St. Louis Children's Hospital's Website Contradicts Scientific Evidence That Cruel Intubation Training on Live Cats Is Ineffective

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

St. Louis -- Today, PETA filed a complaint with the Missouri attorney general alleging that St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) has violated the state's false advertising law by misleading the public about the effectiveness of cruel cat intubation laboratories that it offers as part of a $300 to $400 training course. PETA is asking the attorney general to require SLCH to remove the apparently fraudulent statements from its website.

As PETA explains in its complaint, trainees in SLCH's Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course, conducted in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis, force plastic tubes down the delicate throats of cats in archaic intubation exercises.

SLCH's website promotes the course by claiming, among other things, that students who practice intubation on animals are the "best qualified," even though scientific studies have repeatedly found that students who are taught using exclusively lifelike manikins are better at intubating babies than those who use animals. SLCH offers no evidence to support its statement.

"SLCH shouldn't be allowed to continue to tell customers that jamming a tube down a cat's throat is the most effective training method, when medical research has actually shown that it's inferior to training that uses only modern simulators," says PETA Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "PETA asks the Missouri attorney general to stop SLCH from making statements that put other PALS training facilities using simulators instead of animals, including St. Louis University and Mercy Children's Hospital, at a competitive disadvantage."

PETA noted the following in its complaint to the attorney general:

• A study published in the journal Pediatric Emergency Care found that trainees who practiced intubation exclusively on infant manikins were "significantly more successful on the first attempt at intubation" as well as overall when treating human infants than those who had also practiced on animals.
• The American Heart Association (AHA), the PALS course's developer and sponsor, explicitly states, "We do not endorse or require the use of animals during the AHA-PALS training because of advances and availability of simulation mannequins. These mannequins provide the opportunity to practice all the necessary skills."
• SLCH is the only one out of more than 1,000 PALS facilities in the nation that PETA knows of that still uses cats for intubation training.

Learn more at PETA.org.

Mike Casey Seeks Permit to Keep Dangerous Exotic Animals After County Commissioners Give Tiger Exhibitor Karl Mitchell the Boot

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Pahrump, Nev. -- PETA is urging the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission (RPC) to vote on May 15 to deny notorious animal abuser Mike Casey a permit to keep four chimpanzees and a monkey in Pahrump. PETA's letter comes just a month after Nye County revoked a similar permit from big-cat exhibitor Karl Mitchell. As PETA explains in its letter, after Casey unlawfully kept dangerous animals in Clark County for at least two years without the requisite permit, the county denied his permit application and ordered him to remove the primates permanently. Like Mitchell, Casey has a long history of abusing exotic animals and ignoring the law. At the May 15 meeting, a PETA representative will speak against any move to issue a permit to him.

"Nevada is at last starting to crack down on animal exploiters, and Nye County can continue that progress by denying a permit to a man who has been seen kicking and punching chimpanzees," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "PETA hopes Nye County will stand up for animal welfare and public safety by not allowing another animal abuser to set up shop in Pahrump."

According to sworn eyewitness testimony and U.S. Department of Agriculture records, Casey has a history of physically abusing chimpanzees—including kicking and punching them, striking them with wooden rods, and dousing them with hot water—and of confining them in dark and squalid conditions. In its letter, PETA points out that Casey's ownership of exotic animals places his neighbors at risk, as chimpanzees are powerful animals who are known to lash out—particularly when they are abused and denied everything that is natural and important to them. Casey bred and sold Travis, the "pet" chimpanzee who was killed by police after ripping a woman's face off, and Timmy, who was killed after attacking a sheriff's deputy, and Casey even had his own face disfigured in a similar attack. Several chimpanzees have escaped from his properties over the years, including last year, multiple privately owned chimpanzees escaped in Las Vegas, where he had disregarded permit requirements for years.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Behind to Fend for Themselves

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Kamloops, B.C. -- 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 21 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 favourite 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 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.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

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

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

For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Dallas -- Dairy giant Dean Foods' 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 will call on Dean Foods to require that its dairy suppliers begin phasing out dehorning, a painful process in which calves have their horns gouged out or their horn tissue burned out of their heads. PETA will point out how breeding for naturally hornless, or polled, cows—which is an established industry practice—eliminates one of the most painful things done to cows on dairy farms.

