Nugget Speaks Out Against McCruelty! November 2, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at November 2, 2009 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

Here's the latest way for you to take action against McCruelty!

Step 1. Print out this cute Nugget and letter to McDonald's.

Step 2. Since chickens can't speak in their own defense (at least not in a way we can understand), write your own message in the speech bubble for them! Some suggestions include, "I Am Not A Nugget," "McCruelty Sucks," and "Help Me!" But be as creative (just keep it polite!) as you'd like!

Step 3. Sign your name to the bottom of this letter!

Step 4. Take a picture of you with Nugget speaking up for animals and e-mail it to us at StreetTeam@peta2.com to get 2,500 Street Team points!

Step 5. Mail your Nugget and letter to McDonald's! The address is on the file you printed out!

We'll feature some of our favorite photos on upcoming blogs, too, so make sure you send those in as soon as possible!

peta2 <3's College Outreach, Tech N9ne, and You! October 15, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at October 15, 2009 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Hey friends!

It's Joey from the college peta2 tour crew, and we've spent all week in the great state of New York! We've been on afew different campuses with a few different petitions—at Binghamton University, we were hard at working trying to get more veg options in their dining halls, and the students were very supportive! We'll keep you in the loop with the results. By the way, how are the veg options at your school? If you're not satisfied, check this out!

We also visited Stony Brook University, in Long Island to inform the students of our McCruelty campaign. Most of them were appalled to learn chickens who end up killed for McDonald's are hung upside down in shackles and have their throats slit—while they're still fully conscious. That's gross and cruel, but it's really easy to help stop this torture by getting involved.

While we were around Brooklyn, we HAD to stop at to get some delicious vegan wings. Check this site out to find out what awesome vegan restaurant is near you!



Before I hand it off to Renee on the Tech N9ne tour, I'd like to throw some attention towards an awesome activist and leader. Heather "H-Bomb" Norwood has been touring with us for the past year and a half, and at the beginning of the week she started her new position at PETA—as an Activist Liaison with Issues on Animals in Entertainment—geez, try saying that three times fast! I've toured with Heather the majority of the time I've been on the road with peta2 and I've learned so much from her. She's an incredibly hard working, driven and strong willed animal activist who cares a lot about the welfare and safety of animals everywhere. She will be missed out on the road with us, but she's definitely going to do an amazing job at her new position.



That's it for me this week. I'll drop this blog here and Renee should be by shortly to pick it up. Thanks for reading guys!

Thanks Joey! We have been traveling through the mid west and it keeps getting colder! This doesn't stop those people that care about animals.



We've hit up the marvelous Knitting Factory in Boise, ID, as well as back to back shows at The Wilma in Missoula, MT.

Tech N9ne fans know how to have a good time! We'll continue our on our journey to shed light on our ongoing McCruelty campaign.

Keep it real and we'll see you soon! Go Veg!

Thanks!

Joey and Renee

Michigan Bans Crates and Cages! October 13, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at October 13, 2009 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

commons.wikipedia / CC

Mother pigs don't want to be confined in crates so small they can't turn around or lie down comfortably, and chickens don't want to be forced into cages so tiny that they can never spread a single wing—and now in Michigan, they won't be. Governor Jennifer Granholm has just signed a bill into law that phases out veal crates, battery cages, and gestation crates on farms across the state!

Of course, we all know that animals aren't here to be abused, slaughtered and eaten. They have feelings, have families, and feel fear before they feel the blade, and we all know that no animal should be born only to be killed at all—so why are we celebrating this victory for animals?

I was born and raised in the city limits of Detroit, Michigan, one of the coldest, harshest cities in the country, where both compassion for animals and people can sometimes be hard to find. It is truly amazing to see these laws for animals spreading in all parts of the country, from California to Michigan. I am vegan, and I believe in animal rights, and I also believe that if the fight for animal rights is all or nothing, it will simply be nothing.

There are millions of animals in cages right now, and in crates or chains, waiting for freedom. We cannot only answer to those who we want to never suffer, but those who are suffering right now. Eliminating veal crates—the crates that baby cows are chained to by the neck for most of their lives before slaughter, and battery cages—the tiny cages chickens are crammed into that are too small for them to even spread a wing, will not be the end of the fight, nor is it the beginning of the fight—it is progress in the fight.

