Group Joins Sheriff's Office in Effort to Bring Person Responsible for Leaving Severed Heads of Dogs on Family's Porch to Justice

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hull, Ga. -- The severed heads of two dogs were found on a family's front steps on both November 23 and 24. "My sister didn't even go to work the first night because she was so shook up about it," Zachary Osburn told news sources. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the beheadings. That's why PETA is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this violent crime.

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

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Lt. Jimmy Patton of the Madison County Sheriff's Office at 706-795-6202.

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.

PETA Says Latest Attack Illustrates Inherent Danger of Dolphin Cove Attraction

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Orlando, Fla. -- Alerted to a November 21 incident this weekend in which an 8-year-old girl sustained puncture wounds and a swollen hand when a dolphin at SeaWorld's Dolphin Cove rose up out of the water and bit her as she was feeding the animal, PETA sent an urgent letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking the agency to investigate the incident and hold SeaWorld accountable for endangering both the dolphin and the public in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

"This isn't the first time that a captive dolphin at SeaWorld has bitten and injured a child, and there is no reason to believe that it will be the last," says general counsel to PETA Jeff Kerr. "Allowing deprived and frustrated wild animals to have direct contact with children in order to make a buck is asking for disaster—and PETA believes that it's against federal law."

SeaWorld has a long history of injuries and deaths from dangerous interactions between trainers and marine mammals, including more than 100 incidents of orca aggression in its own records. In the wild, dolphins can swim at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and travel as far as 100 miles in a day. But at SeaWorld, these highly intelligent social animals are confined to tiny, barren concrete tanks and forced to beg for dead fish—a physically and psychologically destructive environment that inevitably leads the animals to act out.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA Members Will Converge on Yakima to Expose Cruel Industry

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382 

Yakima -- Accompanied by an activist dressed as a half-plucked goose and holding graphic signs that read, "Plucked Alive," PETA supporters will congregate in downtown Yakima on Wednesday. The battered bird's point? That shoppers who would never think of buying fur often purchase jackets, gloves, pillows, or comforters filled with down because they aren't aware of the hideous suffering of birds who are often repeatedly—and painfully—plucked alive for their feathers.

When:   Wednesday, December 5, 12 noon 

Where:  Intersection of E. Yakima Avenue and S. Front Street, Yakima

"PETA wants shoppers to know that buying down products is every bit as cruel as purchasing fur, exotic skins, leather, or wool," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "The rule of thumb is easy to remember: If a product came from an animal, the chances that abuse and suffering were involved are roughly 100 percent."

To obtain down, the feathers are often ripped out of restrained, frightened, screaming birds. Warm, animal-friendly bedding and winter clothing are available everywhere. PETA encourages shoppers to check labels for synthetic down, down alternative, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft® and Thinsulate™—soft, washable, down-like fibers. In most cases, these alternatives are superior to down, which loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Dogs Kept Outside Can Suffer From Frostbite or Die When Left out in the Cold

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Franklin, Va. -- As temperatures continue to drop, PETA will be out giving away free straw for use as doghouse bedding for dogs who are kept outside. While PETA strongly encourages people to keep their dogs and other animal companions indoors—especially at this time of year—in order to protect their health and ensure their well-being and safety, reports of shivering dogs and last-minute calls for help have prompted the giveaway:

Date:   Saturday, December 8

Time:   Starting at 11 a.m. and continuing until all the straw is given away

Place:  Fast Auto Loans parking lot, 1420 Armory Dr., Franklin

"All dogs deserve to live inside a real house, safe and dry, as part of the family," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "But because that isn't always the case, we hope people will come and fetch free straw so that dogs who are left outside have at least some small comfort on freezing winter nights."

For more information, please visitPETA.org. 

Group Urges bebe Corporate: Ditch the Fur

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Brisbane, Calif. --- Holding the "bodies" of a skinned "fox" and a skinned "rabbit" and brandishing signs that read, "bebe: Ditch the Fur!" and "bebe Butchers Bunnies," PETA members will hold a spirited protest outside bebe headquarters on Valley Drive in Brisbane on Wednesday. Their point? That the fur trade is a violent, bloody industry that beats, drowns, and electrocutes animals before ripping the animals' skins from their backs.

