Olympian Amanda Beard Bares All for PETA! August 6, 2008

Posted by Patricia at August 6, 2008 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

They say that timing is everything, especially in the wide world of sports, just ask two-time Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard. So we were beyond thrilled when she agreed to unveil her new naked anti-fur ad in Beijing just days before the start of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games!

Yes, you read that correctly. The captain of the U.S. women's Olympic swim team unveiled her naked anti-fur ad today...in China...days before the Olympics begin. This is amazing, you know, because most of the world's fur comes from China where dogs, cats, and other animals are kept in disgusting conditions and many are skinned alive. Take that fur industry!

Amanda, who incidentally was on People Magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People" list this year, had no problems stripping for her sexy new ad. "I'd much rather go naked than ever put a dead animal on my body," she told us during her photo shoot. Check out what she had to say in this behind-the-scenes video of her shoot.

We're sure you agree that there's nothing luxurious or beautiful about fur so please pledge to be fur-free today.

Good luck, Amanda!

xox
Patricia

Vanessa Carlton's New ABC Ad April 22, 2008

Posted by Patricia at April 22, 2008 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

Spring is in full swing, thank goodness! I am totally over cold weather and apparently so are all the wildlife around here, they're um, well, they're downright frisky. That's what happens when Spring rolls around, which makes it the perfect time to talk about spaying and neutering, and our brand new ABC (Animal Birth Control) ad starring Vanessa Carlton and her handsome canine companion, Victor.

I have to say that ad is pretty darn cute. And Victor is adorable! Vanessa and Victor want everyone to practice their ABC's because that's the best way to end animal homelessness. "The most well-adjusted and emotionally balanced dogs and cats are the mixed breeds found in shelters," says Carlton.

Vanessa joins NBA star Ron Artest and burlesque queen, Dita Von Teese in supporting our ABC campaign because they want you to know that millions of animals are euthanized in shelters every year because there aren't enough good homes for them. And when you buy a dog or a cat from a breeder or a pet store, it kills a shelter animal's chance for adoption.

Adds Carlton, "Bottom line: Always go to a shelter first. Personally, I think spaying and neutering should be an enforced law." We agree! Thanks to our friends at CosmoGirl.com who are helping us launch the ad!

xox

Patricia

P.S. Check out peta2's Guide to the ABC's, then tell me which is your favorite ABC ad—print or video—by posting your comments below.

Free Stuff Friday: It's Raining Cats And Dogs April 18, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at April 18, 2008 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 334 ) | TrackBack

You know that whole "April showers bring May flowers" thing? Well, it's April and to help protect you from those rain showers, we've got a unique prize pack for you including an "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" umbrella and your choice of "My Dog Is A Rescue" or "My Cat Is A Rescue" t-shirt! To win, all you have to do is comment below with the name of your favorite dog or cat (yep, you can choose a few animals, there's plenty of love to go around).

Why do we say that it's raining cats and dogs? Well, U.S. animal shelters must put to death nearly 4 million dogs and cats every year because of simple math: too many animals and not enough worthy adoptive homes. (And no, hoarding animals in "no kill" shelters really doesn't address the root of the problem, unfortunately). It's not shelters' fault, they're just cleaning up the unfortunate situation created by puppy mills, breeders, and pet stores which cash in while animals die in shelters.

Can I make this any more clear? For every animal who is bought or sold, one adoptable animal will die. So learn the facts and comment with your favorite dog's or cat's name for a chance to win!

This contest ends April 25, 2008 and the winner will be chosen and notified by April 28, 2008!

Just so you know, by commenting here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy. Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

-Pulin

P.S.- Yea that's Assistant Street Team Coordinator Rachel Owen modeling the umbrella.

To Adopt or Not to Adopt? That is the Question! February 20, 2008

Posted by Marta at February 20, 2008 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Here's a special guest blog from Martin with peta2 UK.

Looking at the news today I find it alarming that there has been a sudden increase in the sales of reptiles due to the David Attenborough program on BBC1, Life in Cold Blood. Now don't get me wrong, I have watched most of the series and it is amazing, but I can't see how and why after seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat you would then want to confine them to a shortened, miserable life in captivity.

On a different note, with the current release against the AKC I thought I should mention the UK. Millions of animals go through shelters in this country and by buying from a breeder you are putting a dog that would otherwise have had a chance of being the perfect companion to death. Both me and Violet in the PETA UK office have rescued animals. So I though we should introduce you to them.

Check out Delilah. Basically she rocks. She's a 2 year old American Bulldog who we rescued from this shelter. After searching for ages and waiting till my home life was right to commit to 2 hours walking a day and the inevitable expense of food and vet bills we went to meet her and she is a crazy.

This is Dorian (aka Mr. Cuddles). According to Violet, he smells like cherries, he's very handsome and he's gay.


