Bones Star Exposes Cruelty to Cows and Calves on Dairy Farms in New PETA Video

ForImmediate Release:
May 6, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- Bones star Emily Deschanel is helping PETA serve up some food for thought this Mother's Day with a new PETA video (available here) that urges moms to exercise compassion for mother cows. "As a mother, I experience the joy of raising my son every day. But not all moms are so lucky," says Deschanel in the video. "Mother cows on dairy farms have their young traumatically torn away from them shortly after birth so that the milk meant for their calves can be sold to people instead." Many male calves end up in veal crates, often tied by the neck, barely able to move, and then are usually slaughtered for veal when they are only 20 weeks old.

Her video goes on to reveal the dairy industry's horrific abuse of cows—including painful "dehorning," a process in which calves have their horns gouged out or sensitive horn tissue burned out of their heads without any painkillers—as well as the damaging health effects that the consumption of dairy products can have on kids' health, including allergies, acne, and type 1 diabetes.

"The best way to help cows abused by the dairy industry and keep your family healthy is to stock your fridge with delicious vegan foods," concludes Deschanel. "Please join me in standing up for all mothers by refusing to support the cruel dairy industry."

In her video, Deschanel also explains how many male calves, who are considered a byproduct of the dairy industry, spend their short lives in tiny veal crates, while most female calves are destined for the same fate as their mothers: repeated artificial insemination until their bodies give out and they are slaughtered for hamburger meat.

Deschanel is part of a growing list of celebrities—including Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Alicia Silverstone, and Mayim Bialik—who have teamed up with PETA to promote vegan foods, including soy, almond, oat, and rice milks and cheeses, which contain zero cholesterol and are usually lower in fat.

A broadcast-quality version of Deschanel's video can be downloaded here. For more information, please visit PETA.orgor click here.

Group's 'Sexiest Vegetarian' Explains How to Get Buff Without Beef

For Immediate Release:
May 7, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

New York -- Everyone from former President Bill Clinton to a Queens elementary school is going meat-free, and PETA hopes New York's fitness crowd will be next. On Wednesday, the group will launch its first-ever gym partnership at David Barton Gyms with a free talk by vegan fitness specialist Zachary Koval, a gay model who won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian contest. He will discuss how to bulk up without beef, the best vegan proteins for bodybuilding, and why so many public figures—from Carrie Underwood and Natalie Portman to pro fighters Jake Shields and Mac Danzig—are eating vegan for vitality.

When:   Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. 

Where:  David Barton Gym, 4 Astor Pl. (near the intersection with Broadway), Manhattan

Koval will also unveil the new vegan poster campaign set to hit Barton's gyms. The ad (viewablehere), which has already debuted on MensHealth.com, shows him displaying his super-buff torso next to the caption "Killer Body. Clear Conscience. Try Vegan."

"Whether you're looking to shed a few pounds or pack on the muscle, vegan foods—with their powerful plant proteins and zero cholesterol—are the perfect choice," says Koval. "PETA and I are thrilled to show New York's fitness buffs how easy it is to help animals and get fit by going vegan."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA and ALDF Will Seek to Add Case of Rabbit Denied Veterinary Care to Lawsuit Challenging Roadside Zoo's Federal License to Operate

For Immediate Release:
May 7, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Fayetteville, N.C. -- PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) have just obtained a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection report showing that Fayetteville-based Jambbas Ranch Tours, a roadside zoo with an abysmal record of animal neglect, has again been cited for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The April 10 report cites Jambbas for failing to give veterinary care to a dehydrated and very thin rabbit who was reportedly too weak to reach her water can. According to the report, the rabbit was suffering from a foot wound and overgrown nails and had been "treated" only with Vaseline for ear mites. Photos of rabbits in Jambbas' barren wire cages are available here.

This latest AWA violation came shortly before the USDA renewed Jambbas' license on May 4, even though renewal applicants are required to "demonstrate" compliance with the AWA. PETA, ALDF, and local citizens filed a lawsuit last year in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's Western Division in Raleigh, N.C., challenging the USDA's renewal of Jambbas' license and will now seek to amend that complaint to include the rabbit incident and challenge this latest permit renewal.

