Oscar Nominee Joins PETA in Supporting State's Ban on Bullhooks

For Immediate Release:
May 21, 2013

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

Providence -- As Rhode Island's legislature considers a proposed ban on bullhooks—weapons that circuses use to beat and intimidate elephants—Rhode Island native Viola Davis has sent a letter on PETA's behalf urging state legislators to support the ban. As the Tony winner and Academy Award nominee explains in her letter, circuses such as Ringling Bros. beat elephants with bullhooks to show them "who's boss" and force them to perform tricks. The proposed legislation would also prohibit chaining elephants for extended periods—another routine circus practice that hurts animals.

"Having grown up in Rhode Island and as someone concerned about cruelty to animals, I am writing on behalf of my friends at PETA to urge you to support H.B. 5853 [and S.B. 813]," writes Davis. "Today, elephant sanctuaries and most zoos never use bullhooks or other weapon-like tools to punish elephants. … I hope you will extend that decency to elephants used in circuses."

Davis is part of a long list of celebrities—including Jada Pinkett Smith, Alec Baldwin, Olivia Munn, Demi Moore, and Edie Falco—who have teamed up with PETA to speak out against circuses that use animals.

Davis' letters to the members of Rhode Island's legislature are available upon request. Her letter to V. Susan Sosnowski, chair of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture, is available here. 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 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Kingston, N.J. -- The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Kingston 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 Urges Teens to Keep Their Skin Clear—and Wipe Out Suffering for Cows—by Steering Clear of Dairy Products

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Cincinnati -- 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 half a mile from the University of Cincinnati. 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 Reading Road, south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, facing 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 also just went up in Baltimore and Milwaukee. For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Just in Time for 'Kitten Season,' Group Offers $25 Spays and Neuters in Effort to Combat Animal Homelessness and Need for Euthanizing Millions

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Norfolk, Va. -- June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" Month, and PETA wants to make sure that Virginia's open-admission shelters can someday boast that they don't have to euthanize even one unwanted homeless animal. That's why PETA is slashing its price for cat sterilizations from the normally low cost of $45 to just $25. During June, the group's mobile veterinary clinics will set up shop at several locations within a two-hour radius of PETA's Norfolk headquarters, making them accessible to many of the commonwealth's residents. Interested parties are encouraged to call the number below to find out when one of the clinics will be in their area.

"Spaying and neutering are the only ways to get a handle on the number of unwanted cats and dogs born every year, and we're providing animal guardians with an incentive that's hard to beat," says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. "PETA encourages those who are ready to welcome a cat or dog into their home to adopt from their local animal shelter and never buy from pet stores or breeders, which only exacerbate the homeless-animal crisis."

The results of failing to spay and neuter are tragic. Virginia animal shelters took in at least 93,000 cats in 2012. Approximately 30,000 were adopted, but more than 40,000 were euthanized. May and June begin what's known as "kitten season"—the time of year when cats breed most prolifically, lasting through the summer. Since 2001, PETA has sterilized more than 92,000 animals, preventing the births of many times that number and saving them from winding up in the streets or in shelters, which are already bursting at the seams with homeless and unwanted cats.

To make an appointment for spaying or neutering, members of the public are encouraged to call PETA at 757-622-PETA (7382), option 3.

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

PETA's Senior Supporters Blast Park for Exploiting Animals and Tax Loopholes

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Orlando, Fla. -- Holding signs that read, "SeaWorld: Don't Take Our Social Security," PETA members—led by senior citizens—will converge on SeaWorld in Orlando to protest the park's recently revealed use of loopholes to avoid paying income tax and make more money off captive marine species. Although SeaWorld made more than $1 billion in profits last year, it paid almost no income taxes—meaning that it contributed almost nothing toward vital social programs such as supplemental Social Security for the elderly, veterans' programs, and children's health and educational programs. Meanwhile, the cement tanks that it uses to imprison dolphins and orcas remain, to them, the size of bathtubs.

When:   Thursday, May 23, 12 noon

Where:  Main entrance to SeaWorld (at the intersection of Central Florida Parkway and SeaWorld Drive), Orlando

"SeaWorld exploits both tax loopholes and the many animals it forces to perform tricks," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Profit is SeaWorld's only concern—not the well-being of the community, the animals, or its employees."

In the wild, orcas share intricate family relationships and swim as many as 100 miles every day. At SeaWorld, orcas continually swim in circles in small concrete tanks and are forced to perform circus-style tricks for food. These stressed orcas live far short of their natural life expectancy of up to about 50 years, rarely getting the chance to be "senior citizens" themselves, and are known to lash out: SeaWorld lists more than 100 incidents of orca aggression—including trainer injuries and death—in its own incomplete records.