When:   Wednesday, December 5, 12 noon

Where:  Outside bebe, 400 Valley Dr. (near the intersection with N. Hill Drive), Brisbane

"Every fur jacket or piece of fur trim came from animals who were tormented and painfully killed in the name of 'fashion,'" says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "If bebe doesn't want to be a target of caring consumers everywhere, the company should drop the fur."

Undercover investigations have revealed that rabbits on Chinese fur farms—one of the countries from which bebe obtains fur—are pulled out of cages by their ears and stunned with electrical devices while they scream. Another investigation of a Chinese fur farm shows a skinned raccoon dog on a heap of carcasses who lifts his bloodied head and stares into the camera.

PETA urges bebe to follow the lead of companies such as Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, Forever 21, Wet Seal, and many others and remove all fur from its shelves immediately. More than 80,000 people have taken action against bebe because of its use of fur.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Store Must Stop Supporting Cruel Treatment of Rabbits in China, Where There are No Penalties for Abusing Animals on Fur Farms, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Jacksonville, Fla. -- PETA has purchased stock in the Stein Mart department store chain in an effort to push the company to end its fur sales. This step means that PETA will be able to attend annual meetings and submit shareholder resolutions, and it plans to do both. The move comes after PETA discovered that Stein Mart was selling apparel made with rabbit fur.

"The fur trade is revoltingly cruel because it steals the skin off animals' backs at the cost of their very lives," says PETA Senior Corporate Liaison David Byer. "By becoming stockholders, we'll get a leg up and be able to take our case directly to the people who own Stein Mart—namely, other shareholders."

In China—where much American-sold rabbit fur originates and where there are no penalties for abusing animals on fur farms—workers pull rabbits out of cages by their ears and stun the screaming animals with electrical devices. Rabbits watch as other animals have their throats cut and their heads and paws cut off with knives before the skin is peeled off their bodies. In other countries, rabbits killed for their fur spend their entire lives in tiny, filthy cages and mired in their own waste. To kill rabbits, fur farmers break their necks or smash their skulls before stringing them up by their legs and slitting their throats.

PETA urges Stein Mart to follow the lead of companies such as Gap Inc., Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, and many others and remove all fur from its shelves immediately.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA and Its Holds Demonstrations at Film Premieres Around the World: New York, Los Angeles, New Zealand

For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

New York -- Wearing horse masks and holding signs that read, "R.I.P.: Horses, Goats, Chickens" and "Boycott The Hobbit: Unexpected Cruelty," PETA members will converge outside the Ziegfeld Theatre at the Thursday premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to protest the admitted deaths of numerous animals, including three horses, during production. The PETA members will encourage people to contact director Sir Peter Jackson's production company and speak out against the fatal—and preventable—neglect of what sources have reported to be 27 animals, including horses, chickens, goats, and sheep.

When:   Thursday, December 6, 6 p.m.

Where:  Outside Ziegfeld Theatre, 141 W. 54^th St. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues), New York

"There is no 'back again' for the animals who suffered and died during The Hobbit's production," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "PETA is encouraging moviegoers to let Jackson know that using live animals—and letting them die—is unacceptable in our age of breathtaking special effects."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Members of the Seattle Mist Suit Up for Shopping Center Demonstration 

For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Seattle -- They're known for wearing only lingerie while playing full-contact football, but now the brave women from the Lingerie Football League's (LFL) Seattle Mist are teaming up with PETA in order to tackle cruelty. In a special PETA demonstration to be held on Thursday—nine days before they face off against the BC Angels—team members will appear in their uniforms and Santa hats, holding signs that read, "Tackle Cruelty: Bench Fur," to encourage all Seattle residents to leave fur off their holiday shopping lists. Previous stops on the LFL fur-free tour included Toronto, Seattle, and Vancouver, and the Chicago Bliss ladies also posed for a racy anti-fur ad.

When:   Thursday, December 6, 12 noon 

Where:  Southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and Pine Street, Seattle

"Wearing fur is a personal foul," says PETA campaigner Virginia Fort. "With so many stylish, warm, and durable fabrics available today, there's no excuse for wearing anyone's skin."