When:   Wednesday, May 15, 10 a.m.

Where:  Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas

"Calves endure excruciating pain when their horns are gouged out or their sensitive horn tissue is burned off by dairy suppliers," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Instead of standing idly by, Dean Foods 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 a 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.

Dean Foods is the nation's largest milk bottler. Its dairy products are sold under more than 50 brands, including Borden, Pet, Country Fresh, and Meadow Gold.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Urges Teens to Keep Their Skin Clear—and Wipe Out Suffering for Cows—by Steering Clear of Dairy Products

For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Baltimore -- PETA's "Got Zits?" billboard is going national. Just weeks after it went up in Kansas City, Mo., the group's billboard—a play on the milk industry's "Got Milk?" ad campaign—has gone up near several Baltimore schools, including Patterson High School and Canton Middle School. Prompted by a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that determined that there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, particularly from dairy products, the billboard shows the blemish-covered face of a teen with a milk mustache and reads, "Studies Show: Milk and Cheese Trigger Acne. Ditch Dairy." The billboard is located along Interstate 95, south of Eastern Avenue, and faces north.

"Teens care about animals, and they care about their skin—so ditching dairy is a no-brainer," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA encourages people of all ages to help cows and stay healthy by choosing the delicious and cholesterol-free plant-based milks, ice creams, and cheeses that are widely available in grocery stores."

A previous 47,000-person study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that the consumption of milk and other dairy products significantly raised the incidence of acne. A dairy-free diet can also lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity in adults as well as allergies, ear infections, and juvenile-onset diabetes in children.

Ditching dairy helps animals, too: Cows on dairy factory farms have their calves torn away from them shortly after birth so that the milk meant for their babies can be sold to people instead. 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.

PETA's billboard is also headed to Cincinnati and Milwaukee. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Routine Use of Weapons on Elephants, Other Animals Clinches Decision

For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hempstead, N.Y. -- Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION) and PETA have sent a letter of thanks accompanied by a box of vegan chocolates to the Hempstead-based New York Equestrian Center for canceling a scheduled appearance by the notoriously cruel Piccadilly Circus. The center reached the decision after a LION representative approached members and informed them about the systemic suffering of animals forced to perform in the circus through beatings, electric shocks, and the use of bullhooks. Also, one of the elephants used by the circus, Topsy, has tested positive for a strain of tuberculosis (TB) that is easily transmitted to humans. Moreover, Topsy's handler, Franklin Murray, is facing charges of cruelty to animals in New Jersey.

"Hats off to the Equestrian Society for saying no to the animal abuse and public endangerment of circuses," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Kids love animals, so the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

Based on a sworn affidavit from a whistleblower who reported that Piccadilly General Manager Zach Garden and others routinely abuse and neglect animals, PETA submitted a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture last month. According to the whistleblower, animals used by Piccadilly are routinely denied veterinary care and beaten, including a zebra named Ziggy, who was held in place while being beaten backstage by Garden so savagely that the animal fell over and screamed during a performance in Waterbury, Conn., on April 11. 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 who had been paralyzed in a transportation accident was left to die in the woods.
• In December, a llama named Spot developed "uncontrollable" diarrhea, received no veterinary care, was left to languish in his own waste, and finally died.
• Also 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.

PETA Beauty Will Expose All, Including Truth About Ringling's Abuse of Animals

For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Omaha -- Wearing nothing but shackles and covered with "scars" from violent "beatings"—which are an everyday reality for animals in circuses—PETA member Kelsey Brennaman will protest in Omaha on Thursday against the arrival of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

When:   Thursday, May 16, 12 noon   

Where:  At the northwest corner of Howard and S. 11^th streets, Omaha

"I'm here to expose what the circus is so desperate to hide from the public," says Brennaman. "These animals have been beaten and deprived of their precious freedom for a lifetime of cheap tricks."

PETA has released dozens of compelling photos taken inside Ringling's Florida 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.

In late 2011, Ringling paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. 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 websiteRinglingBeatsAnimals.com.