For more information, please visitPETA.org.

First Responders Retrieve Baby Birds From Storm Drain, Reuniting Feathered Siblings

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Lombard, Ill. -- On Friday evening, Lombard resident Ginger Frey contacted PETA with concerns about ducklings who were trapped in a storm drain. Although she had managed to get two of the ducklings out on her own, the others were too far down for her to reach. PETA contacted local rescue workers, and on Sunday evening, the Lombard Fire Department rescued the remaining two ducklings who were still trapped in the drain. All the rescued ducklings were taken to a wildlife rehabilitator and are doing fine. 

For taking action to save the duckling siblings, the Lombard Fire Department will receive PETA's Compassionate Fire Department Award.

"Thanks to these firefighters—and to a concerned resident's determination—these ducklings will recover completely from their frightening experience in the storm drain," says PETA Associate Director of Cruelty Investigations Stephanie Bell. "PETA urges everyone to contact local officials right away if an animal is in need."

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.

Copper Beach Elementary Educator Teaches Kids Respect for Animals and Their Own Bodies by Introducing Them to Healthy Vegan Foods

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Glenside, Pa. -- Copper Beach Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Mary Ryan goes the extra mile to give her pupils lessons in kindness and good nutrition that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Ryan founded the aptly named Kind Club, which stresses the many benefits of going vegan and the importance of treating animals with respect. For her unwavering dedication to justice for animals, Ryan has been chosen by TeachKind—PETA's humane-education division—as 2013 Teacher of the Year. The contest was timed to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Month.

"Mary Ryan makes sure that her students learn the most important lesson of all—showing kindness to others," says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "Teaching children empathy for animals is an important part of combating school violence and molding kids into caring adults."

The following are only a few of Ryan's activities:

• Inspiring her students to volunteer at animal shelters
• Hosting "Meatless Mondays" every week and talking to her students about the cruelty of factory farms and the health benefits of going vegan
• Persuading the school cafeteria to offer more meat- and dairy-free options
• Reaching into her own pocket to help students get their animals sterilized
• Explaining laws and proposed legislation aimed at protecting animals
• Having students listen as she speaks on the phone with legislators and businesses about animal-related issues
• Delivering a presentation on humane education to the PTA

Ryan, who also organized and hosted a Great American Meatout event at the school, will receive a framed certificate to display in her classroom and a vegan pizza party from Blackbird Pizzeria for up to 30 kids.

For more information, please visit TeachKind.com or click here.

Hawaiian Gardens Educator Teaches Kids Respect for Animals and Their Own Bodies by Introducing Them to Healthy Vegan Foods

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- Cat Hugar, who teaches seventh and eighth grades at Fedde International Studies Academy in Hawaiian Gardens has been chosen as the runner-up in a contest for 2013 Teacher of the Year held by TeachKind—PETA's humane-education division. The contest was timed to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Month.

"Cat Hugar's students learn the most important lesson of all—showing kindness to others," says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "Teaching children empathy for animals is an important part of combating violence and molding kids into caring adults."

After succeeding in getting her school to implement "Meatless Mondays," Hugar is now lobbying the entire district to follow suit. Her Cause for Paws program teaches kids about the cruelty of factory farms, fur, wildlife captivity, dogfighting, and experimenting on animals. Many of her students have followed her example and gone vegan, and after some of the kids' parents challenged her and learned about all the benefits, they, too, started moving toward going vegan. Hugar's power of persuasion isn't to be underestimated: She even succeeded in getting PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk to come speak at the school.

Hugar will receive a framed certificate and be featured on PETA's TeachKind website. For more information, please visit TeachKind.com.

Insider Describes Routine Abuses of Zebras and Other Animals in Basis for PETA Federal Complaint

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Grayslake, Ill. -- According to a whistleblower's sworn affidavit, handlers with Piccadilly Circus, which is scheduled to perform in Grayslake next week, regularly beat animals who fail to perform their stunts perfectly. The recent report is the basis for a PETA complaint submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the circus's alleged habitual abuse of animals and systemic failure to provide veterinary care—including leaving a sick goat to die in the woods and allowing a sheep with a broken leg to suffer untreated for weeks—among other apparent violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

"Piccadilly Circus is a pit of abuse, neglect, and death for animals," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Children naturally love animals, so the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

In October 2012, following an earlier PETA complaint, the USDA discovered that a young zebra had died after getting his jaw and foot caught in another zebra's halter. Two months later, the USDA issued an official warning to circus General Manager Zachary Garden for failing to handle animals properly. Although the USDA reports that an employee told the agency that the circus would begin removing halters from the zebras at night and using breakaway halters to prevent future incidents, according to the whistleblower, neither was done.