"It's unconscionable for the USDA to renew Jambbas' license less than a month after citing the zoo for neglecting a rabbit who was too weak to move the few inches necessary to get a sip of water," says PETA Foundation Director of Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "This is clear evidence of direct noncompliance," says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells, "and ALDF and PETA will address the government's failure to protect animals in our ongoing lawsuit."

Jambbas' long list of AWA violations includes repeatedly failing to provide numerous animals with veterinary care, allowing bison to be swarmed by flies until their skin was so irritated that they licked it raw, forcing potbellied pigs and goats to live in enclosures covered with waste, and more.

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

Group Believes Circus's Routine Use of Spiked Bullhooks Violates State Law—Will Protest Columbus Opening Night

For Immediate Release:
May 7, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Columbus, Ohio -- PETA is offering a $5,000 reward to any worker at the Value City Arena who documents a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus animal handler striking, gouging, or prodding an elephant with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on the end—while the circus is in town from May 8 to 12, if the documentation leads to a conviction.Ohio law states that "[n]o person shall … use ... electric or other prods, or similar devices" on animals being used in a circus.The documentation must consist of video footage or photos. Anyone who obtains evidence of such cruelty can contact PETA confidentially at 757-373-0968 or BullhookReward@peta.org.

There will also be a protest opening night.

When:   Wednesday, May 8, 6 p.m.

Where:  Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Dr. (near the intersection with Fred Taylor Drive), Columbus

"Ringling's backstage abuse of elephants is so pervasive that we believe at least one arena worker will witness it, and we hope that person will come forward," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "We're giving arena staff both the opportunity and the incentive to help put an end to such cruelty."

Ringling handlers routinely strike elephants with bullhooks and embed the hooks in their mouths, ears, and anuses. Alec Baldwin's video exposé reveals Ringling personnel beating elephants with bullhooks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently investigating the circus after a security worker at another arena reported witnessing a Ringling employee strike an elephant forcefully with a bullhook at least six times while she was in chains.

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

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

For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Tannersville, Pa. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Tannersville 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.

PETA Asks Chef to Swear Off Foie Gras After Violent Force-Feeding, Deaths, and Slaughter Found on Supplier's Factory Farm

For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

New York -- A new PETA investigation of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, which supplies Manhattan restaurant Gordon Ramsay at The London, has revealed shocking cruelty to ducks at the factory farm, which calls itself the "premier producers of foie gras" in the U.S. PETA has sent flamboyant celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay—who has rejected some of the pork industry's worst factory-farming practices on his show The F Word—a request to stop selling foie gras. PETA included video footage revealing how Hudson Valley Foie Gras workers shove steel tubes down ducks' throats and pump huge amounts of grain into their bodies three times a day, every day, for weeks in order to sicken and enlarge the birds' livers. At slaughter, ducks are hung upside down, have their throats slit, and are left to bleed to death.

Experts have found that force-feeding causes esophageal tears and splits, liver rupture and failure, heat stress, and aspiration pneumonia—and by the company's own calculation, some 15,000 ducks on the farm die every year before they make it to slaughter.

"Every exposé of foie gras farms has revealed how grotesquely cruel it is to jam pipes down birds' throats and force-feed them until they sicken and die," says PETA Senior Research Associate Dan Paden. "We hope Gordon Ramsay and other chefs will swear off this particular 'F-word'—foie gras—for good."

This was not PETA's first visit to a New York foie gras factory farm. In 1991, at a farm that was later acquired by Hudson Valley Foie Gras, PETA investigators revealed cruel force-feeding and countless sick and injured ducks, including one whose maggot-covered neck wound was so severe that water spilled out of it when he drank.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Regina, Sk. -- 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 Regina on Thursday. 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:   Thursday, May 9, 12 noon

Where:  Intersection of Scarth Street and 11^th Avenue (south sidewalk), Regina

"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.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Asheville -- An "injured elephant" will lead PETAprotesters on Thursday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show in Asheville. 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 9, 12 noon

Where:  U.S. Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St. (intersection of Haywood and Flint streets), Asheville

"Asheville 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. 

