
• Place small animals in secure carriers. Dogs should be leashed with harnesses because frightening sounds and unfamiliar surroundings may make them bolt and strangle. Take water and food bowls, your animal's favorite toy or blanket, a towel, and enough food for at least one week.
• Make sure that dogs and cats are microchipped and put legible ID tags with your phone number on them so that your companions can be found in case they get separated from you.

For TV: For additional disaster-preparedness tips and to view or request a copy of PETA's wildfire public service announcement (PSA) featuring Ali MacGraw, please click here. MacGraw—whose many film credits include Love Story and The Getaway—has been the victim of a wildfire herself. She lost everything in a California wildfire in the 1990s. In the PSA, MacGraw makes a heartfelt plea for residents to include their animal family members in their evacuation plans. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

For Radio: For additional disaster-preparedness tips and to view or request a copy of PETA's wildfire public service announcement (PSA) featuring Ali MacGraw, please click here. MacGraw—whose many film credits include Love Story and The Getaway—has been the victim of a wildfire herself. She lost everything in a California wildfire in the 1990s. In the PSA, MacGraw makes a heartfelt plea for residents to include their animal family members in their evacuation plans. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

For Print: Please visit PETA.org for additional disaster-preparedness tips, or click here to view or link to PETA's disaster-preparedness public service announcement.

Citations, Fines for Public Endangerment, Animal Abuse—Some Based on Evidence Supplied by PETA

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Dulles, Va. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Dulles this week, and PETA wants the media and parents to know about its repeated violations of federal laws aimed at protecting animals and members of the public. Elephants used by Cole Bros. are supplied by the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus, and the circus act includes elephant trainer Tim Frisco, who was caught on camera viciously beating terrified elephants with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on the end—and shocking them with electric prods. Carson & Barnes also paid a fine for 10 separate violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) last year, including for public endangerment.

"Abuse is the common thread running through Cole Bros., Carson & Barnes, and other circuses that beat, whip, and shock animals into performing," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Because children love animals—and for the children's own safety—the last place that parents and grandparents should take them is to the circus."

Some of Carson& Barnes 2012 violations cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) occurred while it was supplying elephants to Cole Bros. The violations include one in which an elephant escaped and ran directly past a line of customers waiting to buy tickets, sending some running toward the parking lot. The elephant was on the loose for 30 minutes and was injured after falling into a ravine. In another incident, a USDA inspector observed that a handler used excessive force with a bullhook on an elephant, and the inspector noted that "the handlers frequently left the animals unattended" during the elephant rides. Cole Bros. also paid a separate $15,000 penalty to the USDA to settle charges after PETA pointed out that two elephants, Tina and Jewel, were hundreds of pounds underweight. Additionally, Cole Bros. is on probation after pleading guilty to selling these elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act and paying a $150,000 penalty.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Citations, Fines for Public Endangerment, Animal Abuse—Some Based on Evidence Supplied by PETA

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Vineland, N.J. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Vineland next week, and PETA wants the media and parents to know about its repeated violations of federal laws aimed at protecting animals and members of the public. Elephants used by Cole Bros. are supplied by the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus, and the circus act includes elephant trainer Tim Frisco, who was caught on camera viciously beating terrified elephants with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on the end—and shocking them with electric prods. Carson & Barnes also paid a fine for 10 separate violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) last year, including for public endangerment.

"Abuse is the common thread running through Cole Bros., Carson & Barnes, and other circuses that beat, whip, and shock animals into performing," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Because children love animals—and for the children's own safety—the last place that parents and grandparents should take them is to the circus."

Some of Carson& Barnes 2012 violations cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) occurred while it was supplying elephants to Cole Bros. The violations include one in which an elephant escaped and ran directly past a line of customers waiting to buy tickets, sending some running toward the parking lot. The elephant was on the loose for 30 minutes and was injured after falling into a ravine. In another incident, a USDA inspector observed that a handler used excessive force with a bullhook on an elephant, and the inspector noted that "the handlers frequently left the animals unattended" during the elephant rides. Cole Bros. also paid a separate $15,000 penalty to the USDA to settle charges after PETA pointed out that two elephants, Tina and Jewel, were hundreds of pounds underweight. Additionally, Cole Bros. is on probation after pleading guilty to selling these elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act and paying a $150,000 penalty.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Unwanted Offspring Die by the Thousands in Animal Shelters and on the Streets, Says Group 

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Edmonton -- Holding signs that read, "Condoms Won't Work: Fix Your Dog/Cat!" two PETA members dressed as giant condoms—one pink and one blue—will hand out leaflets on animal birth control at a busy intersection in Edmonton on Tuesday. Their point? That the only way to get a handle on the cat and dog overpopulation crisis is always to have your animals spayed or neutered.