Piccadilly has a documented history of animal abuse and neglect beyond that detailed in the whistleblower's sworn affidavit. For example, according to a 2012 letter from Fort Wayne, Ind., officials, a witness observed an elephant with Piccadilly being beaten repeatedly. This incident was confirmed during interviews with the perpetrator, the circus manager, and the elephants' owner. The letter states that the handler struck the elephant with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp steel hook on one end—on her face and trunk repeatedly.

For more information about acts of animal abuse committed by Piccadilly Circus, please see PETA's factsheet.

If You Must Eat Animals, Eat the Ones Who Are Already Dead, Says PETA 

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382 

Helena, Mt. -- When state Rep. Steve Lavin fought successfully to pass his bill legalizing the practice of eating roadkill, the last ally he probably expected to have in his corner was PETA. Dressed in sexy cowgirl outfits and holding signs that read, "Roadkill: Meat Without the Murder," a pair of PETA beauties will hand out barbecued "roadkill" in downtown Helena on Thursday. PETA's point? That eating animals who were accidentally run over by cars is preferable to eating the ones cruelly raised on factory farms and sent to a terrifying death in slaughterhouses.

When:   Thursday, May 23, 12 noon 

Where:  At the intersection of Great Northern Boulevard and W. 14^th Street, Helena

"By eating deer and elk accidentally killed on highways, meat addicts can get their fix and help keep Montana clean at the same time," says sexy cowgirl Leila Sleiman. "Of course, the best thing for people to do is to stop eating animals altogether and go vegan."

Chickens, fish, cows, and pigs 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 or cats were the victims. On today's factory farms, 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 cows are hung upside down and often skinned while they're still able to feel pain. On the decks of fishing boats, fish suffocate or are cut open while they're still alive.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters are.

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 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

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

Manager Slapped With Multiple Animal Welfare Violations Based on PETA Complaint, Including Allowing Sheep to Endure Painful Fracture for Weeks

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Scranton, Pa. -- According to a whistleblower's sworn affidavit, handlers with Piccadilly Circus, which is scheduled to perform in Scranton next week, regularly beat animals who failed to perform stunts perfectly. The report was the basis for a PETA complaint submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the circus's alleged habitual abuse of animals and systemic failure to provide veterinary care. A report just released by the USDA cites Piccadilly General Manager Zachary Garden with eight new violations of the Animal Welfare Act—most of which are based on PETA's complaint. One of the violations involved allowing a sheep with a painfully broken leg to suffer without ever receiving treatment—while also putting her at risk of re-injury.

"Piccadilly Circus is a pit of abuse, neglect, and death for animals," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Children naturally love animals, so the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

The USDA also cited Garden for the following violations, among others:

• Severely crowding animals to the point that they couldn't even make normal postural adjustments or turn around and would have trouble lying down or accessing water
• Transporting animals in reach of paint, chemicals, and other potential hazards
• Keeping beef brisket intended to be fed to a tiger in a "dirty" cooler with no ice or freezer packs, resulting in a "foul odor"

Piccadilly has a long history of animal abuse and neglect. According to a 2012 letter from officials in Fort Wayne, Ind., a witness observed a handler who repeatedly struck an elephant with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp steel hook on one end—on the trunk and face. This incident was confirmed in interviews with the handler, the circus manager, and the elephant's owner, and the USDA issued an official warning over the matter.

For more information about acts of animal abuse committed by Piccadilly Circus, please see PETA's factsheet.

Manager Slapped With Multiple Animal Welfare Violations Based on PETA Complaint, Including Allowing Sheep to Endure Painful Fracture for Weeks

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Villa Park, Ill. -- According to a whistleblower's sworn affidavit, handlers with Piccadilly Circus, which is scheduled to perform in Villa Park next week, regularly beat animals who failed to perform stunts perfectly. The report was the basis for a PETA complaint submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the circus's alleged habitual abuse of animals and systemic failure to provide veterinary care. A report just released by the USDA cites Piccadilly General Manager Zachary Garden with eight new violations of the Animal Welfare Act—most of which are based on PETA's complaint. One of the violations involved allowing a sheep with a painfully broken leg to suffer without ever receiving treatment—while also putting her at risk of re-injury.