Group Plans to Ruffle Company's Feathers at Annual Meeting by Exposing Cruelty to Birds

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Washington -- Marriott International's 2013 annual meeting will include a statement and question from a representative of PETA, which owns stock in the company, calling on Marriott to stop offering down bedding. In the statement, PETA points out that ripping the feathers out of the bodies of live birds causes them extreme pain and that the birds who are plucked after they are killed spent their entire lives in crowded, filthy conditions on factory farms and experienced grueling journeys to the slaughterhouse, where they had their throats cut or were scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

When:   Friday, May 10, 10:30 a.m.

Where:  JW Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington

"Birds experience excruciating pain and severe trauma when their feathers are ripped from their bodies for down," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "As stockholders, we'll be able to take our case to end these abuses of birds directly to the people who own Marriott—namely, other shareholders."

In order to obtain down, birds are often forcefully held down by workers who rip out their feathers. Afterward, the birds lie on the floor, bleeding and paralyzed with fear. Many are seriously injured, and some die from shock or infected wounds. Alicia Silverstone narrates PETA's compelling undercover video exposé of down production. The down industry also supports the notoriously cruel foie gras industry. On foie gras farms, the livers of force-fed birds become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size. Foie gras producers boost their profits by selling the feathers from these force-fed birds.

PETA encourages shoppers who are looking for bedding for their own homes to check labels for synthetic down, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft® and Thinsulate™—soft, washable, down-like fibers.

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 9, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Winnipeg -- 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 Winnipeg on Friday. 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:   Friday, May 10, 12 noon

Where:  On the northeast corner of Portage Avenue and Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

"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.

Kindness Pays Off for Female and Male Victors—Each Is Going to Hawaii

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382 

Norfolk, Va. -- What do Yerika Sojo from suburban Chicago and John Halloran from South Kingston, R.I., have in common? They've each been chosen as winners in PETA's 2013 Sexiest Vegan Next Door Contest—the first year that the annual contest was open to vegans only instead of all vegetarians because so many people are going vegan these days. Sojo and Halloran will each receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com.

"Yerika and John are as attractive on the inside as they are on the outside because they've chosen a lifestyle that's as kind to animals and the planet as it is to their own health," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "The more people get to know these two winners, the more likely they are to say, 'Yes, please!' to delicious vegan pasta, faux-chicken nuggets, and veggie burgers."

A model, a photographer, a substance-abuse counselor, and an aspiring psychologist, Sojo, a native of Puerto Rico, enjoys answering people's questions about animal rights and going vegan. "'How can I be vegan like you? What can I do to help animals?' All questions that I love to hear,." she says. What does this sultry, compassionate, and radiantly healthy woman look for in a man? "A gentleman, and in my book that means a guy who respects all sentient beings. By doing that, he respects himself, too. To me, that is hot!"

"I think it's important for people to understand the number one cause of death year after year in the fire service is heart attacks," says Halloran. "[I]f you move more toward the plant-based diet … you greatly [reduce] your chances of heart disease." Halloran's three children as well as several of his fellow firefighters have either gone vegan or are in the process of doing so. He credits going vegan with giving him a spike in energy and stamina—two vital assets in his line of work. "I feel as good as I've ever felt in my life," he says. "I will never go back!"

Winners were selected based on several factors, including vote count. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Dogs and Cats Should Be Spayed and Neutered at 8 Weeks, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382 

Oklahoma City -- As the country reacts to the Obama administration's decision to open the over-the-counter sale of the morning-after contraceptive Plan B to 15-year-olds—and U.S. District Judge Edward Korman's move to remove all age restrictions from the pill—PETA is pointing out that in millions of cases, birth control is desperately needed at a drastically younger age: that is, in the cases of dogs and cats. To make its point, the animal rights group is negotiating with outdoor advertisers in Oklahoma—the state with the fifth-highest rate of teen pregnancies—to run a new billboard that proclaims, "Birth Control BEFORE She's 15? Yes!," and goes on to explain, "Cats and dogs can be fixed at 8 weeks old. There is no Plan B for animals."