Peace

Martin

Los Angeles People, Help Dogs And Cats January 31, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at January 31, 2008 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

The Los Angeles City Council has a meeting tomorrow morning (Friday, February 1st) to discuss a historic ordinance that would require virtually all dogs and cats in Los Angeles to be spayed or neutered. If you happen to live in L.A. and can help voice your support for mandatory spaying and neutering of all dogs and cats, please drop some encouragement your council member's way. You can find his or her phone number at http://www.lacity.org/council.htm. Just let the council member know that you support the spay-neuter ordinance, and you're hoping they will too. You can also attend the meeting to show your support.

If you don't live in L.A., you can still help raise awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering animals by checking out this page and forwarding the hilarious videos to everyone you know or streaming them on your MySpace page.

Learn more about peta2's Animal Birth Control (ABC) campaign at peta2.com

-Pulin

Experimenting on Cats and Monkeys? January 14, 2008

Posted by Marta at January 14, 2008 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Whenever PETA has a new investigation come out about animals in labs, I brace myself because I know how upsetting the video will be. The investigation into the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is no different. Check out some of the horrible experiments that were documented:

- Drilling holes in animals' skulls in order to expose their brains
- Attaching chambers and silicone disks to animals' skulls
- Subjecting them to daily water deprivation
- Immobilizing animals in restraint chairs and inserting electrodes directly into their brains
- Forcibly keeping animals' eyes open for hours while they watch patterns on screens

Not only that, the investigation also documented that after tests were completed, all cats and some monkeys were killed by experimenters and had their brains removed for further examination.

Ugh. I shudder thinking that defenseless animals are subjected to such things—when safe, accurate, human-based alternatives, such as non-invasive neuroimaging and microelectrode implants are available. It's hard for me to understand why anyone would fund cruel experiments when humane alternatives exist—but that's exactly what The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS) is doing. The ACWIS is responsible for securing funding for the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Check out the undercover investigation for yourself below, and then write to the ACWIS, asking them to make the compassionate decision to stop funding these cruel experiments.

Be sure to pass the investigation along to your friends, too. Thanks!

♥ Marta

Do You Practice Your ABCs? November 30, 2007

Posted by Marta at November 30, 2007 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Growing up, I was used to seeing tons of cats wandering the streets all the time and dogs running loose in my neighborhood—and sadly, I never really thought a whole lot about it. These animals were in dire need of homes, and my heart always went out to them, but it just kind of struck me as the way things had to be. That's not true though. People just need to learn to practice their ABCs—Animal Birth Control.

Sixteen percent of the approximately 90 million cats with homes in the U.S., and 30 percent of the approximately 73 million dogs with homes, remain unsterilized—and that's not even counting those homeless animals like I saw growing up! Think about it: Each time a cat or dog gets pregnant, they have many kittens and puppies—and how many people do you know that keep an entire litter? Hardly anybody at all. That adds up to lots and lots of animals that need homes.

There are already millions of animals in shelters that need good homes, and we need to do all we can not to contribute to that number. The fact that people breed animals for profit—when there are so many wonderful animals our there in need of a loving family to adopt them—absolutely breaks my heart. Every animal bred and born—on purpose or by accident—and every animal purchased from a breeder or pet store occupies a home that could have taken in a dog or cat dying for a home at an animal shelter.

What better way to spread the importance of practicing your ABCs then with some edgy new videos? Check 'em out below, and then send them to everyone you know!

Amazing, right? I can't get enough of them!

Please, please, practice your ABCs and encourage your friends and family to get their animals spayed and neutered and never to buy an animal from a breeder. You really will be saving lives.

♥ Marta

Beef Made From Kitties and Puppies?! July 26, 2007

Posted by Marta at July 26, 2007 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Our office has been getting tons of calls from people asking what we're going to do about KittyBeef.com and PuppyBeef.com, which claim to sell prime cuts from kittens and puppies. Well, we're not really going to do much about it at all other than wish we'd thought of the idea for these hoax sites ourselves. You see, for anyone who's horrified by the concept of having puppy chops or kitten nuggets for dinner, they're just one step closer to realizing that chowing down on pigs' butts or chickens' breasts is sickening, too!

In case the thought hasn't crossed your mind, animals killed for food are just as capable of suffering as the animals we share our homes with. While many people may be thankful that KFC doesn't stand for Kentucky Fried Cat, the fact is that chickens do love to be with their friends and families and be free to live out their lives without fear of being beaten, starved, or otherwise exploited. That's why we encourage anyone interested in helping any animals to take the Veg Pledge.

So the morals of the story are as follows:

1) KittyBeef.com and PuppyBeef.com are hoax sites.

2) Animals are not food, they are friends.

3) Chickens are not nuggets.

4) Those interested in helping animals should check out the peta2 Street Team.



-Pulin