"Piccadilly Circus is a pit of abuse, neglect, and death for animals," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Children naturally love animals, so the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

The USDA also cited Garden for the following violations, among others:

• Severely crowding animals to the point that they couldn't even make normal postural adjustments or turn around and would have trouble lying down or accessing water
• Transporting animals in reach of paint, chemicals, and other potential hazards
• Keeping beef brisket intended to be fed to a tiger in a "dirty" cooler with no ice or freezer packs, resulting in a "foul odor"

Piccadilly has a long history of animal abuse and neglect. According to a 2012 letter from officials in Fort Wayne, Ind., a witness observed a handler who repeatedly struck an elephant with a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp steel hook on one end—on the trunk and face. This incident was confirmed in interviews with the handler, the circus manager, and the elephant's owner, and the USDA issued an official warning over the matter.

For more information about acts of animal abuse committed by Piccadilly Circus, please see PETA's factsheet.

Elementary School Teacher Is Second Runner-Up in Teacher of the Year Contest—Group Donates Dissection Software to High School Classroom

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner  202-483-7382

Los Angeles -- As the 2012 to 2013 school year draws to a close, PETA is recognizing the work of progressive teachers and students by sending gifts to two Compton schools: a framed certificate to Clarence A. Dickison Elementary School teacher Alicia Weyeneth, who is being awarded the second runner-up spot in the 2013 Teacher of the Year contest presented by TeachKind, PETA's humane education division, dissection software to King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, whose Animal Rights Club lobbied for dissection-free biology classes and a Compassionate Teacher Award for King Drew teacher Tracy Cross.

"Teaching kids to have empathy for animals—by using modern, humane methods for biology instruction and by always encouraging kindness to animals—is an important way to combat violence and mold kids into caring adults," says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. "PETA and TeachKind are proud to recognize educators and to supply materials for teaching students the most important lesson of all—having compassion for others."

Weyeneth, who went vegetarian 21 years ago, teaches her fourth-grade students to be kind to animals. No topic is off the table, whether it's taking a stand against dog fighting, stressing the importance of spaying and neutering, steering clear of circuses that use animals, or never buying products that were tested on animals. Weyeneth often shares her delicious vegan snacks with her students, and she regularly orders PETA's informative and fun literature, including the popular book 50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals.

King Drew teacher Tracy Cross' physiology classroom will soon feature the popular Digital Frog 2.5 software, which PETA has made available through TeachKind's international educational grants program. It allows students to "cut" with a digital scalpel and, unlike animals killed for dissection, can be used over and over. It has also been shown to teach anatomy better than animal dissection. PETA worked with the student Animal Rights Club to educate the school about the benefits of the virtual dissection software.

For more information, please visit TeachKind.com.

If You Must Eat Animals, Eat the Ones Who Are Already Dead, Says PETA 

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Billings, Mt. -- When state Rep. Steve Lavin fought successfully to pass his bill legalizing the practice of eating roadkill, the last ally he probably expected to have in his corner was PETA. Dressed in sexy cowgirl outfits and holding signs that read, "Roadkill: Meat Without the Murder," a pair of PETA beauties will hand out barbecued "roadkill" in downtown Billings on Friday. PETA's point? That eating animals who were accidentally run over by cars is preferable to eating the ones cruelly raised on factory farms and sent to a terrifying death in slaughterhouses.

When:   Friday, May 24, 12 noon

Where:  At the corner of Second Avenue N. and N. Broadway, Billings

"By eating deer and elk accidentally killed on highways, meat addicts can get their fix and help keep Montana clean at the same time," says sexy cowgirl Leila Sleiman. "Of course, the best thing for people to do is to stop eating animals altogether and go vegan."

Chickens, fish, cows, and pigs 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 or cats were the victims. On today's factory farms, 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 cows are hung upside down and often skinned while they're still able to feel pain. On the decks of fishing boats, fish suffocate or are cut open while they're still alive.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters are.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

N.C. GOP Leaders to Receive Video Appeal From Mary Matalin to Drop Controversial 'Ag-Gag' Bill

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2013

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Raleigh, N.C. -- PETA's newest ally in fighting a GOP-sponsored bill in North Carolina that seeks to ban cruelty investigations on factory farms: Republican pundit Mary Matalin.

"You may be wondering what a meat-eating conservative Republican like me is doing in a PETA video," says Matalin in the graphic three-minute testimony. "[Y]ou have before you a bill that would criminalize filming on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. … [I'm] asking you to please vote against these 'ag-gag' bills."