"Dogs and cats can't take a 'morning-after pill' any more than they can use a condom—and that's why millions of them end up in animal shelters every year," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "There's no Plan B for cats and dogs, kittens and puppies—spaying and neutering are the only ways to stop the homeless animal crisis."

One unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce a whopping 370,000 cats in just seven years, and one unneutered male dog can father nearly limitless litters. Every year, 6 to 8 million cats and dogs end up in U.S. animal shelters, and roughly half of them must be euthanized because there simply aren't enough good homes. Unwanted dogs and cats who never make it to an animal shelter are often abandoned and must fend for themselves on the streets, where they succumb to starvation, disease, injuries, or abuse at the hands of cruel people. The solution is simple: spaying and neutering.

PETA also strongly encourages all prospective dog or cat guardians to save a life by always adopting from an animal shelter, rather than buying from a breeder or pet store, which only exacerbates the homeless animal crisis.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.

Bound for a Vacation in Hawaii, Lifelong Rhode Islander Says the Supermarket Can Be the Most Dangerous Building in Town

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382 

South Kingstown, R.I. -- Several flattering adjectives come to mind when you think of South Kingstown firefighter John Halloran: brave, dedicated, skilled, heroic, caring. Now, you can add sexy to the mix. That's because Halloran has beaten out nine other male finalists to be named Sexiest Vegan Next Door in PETA's annual contest, which was limited to vegans only this year for the first time. Halloran, who was born in Providence and grew up in Lincoln, will receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com.

"John is as attractive on the inside as he is on the outside because he has chosen a lifestyle that's kind to animals, the planet, and his own health," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "The more people get to know him, the more likely they are to say, 'Yes, please!' to hearty vegan meals, such as John's scrumptious black-bean veggie wraps with vegan mayo—and that's a good thing for everyone."

Halloran, who has a family history of heart disease and a strong concern for animals' well-being, summed up why he went vegan from his own unique perspective: "As firefighters, we talk about the most dangerous buildings in our district," he says. "I've always jokingly said that the most dangerous building in the district is the supermarket, because I think it's important for people to understand the number one cause of death year after year in the fire service is heart attacks. … [I]f you move more toward the plant-based diet … you greatly [reduce] your chances of heart disease." Halloran's three children as well as several of his fellow firefighters have either gone vegan or are in the process. He credits going vegan with giving him a spike in energy and stamina—two assets that can make all the difference on the job. When Halloran isn't saving people's lives, he's entertaining them as a singer in a rock band. "I feel as good as I've ever felt in my life," he says. "I will never go back!"

Winners were selected based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here.

For more information, please click here.

PETA Wants La Folie to Halt Illegal Foie Gras Sales After Violent Force-Feeding, Deaths, and Slaughter Found on Supplier's Factory Farm

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

San Francisco -- PETA has sent a letter to Roland Passot, the owner of San Francisco restaurant La Folie, cautioning him that PETA will pursue legal avenues if the restaurant continues foie gras sales in violation of California's ban on selling the product. The group's action comes in the wake of its just-released investigation of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the factory farm in upstate New York that supplies La Folie and calls itself the "premier producer" of foie gras in the U.S. Video footage from the investigation reveals how Hudson Valley Foie Gras workers shove steel tubes down ducks' throats and pump huge amounts of grain into their bodies three times a day, every day, for weeks in order to sicken and enlarge their livers. At slaughter, ducks are hung upside down, have their throats slit, and are left to bleed to death.

Experts have found that force-feeding causes esophageal tears and splits, liver rupture and failure, heat stress, and aspiration pneumonia—and by the company's own calculation, some 15,000 ducks on the farm die every year before they make it to slaughter.

"PETA's investigation reveals that the source of the foie gras that La Folie sells as a 'secret chef special' is a factory farm where ducks are violently force-fed and where thousands of birds drop dead every year," says PETA Senior Research Associate Dan Paden. "This cruelty is why California banned the sale of foie gras—and common decency is why La Folie must stop selling it."