When:   Tuesday, May 7, 12 noon

Where:  The northeast corner of 102nd Avenue N.W. and 100th Street N.W., Edmonton

"If cats and dogs could wear condoms, tens of thousands of animals would be spared suffering and death," says PETA campaigner Emily Lavender. "But they can't—so it's up to their guardians to take responsibility for spaying and neutering them."

Complete euthanasia statistics aren't available for Canada. But looking at a fraction of intake numbers from animal shelters around the country, in 2011 alone more than 200,000 animals were admitted to shelters, and more than 70,000 were euthanized—more than 10,000 of whom were kittens and puppies.

Thousands more never make it to an animal shelter and are left to fend for themselves on the streets, where they are often subjected to cruelty, are struck by cars, or suffer from starvation, disease, or injuries. The solution is simple: Always spay or neuter your animal companions, and adopt—never buy animals from pet stores or breeders. Spaying one female dog can prevent 67,000 births in six years, and spaying one female cat can prevent 370,000 births in seven years.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA Billboards Offer Hotline for Whistleblowers Who Witness Violations of Animal-Protection Laws

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Madison, Wis. -- In defiance of free-speech principles, Wisconsin outdoor ad companies have rejected three different nongraphic versions of a PETA billboard offering a safe place for laboratory workers to report suspected violations of animal-protection laws—violations that go undiscovered by federal inspectors who visit facilities only once or twice a year. 

PETA first tried to place the whistleblower ads near the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW), where the group exposed archaic brain experiments in which cats have steel posts screwed into open wounds on their heads and metal coils implanted in their eyes. The ads were refused everywhere within 30 miles of the campus and as far away as Milwaukee. None of the ads mentions UW by name, and even versions that excluded graphic photos of Double Trouble—the cat who was killed in UW's laboratory and whose image has been seen by millions on PETA's website and Facebook pages—were rejected. The companies called the ad content objectionable but offered no further explanation.

"People who work in laboratories have been instrumental in exposing the horrific abuse of animals in experiments—including at UW," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "We welcome confidential calls and e-mails from anyone who wants to report cruelty and violations of animal-protection laws in laboratories."

A whistleblower at UW helped PETA reveal the suffering of cats who endured chronic infections in their eyes and skulls following sloppy invasive surgeries. Other recent whistleblowers helped PETA expose cruelmilitary training drills in which inadequately anesthetized goats had their limbs cut off with tree trimmers and incidents at pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb in which monkeys and other animals died because of staff negligence. These last two whistleblower reports to PETA resulted in citations for violations of federal animal-protection laws. 

PETA plans to leaflet in the Madison area and may try to run its whistleblower ads on bus shelters and taxi cabs and in other locations.

For more information about PETA's whistleblower program, please visit PETA.org/Whistleblower

Airline Backtracks From Ban and Continues Cruel and Deadly Trade; Campaign by PETA and Its Affiliates Travels From Mumbai to Ottawa

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Ottawa -- Wearing prisoner suits and dog, rabbit, and rat masks; crouching in stacked cages; and holding signs that read, "Air India Ships Animals to Deadly Experiments," six PETA members will make a plea for animals' lives outside the Indian Embassy in Ottawa on Tuesday. The action is in protest of Air India's about-face on its ban on transporting animals to laboratories, where they are caged, cut into, poisoned, and killed. This protest and a similar one just days ago in Washington, D.C., mark the first actions taken by PETA against Air India. PETA India has been campaigning against the airline since it lifted its ban. 