Matalin is sending the video to senators in North Carolina to ask them to vote down Senate Bill (S.B.) 648, which would criminalize the documentation of patterns of routine cruelty to animals on factory farms. As Matalin explains in the video, PETA's investigations on factory farms have led to convictions on the charge of cruelty to animals under state laws—convictions that would be virtually impossible if S.B. 648 became law. Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a similar bill after the state's attorney general said that it could "constitute an unconstitutional burden on news gathering." Another similar bill was recently deemed unconstitutional by Indiana's GOP speaker of the house. "Ag-gag" bills have also died this year in Arkansas, California, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

As she introduces a video clip about a case that reveals routine beatings and even sexual abuse of pigs on a Midwestern factory farm, Matalin states, "A meat-trade magazine called the case a 'wake-up call' for the industry. Unfortunately, factory farms keep hitting the snooze button, and instead of fixing the problems, they're trying to blame the messenger."

You can see Matalin's three-minute PETA video here. 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 28, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Middletown, N.Y. — The Cole Bros. Circus is heading to Middletown 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 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 the circus 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 of them 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.

Circus Manager Cited Following PETA Complaint Based on Whistleblower Report

For Immediate Release:
May 28, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Sarasota, Fla.— Zachary Garden, general manager of the notoriously cruel Sarasota-based Piccadilly Circus, is in hot water with the federal government again. After receiving a sworn affidavit from a whistleblower attesting to multiple beatings, systematic denial of veterinary care, and deaths of animals used in the circus, PETA filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A report just released by the USDA cites Garden for eight new violations of the Animal Welfare Act—most of which are based on PETA's complaint. One of the violations involved allowing a sheep with a painfully broken leg to suffer without ever receiving treatment.

"Piccadilly Circus is a pit of abuse, neglect, and death for animals," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Children naturally love animals, so the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

Also among Garden's latest violations are severely crowding animals to the point that they couldn't even make normal postural adjustments or turn around and would have trouble lying down or accessing water. Additionally, the inspector found meat intended for a tiger in a "dirty" cooler with no ice or freezer packs, resulting in a "foul odor."

The whistleblower reported additional examples of abuse, including an incident just last month in which Garden beat a zebra backstage so savagely that the animal fell over and screamed. In another incident sworn to in the affidavit, a baby goat who had been paralyzed was left to die in the woods. And, around April 1, Garden struck a 2-year-old camel named Thor with the handle of a whip, causing the animal's eye to bleed, according to the whistleblower. This isn't the first time that such allegations have been made about Piccadilly. According to a 2012 letter from officials in Fort Wayne, Ind., a witness observed a handler with Piccadilly repeatedly strike an elephant on the trunk and face with a steel-tipped bullhook.  

For more information about acts of animal abuse committed by Piccadilly Circus, please see PETA's factsheet.

For Immediate Release: 
May 28, 2013

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Norfolk, Va. -- The PETA International Science Consortium, Ltd., issued the following statement regarding the Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013 introduced by Senator Vitter and Lautenberg on May 23, 2013:

Reform of chemical safety legislation will succeed only if it also modernizes toxicity testing.

Ensuring the safety and appropriate use of chemicals is an important goal.  Reforming the EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act is a critical opportunity to implement the National Research Council’s vision for transforming toxicity testing “from a system based on whole-animal testing to one founded primarily on in vitro [nonanimal] methods.” 

While we are still reviewing the details of the bill introduced today – The Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013 – the legislation is a large step in the direction of the National Research Council’s vision for 21^st century toxicology.  We are pleased to see that much of the language that PETA scientists and other experts in nonanimal testing strategies submitted to the legislators on reducing animal use and improving scientific evaluations was included. 

The bill appears to recognize that current test methods using animals are time-consuming, expensive, and unreliable. A single reproductive toxicity study takes two years, costs $380,000, and uses 2,600 animals. Multiplied by the 85,000 chemicals in use, it is obvious that even poisoning all the animals in the world in toxicity tests will not address the backlog of existing chemicals or keep up with newly-developed chemicals.

But the legislation should also mandate the use of available high tech, sophisticated nonanimal methods, as is required throughout the European Union, rather than only “encouraging” their use.  A mandate to develop and use the new methods is required to drive funding and innovation to better protect people, animals, and the environment. We will continue to push for this crucial language in the legislation. 

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

For Immediate Release:
May 29, 2013 

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382 

Wichita, Kan. -- An "injured elephant" will lead PETAprotesters on Wednesday as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares for its opening show in Wichita on Thursday. 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:   Wednesday, May 29, 12 noon

Where:  INTRUST Bank Arena, 500 E. Waterman St. (at the intersection of E. Waterman and S. Emporia streets), Wichita

"Wichita 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.

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