Behind every piece of fur is an enormous amount of animal suffering. Animals who are killed for their fur are trapped, drowned, beaten, electrocuted, or even skinned alive. Other athletes who have teamed up with PETA to speak out against fur include Tony Gonzalez, Amar'e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Chad Ochocinco, and Gilbert Arenas.

Many top fashion designers and retailers—including Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J.Crew, and Forever 21—are 100 percent fur-free.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

17-Year-Old Never Passes Up an Opportunity to Speak Out for Animals

For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Chicago -- The fight for animal rights is at an all-time high, and young people are leading the charge. A perfect example is 17-year-old John Jungenberg, who's in the running for a Libby Award in the category of Street Teamer of the Year from peta2, PETA's youth division. Now in their seventh year, the 2012 Libby Awards ("Libby" for "liberation," as in animal liberation) include 22 categories.

“John is a role model when it comes to taking on animal abusers—from circuses like Ringling Bros. that beat animals behind the scenes to rodeos where animals are abused and injured—some just months old—in front of everyone in attendance," says PETA Youth Marketing Manager Emily Rodriguez. "All our teen nominees are winners because they're inspiring other young people to take a stand against the abuse of animals, wherever and whenever it occurs." 

John runs the gamut when it comes to helping animals and raising awareness about their suffering. It starts with his diet—he has already made the health-, animal-, and Earth-friendly decision to go vegan. But his commitment to justice for animals isn't limited to the dinner table. He regularly attends protests against "pet" stores that acquire animals from cruel puppy mills and exacerbate the homeless-animal crisis, and he has campaigned against Chicago's cruel horse-drawn carriage industry, which endangers the lives of horses, carriage occupants, pedestrians, and motorists. Also, when rodeos or animal circuses—both of which are notorious for their severe and routine abuse of animals—come to town, you'll find John on the front lines, explaining to prospective patrons exactly how the animals are beaten, electro-shocked, and even killed.

Voting ends on December 17. Winners will be chosen by peta2 based on several factors, including vote count, and will be announced on December 19. See the full contest details here.

For more information and to cast your vote, please visit peta2.com or click here.

One-Step Cruelty-Free Shopping At Every Woman's Fingertips

For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2012

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382

New York -- Hilaria Baldwin entrepreneur, yoga instructor, and wife of actor Alec Baldwin, stars on the cover of PETA's first-ever global Cruelty-Free Guide to Cosmetics, the most up-to-date resource for customers who want to buy products that are not tested on animals anywhere in the world. Hilaria unveiled her cover at The Body Shop—a longtime cruelty-free company—in Rockefeller Center on Wednesday. A broadcast-quality version of Baldwin's exclusive PETA video interview can be downloaded here.
 
"Since the 1980s, 'cruelty-free' has become a mark of distinction for cosmetics companies," says Hilaria. "But as these companies head into China, the matter gets complicated because Chinese law actually requires animal testing. This is why this year's edition of the Cruelty-Free Guide to Cosmetics is essential for anyone like me: someone who cares about looking good, but not at the expense of animals."
 
PETA has initiated a unique campaign to convince Chinese authorities to modernize their research methods. The group appealed to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) to guide China to create a five-year-plan to bring its regulations in line with EU standards and funded grants that allowed IIVS to establish the first Chinese training laboratories for non-animal testing in conjunction with Beijing Technology and Business University and three other locations. These behind-the-scenes efforts have started to pay off, with China committing to begin non-animal testing methods within the next five years.
 
Adds Hilaria, a longtime PETA supporter, "This is the essential guide for every socially active, socially aware woman."
 
Past stars on the cover of PETA's cruelty-free shopping guide include Christy Turlington, Pamela Anderson, Alicia Silverstone, and RuPaul.

For more information and to order free copies of the guide, please visit PETA.org.

College Junior Never Passes Up an Opportunity to Speak Out for Animals

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Columbus, Ohio -- The fight for animal rights is at an all-time high, and young people are leading the charge. A perfect example is Capital University junior Suzeii Liu, who's in the running for a Libby Award in the category of Street Teamer of the Year from peta2, PETA's youth division. Now in their seventh year, the 2012 Libby Awards ("Libby" for "liberation," as in animal liberation) include 22 categories.