When:   Tuesday, May 7, 12 noon

Where:  High Commission of India, on the southwest corner of Beechwood Avenue and Springfield Road, Ottawa

"Air India's repeated assurances that it will refuse to transport animals to laboratories apparently meant nothing—the airline has gone right back to shipping animals to their deaths," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "Air India officials are every bit as guilty of the pain, suffering, and death that these animals are subjected to as the experimenters who wield the poisons and scalpels."

Many of the largest and most well-known carriers in the world, including U.S. Airways, Virgin Airlines, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, EVA Air, FedEx, and UPS, prohibit shipping animals to laboratories. Jet Airways, India's second-largest airline, also recently committed to a ban on transporting animals slated for experimentation.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Thousands of Dogs, Monkeys, and Other Animals Are Poisoned, Killed in Company's Notorious Laboratories, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Andover, Mass. -- Beneath a banner reading, "CRL: Stop the Animal Bloodbath," and holding signs that read, "Stop Trading in Animal Torture," a group of PETA members—including a masked "monkey" lying in a bathtub full of "blood"—will greet Charles River Laboratories (CRL) shareholders as they arrive for the company's annual meeting at the Wyndham Boston Andover hotel on Tuesday. PETA owns just enough stock in CRL to introduce resolutions to help animals, and inside the meeting, a PETA representative will speak in favor of the group's shareholder resolution calling on the company—which has a long history of animal welfare violations—to issue a report disclosing what company executives are doing to prevent future problems: 

Date:    Tuesday, May 7

Time:    7:30 a.m.

Place:   Wyndham Boston Andover, 123 Old River Rd. (near the Old River Road exit off Interstate 93), Andover

CRL—whose CEO, James Foster, topped PETA's "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 worst CEOs for animals in laboratories—has been cited repeatedly by federal inspectors for animal welfare violations, including inadequate veterinary care, failure to provide suffering animals with pain relief, and shoddy surgical methods, resulting in the misery and eventual death of a dog. The company is the world's largest breeder of animals for use in experiments, supplying one of every two of the more than 100 million animals tormented in laboratories each year. It is also the second-largest importer of primates into the U.S. Animals in CRL's laboratories are force-fed test compounds in order to poison them intentionally, have caustic experimental chemicals smeared onto their bare skin, and are forced to inhale toxic substances in painful and deadly experiments.

"CRL shareholders should know that their company has been so negligent that 30 monkeys baked to death when a heating system malfunctioned and another monkey was scalded to death when her cage was run through a high-temperature cage washer while she was still locked inside," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "PETA and the other shareholders have the right to know how CRL is using the animals in its laboratories—and what the company is doing to prevent the illegal abuses."

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

Group Shows How Thousands of Animals Are Poisoned and Killed in Company's Notorious Laboratories

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Princeton, N.J. -- If a picture is worth a thousand words, PETA will speak eloquently outside Covance's annual meeting on Tuesday, when a group of PETA members will greet shareholders with posters emblazoned with graphic images of monkeys who were caged, poisoned, injured, and killed in Covance's laboratories. The group with be protesting the contract-testing laboratory's long history of neglecting, abusing, and killing dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and other animals.

When:    Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 a.m.

Where:  Princeton Marriott, 100 College Rd. E. (near the intersection with W. City Avenue), Princeton

Covance—whose CEO, Joseph Herring, came in second on PETA's "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 worst CEOs for animals in laboratories—is the world's largest breeder of dogs for use in experiments, the biggest importer of primates into the U.S., and one of the largest contract-testing firms in the world. In Covance's laboratories, thousands of animals are intentionally poisoned with experimental compounds in painful tests.

Covance has been cited for handling monkeys in a physically abusive manner, failing to provide sick and injured animals with veterinary care, and locking monkeys alone in tiny cages, where they are denied crucial contact with other monkeys. Covance has housed monkeys in such frigid conditions that they developed frostbite, and the company allowed a rabbit to be scalded to death when her cage was run through a high-temperature cage washer—while she was still locked inside.

"Covance shareholders should know that their company has been so neglectful that monkeys have developed frostbite, a rabbit was scalded to death, and sick animals were denied veterinary care," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "It's in the interest of shareholders—and animals—that this company use cutting-edge modern non-animal testing methods instead of poisoning dogs, monkeys, mice, and other animals."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.