Group Urges Teens to Keep Their Skin Clear—and Wipe Out Suffering for Cows—by Steering Clear of Dairy Products

For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Milwaukee -- PETA's "Got Zits?" billboard is going national. Just weeks after it went up in Kansas City, Mo., the group's billboard—a play on the milk industry's "Got Milk?" ad campaign—has gone up near several Milwaukee schools, including East High School. Prompted by a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that determined that there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, particularly from dairy products, the billboard shows the blemish-covered face of a teen with a milk mustache and reads, "Studies Show: Milk and Cheese Trigger Acne. Ditch Dairy." The billboard is located on the south side of W. Lisbon Avenue at 52^nd Street.

"Teens care about animals, and they care about their skin—so ditching dairy is a no-brainer," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA encourages people of all ages to help cows and stay healthy by choosing the delicious and cholesterol-free plant-based milks, ice creams, and cheeses that are widely available in grocery stores."

A previous 47,000-person study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that the consumption of milk and other dairy products significantly raised the incidence of acne. A dairy-free diet can also lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity in adults as well as allergies, ear infections, and juvenile-onset diabetes in children.

Ditching dairy helps animals, too: Cows on dairy factory farms have their calves torn away from them shortly after birth so that the milk meant for their babies can be sold to people instead. 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.

PETA's billboard is also headed to Cincinnati and Baltimore. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Airline One of the Last in the World to Profit From Cruel and Deadly Trade 

For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

San Francisco -- Wearing prisoner suits and monkey masks, crouching in stacked cages, and holding signs that read, "Philippine Airlines Ships Monkeys for Deadly Experiments" and "Cruelty Shouldn't Fly," six PETA members will make a plea for animals' lives outside Philippine Airlines' U.S. headquarters in San Francisco on Thursday. PETA's affiliate in Asia will be protesting at the airline's international headquarters in Manila on the same day.

When:   Thursday, May 16, 12 noon

Where:  Philippine Airlines offices, 447 Sutter St. (near the intersection with Powell Street), San Francisco

The action is in protest of the company's policy of shipping primates to laboratories, a practice that all but three major airlines have abandoned. Documents obtained by PETA indicate that Philippine Airlines recently shipped 190 macaque monkeys in tiny crates from Indonesia to Los Angeles. Once there, they were trucked more than 4,000 miles before winding up at the University of Washington for use in cruel and deadly experiments.  

"Philippine Airlines is out of step with the rest of the industry and apparently has no problem adding primate torture to its balance sheet," says PETA Director of Laboratory Investigations Justin Goodman. "Philippine Airlines is every bit as responsible for the pain, suffering, and death that these animals are subjected to as the experimenters who wield the syringes, drills, and scalpels."

Following pressure from PETA, many of the largest and best-known carriers in the world, including Air China, China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines, United, and American Airlines, now refuse to ship primates to laboratories. This change has resulted in a 40 percent decrease in the number of primates imported by U.S. laboratories over the past five years.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Joins Penitas Police in Effort to Bring Animal Abuser to Justice

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Penitas, Texas -- Twelve dogs were recently found dead in the area of Mile 3 and Liberty roads in Penitas. According to police, they were poisoned. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the killings. That's why PETA is offering up to a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this violent 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. Hidalgo County 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 Penitas Police Department at 956-583-0050.

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 16, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

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

Fresh From the Kentucky Derby, Provocative Mobile Ad Highlights Racing's Widespread Drug Abuse

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Baltimore -- Call it the Triple Crown of horse-racing protests: PETA's mobile billboard, which gave Kentucky Derby attendees a stark reminder of the dark side of horse racing, is now headed to Baltimore for the second leg of the Triple Crown, where it will circle Pimlico Race Course all day on Friday (Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Day) and Saturday, the day of the Preakness Stakes.

The billboard depicts a horse with a syringe-shaped blaze on her forehead and the words "Drugs. Breakdowns. Death. Horse Racing Is a Bad Bet" in reference 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.

"Greed and illegal drugs are a deadly cocktail for the countless thoroughbreds who break down on racetracks across the country every week," says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. "PETA's billboard is going straight to the source—Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course—to make sure that racegoers know that their tickets and bets support an industry that kills thousands of horses every year."