This was not PETA's first visit to a New York foie gras factory farm. In 1991, at a farm that was later acquired by Hudson Valley Foie Gras, PETA investigators revealed cruel force-feeding and countless sick and injured ducks, including one whose maggot-covered neck wound was so severe that water spilled out of it when he drank.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 10, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Chico, Calif. -- Most students at California State University–Chico 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:   Monday, May 13, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Student Services Center Plaza, California State University–Chico

"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.

Puerto Rico Native Is on Her Way to Maui

For Immediate Release:
May 10, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Bolingbrook, Ill. -- Model, substance-abuse counselor, and professional baker Yerika Sojo can now add Sexiest Vegan Next Door to her titles. That's because she beat out nine other female finalists in PETA's annual contest that was limited to vegans only this year for the first time. The Bolingbrook resident, who spent her childhood in the San Juan area of Puerto Rico and also lived in Chicago for 10 years, will receive a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com.

"Yerika is as attractive on the inside as she is on the outside because she has chosen a lifestyle that's kind to animals, the planet, and her own health," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "The more people get to know her, the more likely they are to say, 'No, thanks,' to the chicken nuggets and cow's milk, and that's a good thing for everyone."

An aspiring psychologist whose Azucar Vegan Bakery is known for its creative line of vegan cupcakes in Latin tropical flavors, Sojo enjoys defending animals: "I like when people … come to me and ask me, 'How can I be vegan like you? What can I do to help animals? Can you help me become vegetarian?' All questions that I love to hear." And she isn't shy about her commitment—she once went naked at a high-profile PETA protest. Sojo says that after she went vegetarian, she had more energy and fewer colds. She also says that she sleeps better at night because "My body and my conscience are clean." What does this sultry and compassionate woman, who tries to visit Puerto Rico every year to see her mother and other relatives, look for in a man? "A gentleman, and in my book that means a guy who respects all sentient beings. By doing that, he respects himself, too. To me, that is hot!"

Winners were selected based on several factors, including vote count. See full contest details here.

For more information, please click here.

PETA Offers Up to $5,000 Reward for Help in Nabbing Dog Killer

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Newport News, Va. -- The bloated remains of a black-and-white female pit bull were spotted floating off a pier behind Davis Boat Works at 99 Jefferson Ave. The dog was wearing a red fabric and black mesh harness through which a metal weight was looped and tied. She had apparently drowned in the water, as her teeth were clenched around her protruding tongue and the skin on her front legs appeared chafed, possibly as a result of struggling to paddle and stay afloat. PETA is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

Would you please consider sharing this information with your audience? It might be the only way to apprehend those responsible for this heinous act.

"Animal abusers are cowards," says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. "They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them. Peninsula 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 PETA at 757-622-7382 or CIDinfo@peta.org.

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.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Middlesex County, N.J. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to North Brunswick this week and to Kingston later this month, 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 13, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Phillipsburg, N.J. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Phillipsburg 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.

First Responders See to It That Bird Family Has a Very Happy Mother's Day

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Alpharetta, Ga. -- At least one feathered resident of Alpharetta had a happy Mother's Day this weekend. That's because on Thursday, PETA received a call from a member who reported that a mother duck had become frantic after her babies fell down a storm drain. PETA immediately notified the police and the fire department, which dispatched a fire truck within minutes. The crew removed the grate, and one of the firefighters climbed down into the storm drain and scooped up all eight ducklings and carefully placed them in a cat carrier. After transporting the baby birds a safe distance from the drain, the crew released the ducklings just as their mother flew by to retrieve them. After checking to make sure that all was well, she led them waddling away. Less than 30 minutes passed from the time that PETA placed the phone call until the duck family was safely reunited.

For being true heroes to a family of ducks in jeopardy, Alpharetta Fire and Emergency Services will receive PETA's Compassionate Fire Department Award.

"Thanks to their dedicated and swift action, these firefighters took what could have ended in tragedy and turned it into the happiest possible Mother's Day for a loving mother duck and her family," says PETA Associate Director of Cruelty Investigations Stephanie Bell. "Alpharetta is very fortunate to have first responders who are ready to protect and serve all residents—including the ones with wings."

The fire department will receive a framed certificate, a letter of appreciation, and a box of vegan chocolates from PETA.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.