"Suzeii is a role model when it comes to taking on animal abusers—from circuses like Ringling Bros. that beat animals behind the scenes to a multinational corporation that supports factory-farm and slaughterhouse atrocities," says PETA Youth Marketing Manager Emily Rodriguez. "All our teen nominees are winners because they're inspiring other young people to take a stand against the abuse of animals, wherever and whenever it occurs."

Suzeii runs the gamut when it comes to helping animals and raising awareness about their suffering. A vegetarian for six years and a vegan for the past year, she organizes andattends protests at McDonald's as part of peta2's McCruelty campaign to pressure the company to stop its suppliers from scalding chickens to death. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—with its well-documented history of beating elephants with steel-tipped bullhooks and abusing tigers and other animals—is also high on her "hit list." Suzeii was a finalist in peta2's annual and wildly popular Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest last year, and she's currently working with school officials to get more vegan options on the menu in Capital's dining halls.

Voting ends on December 17. Winners will be chosen by peta2 based on several factors, including vote count, and will be announced on December 19. See the full contest details here.

For more information and to cast your vote, please visit peta2.com or click here.

18-Year-Old Never Passes Up an Opportunity to Speak Out for Animals

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Kissimmee, Fla. -- The fight for animal rights is at an all-time high, and young people are leading the charge. A perfect example is 18-year-old José Rodriguez, a Valencia College student who's in the running for a Libby Award in the category of Street Teamer of the Year from peta2, PETA's youth division. Now in their seventh year, the 2012 Libby Awards ("Libby" for "liberation," as in animal liberation) include 22 categories.

"José is a role model when it comes to speaking out for animals, whether it's sharing PETA's undercover investigations with his friends or getting his school cafeteria to offer vegan options for the growing number of kids who refuse to support factory-farm and slaughterhouse atrocities," says PETA Youth Marketing Manager Emily Rodriguez. "All our teen nominees are winners because they're inspiring other young people to take a stand against animal abuse, wherever and whenever it occurs."

José runs the gamut when it comes to helping animals and raising awareness about their suffering. It starts with his diet—he has already made the health-, animal-, and Earth-friendly decision to go vegan. While still in high school, he succeeded in having vegan burgers added to the cafeteria's menu. The effort netted him a Star Street Teamer award from peta2. Also, José regularly posts video footage from PETA's animal-abuse investigations on his Facebook page, and he served on the peta2 Youth Advisory Board, helping the group with new campaigns and ideas.

Voting ends on December 17. Winners will be chosen by peta2 based on several factors, including vote count, and will be announced on December 19. See the full contest details here.

For more information and to cast your vote, please visit peta2.com or click here.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Potter County, Texas -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement featuring Justin Theroux is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Wheeler County, Texas — Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Lipscomb County, Texas— Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hansford County, Texas — Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Oldham County, Texas — Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Collingsworth County, Texas — Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Hemphill County, Texas— Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Group Warns Against Leaving Animals Outside in Freezing Temperatures

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2012

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Moore County, Texas -- Every year, PETA receives thousands of complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care—it can also pose challenges for wildlife.

With snow and low temperatures predicted for your area, will you please consider sharing the following information with your audience now and through the winter in order to help protect animals?

• Keep animals inside. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.
• Don't allow your cat or dog to roam outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started.
• Wipe off your dogs' or cats' legs, feet, and stomachs after they come in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them. You should also increase animals' food rations during the winter because they burn more calories in an effort to stay warm.
• Keep an eye out for stray animals. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call your local humane society for assistance in trapping them and getting them indoors.
• If you see animals left outside without shelter from the elements, please notify authorities. For information on what constitutes adequate shelter, click here.
• During extreme winter weather, birds and other animals may have trouble finding food and water. Offer rations to wildlife who are caught in storms or white-outs by spreading birdseed on the ground. Provide access to liquid water by filling a heavy water bowl and breaking the surface ice twice a day. Remember to remove the food once the weather improves to encourage the animals to move on to warmer areas.

PETA's cold-weather public service announcement is available to link or download here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.