Horses who survive being pumped full of pain-killing medications and performance-enhancing drugs and then being forced to run at breakneck speed face another threat: When they can no longer run, thoroughbreds 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.org.

Necropsy Report Reveals That Female Pit Bull Had Recently Given Birth, May Have Received Veterinary Care

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hampton Roads, Va. -- Because the necropsy report of the black-and-white female pit bull whose remains were found floating in the James River on Sunday in Newport News, Va. reveals several clues as to the dog's identity—including that she may have recently been seen by a veterinarian—PETA, which is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for drowning her, is asking Peninsula veterinary clinics to search their medical records for dogs who match her description and urging businesses near the pier where her body was found (behind 99 Jefferson Ave.) to review and preserve their surveillance videos. The group also urges nearby residents to come forward with any further clues as to the dog's identity.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact PETA at 757-622-7382 or CIDinfo@peta.org.

The necropsy report corroborates PETA's suspicions that the dog had been tied to an 11-pound weight and thrown into the river, shattering one of her ribs and likely causing her to drown. The report further offers the following clues as to the dog's identity:

• Female pit bull, 2 to 4 years old
• Mostly black with a white muzzle, chin, collar, chest, and abdomen and white socks on all four feet
• Recently gave birth to a litter, approximately four months ago
• May have recently been seen by a veterinarian and had evenly shaved rectangular patches of fur on her front legs

"Somebody out there knows something—has heard that a neighbor's dog recently went missing, recognizes this dog's photograph or description, or saw something suspicious along the river last week," says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. "PETA urges anyone with any information to come forward and help to make sure that nobody gets away with intentionally throwing this dog into the river to die."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA Wants IRS Probe to Include Group's Audits Under Bush Administrations

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

PETA may not have "tea party" or "patriot" in its name, but the group was subject to politically motivated misconduct by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In a letter sent today to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, PETA asks that the recently announced criminal probe into the IRS' activity be expanded to include an analysis of the three audits (in 1990 to 1992, 2003 to 2005, and 2009) that targeted PETA's tax-exempt status. IRS agents have admitted that they were the result of pressure from animal-abusing industries that PETA opposes, such as the meat and dairy industries, among others.

PETA's letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury follows and is available here. 

May 16, 2013

Eric M. Thorson
Inspector General
U.S. Department of the Treasury
J. Russell George
Inspector General for Tax Administration
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Re: Improper Politically Motivated IRS Audits of PETA

Dear Messrs. Thorson and George:

I serve as general counsel to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc. (PETA), the 501(c)(3) animal-protection charity, and I am writing to request that you please expand your current inquiry into reported Internal Revenue Service misconduct to include a detailed analysis of the three baseless audits that targeted PETA's tax-exempt status in 1990 to 1992 under the George H.W. Bush administration, in 2003 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration, and again in 2009. I can assure you that targeted misconduct by the IRS is neither new nor limited to conservative causes.

PETA's harassment by the IRS includes the 20-month audit in 2003 to 2005 and another in 2009, both of which resulted from what the IRS agents admitted—and we have verified from Freedom of Information Act materials—were politically motivated attacks and pressure by members of Congress who were doing the bidding of the meat, dairy, experimentation, tobacco, and other industries whose animal-abusing practices PETA opposes. PETA came through all three audits with a clean bill of health but endured an unconscionable diversion of charity resources to fend off these attacks on its tax-exempt status, which were reminiscent of the Nixon years and tactics more commonly attributed to totalitarian regimes.

May I please hear from you as a matter of urgency that these audits will be included in a truly thorough examination of IRS tactics?

Very truly yours,

Jeffrey S. Kerr
General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs

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

For Immediate Release:
May 17, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Corvallis, Ore. -- Most students at Oregon 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:   Monday, May 20, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Memorial Union, Oregon State University, Corvallis

"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.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Livingston, N.J. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Livingston this weekend, 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.

Oscar Winner Narrates as Advanced CGI Paints a Stark Portrait of Abuse of Apes for Ads, TV, and Movies

For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- A distraught chimpanzee languishes inside a stark, barren cell, pacing back and forth with no one to interact with and nothing to play with—except, in the end, a gun. PETA's new public service announcement is narrated by Academy Award–winning actor Adrien Brody and was created by award-winning ad agency BBDO and award-winning production company The Mill. Titled "98% Human," the thought-provoking new spot—as seen in today's Adweek—illustrates the tragic lives of animal "actors" and asks viewers to put themselves in the great ape's place. And because the cutting-edge CGI is so realistic, an on-screen disclaimer finally reveals that "[n]o real apes were used in this commercial." The video is available here.

"The bottom line is that we no longer can excuse the exploitation that exists in this world. Great apes are no exception. They are extremely sensitive, intelligent, and emotional beings. It's sad that they're still commonly used in television and film, especially when we know how much they suffer behind the scenes," says Brody. "Acting should be left to actors—and that means human beings who have a choice in the matter."

"Adult apes are too strong to control, so the 'cute' chimpanzees used in TV and movies are typically babies who were torn away from their mothers and abused during training. After a few short years, most apes are discarded at roadside zoos and other substandard facilities," says PETA primatologist Julia Gallucci. "With today's technology, filmmakers can feature animal characters—such as the ape in PETA's video—without harming a single animal."

Brody isn't the only Oscar winner to team up with PETA to speak out against the abuse of apes in the entertainment industry: His The Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr. Fox costar Anjelica Huston hosts the video "No More Monkey Business," which PETA has sent to many ad agencies that have since agreed never to feature great apes in their commercials. Each of the top 10 U.S. advertising agencies has banned the use of great apes in its ads, and BBDO was one of the first to make this pledge.

For more information and to view the video, please visit GreatApePledge.org or PETA.org. A broadcast-quality version of the video can be downloaded here and behind-the-scenes footage can be downloaded here.

Governor and Sponsors Will Receive Sweet Gift for Signing Legislation That Says Colorado Is a Friend to Homeless Animals

For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Denver -- Colorado just raised the bar for helping our four-legged friends. That's because, on May 13, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law a bill that establishes dogs and cats adopted from animal shelters as the official "state pet"—or pets, in this case. The idea was proposed by students from the Peakview School in Walsenburg and Rooney Ranch Elementary School in Lakewood. Colorado is the first state to designate animals adopted from shelters as the official state pets. For conceiving of the measure and seeing it through to a successful conclusion, the young "lobbyists" at both schools will receive PETA'sCompassionate Kids Award from PETA Kids, PETA's children's division. The bill's primary sponsors, state Sen. Andy Kerr and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, and Hickenlooper—whose rescued dog Sky accompanied him to the signing ceremony—will each receive a box of delicious vegan chocolates.

"The way that schoolchildren, legislators, and Colorado's chief executive teamed up to focus attention on the crisis of animal homelessness should be emulated by states across the country," says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "Many animal shelters perform heroic work, and everyone who adopts an animal in need of a loving home is a hero, too."

Every year, 6 to 8 million animals end up in U.S. shelters, and approximately 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 are often subjected to injuries, starvation, exposure, disease, and cruelty. That's why PETA encourages families always to spay and neuter their dogs and cats and to adopt from animal shelters rather than buying from breeders or pet stores, which contribute to the homeless-animal crisis.

Gov. Hickenlooper also signed into law another bill that requires police officers to undergo training in dog behavior. The bill was introduced following several incidents in which police officers shot dogs under questionable circumstances.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

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

For Immediate Release:
May 21, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Rosemont, Ill. -- Kraft Foods Group's 2013 annual meeting will include a statement and question from a representative of PETA, which owns stock in the company. PETA will call on Kraft to require that its dairy suppliers begin phasing out dehorning, a painful process in which calves have their horns gouged out or their horn tissue burned out of their heads. PETA will point out how breeding for naturally hornless, or polled, cows—which is an established industry practice—eliminates one of the most painful things done to cows on dairy farms.

When:   Wednesday, May 22, 8:30 a.m.

Where:  Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont

"Calves endure excruciating pain when their horns are gouged out or their sensitive horn tissue is burned off by dairy suppliers," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Instead of standing idly by, Kraft 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.

Kraft is the fourth-largest packaged food and beverage company in North America.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.