We are making a difference, but as much as we'd like it to, the whole world won't go vegan overnight, it's going to take time. For the millions of animals who are suffering in these devices of torture right now, the elimination of these cages and crates means less pain, and less suffering—how can anyone who cares about animals not support that?

Congratulations on helping to show people—including lawmakers—everywhere that animals matter. Keep up the good fight!

Vote: Cute Pictures Of Amazing Animals September 4, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at September 4, 2009 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 57 ) | TrackBack

A bunch of us went to a sanctuary for rescued animals recently. If you haven't already seen the pictures we've been posting to our individual Facebook profiles, here are some of our favorites.

We're showing you our faves, now comment to tell us which is your favorite!

#1 Regina loves pigs, so this is her favorite.


#2 Jackie had fun hanging out with goats.


#3 Rachel was in awe of this cow.


#4 Marta and Ryan find this amusing. Cows really like apples.


#5 I like cute chickens who eat grapes out of my hand.

So there you have it—animals actually enjoying time with each other and some kind people rather than fearing for their lives at factory farms and slaughterhouses.

Leave a comment below for which is your favorite!

New Undercover Investigation: Chicks Ground Up Alive September 1, 2009

Posted by Ryan at September 1, 2009 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 152 ) | TrackBack

The Chicago-based group Mercy for Animals has just released a shocking new undercover investigation, which documents male chicks being ground up alive in an egg industry hatchery. You see, because male chicks don't lay eggs—which means lost profits for the corporations—the industry doesn't consider them worth keeping alive.

Of course, I could describe this inexcusable cruelty until I'm blue in the face, but the video says it all:

Pretty horrific, right? It's important to note that this is a routine practice for both regular AND commercial free-range, cage-free, and organic eggs. Think free-range means cruelty-free? Think again.

What do you think: If you wouldn't grind up chicks alive—is it any more acceptable to pay other people to do it for you?

"Ronald McDonald's" Shocking New Video: Funny or Die? August 24, 2009

Posted by Patricia at August 24, 2009 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

An outrageous new PETA video featuring a demented Ronald McDonald being grilled by famed (and former SNL regular) celebrity interviewer Jiminy Glick (Martin Short) debuted on Will Ferrell's FunnyOrDie.com today.

The video, which stars a "fried" Ronald McDonald (Andy Dick) chatting with Jiminy Glick about the company's slaughter practices, is PETA's first FunnyOrDie exclusive!

I love this twisted video so much, I can't stand it. I had to watch it several times because I was laughing too loudly to hear what they were saying. So after you've watched it several times too just go ahead and vote "Funny" (I know you will; it's hiliarious), then brace yourself and go ahead and watch the bonus feature.

Other Viewing Options
Now let McDonald's hear from you! Sign our petition demanding better treatment for the chickens raised and killed by the company's suppliers. And while you're at it, join our "Not eating McDonald's" fan page.

Virtual Reality? August 17, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at August 17, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

advocacy.brittanica / CC

With our Sea Kitten and Woof campaigns, we've definitely tried to hammer it home that no matter what they look like, all animals feel and deserve freedom. As simple of an idea as that may seem to most of us now, to some people, it's just as out there as ever before.

Take for example, a new virtual reality exhibit in New Orleans, where visitors can experience the senses of birds, snakes, dogs, and other animals who are quote, "in our own backyard". It's "fascinating" to be able to hear the sounds of the birds, and see how and what they see in this exhibit. " ... there are things we don't even know how they can be sensed. That's a really fascinating area," Chris LaFayette, of Texas A&M University said.

Well, I know one thing that can be sensed by other birds who might not be in our backyard, but that are even closer—on our plates: fear. But it isn't these birds we'd like to know more about. With AnimalVisual's Virtual Battery Cage, it's definitely easy to get an idea of what's being sensed by the estimated 300 million "egg-laying hens" in the U.S, who will spend their entire lives in a cage roughly the size of a file drawer. They're miserable.



And just like people don't know that some birds can see ultraviolet light (one of the enticing facts about the New Orleans exhibit), most people have no idea that their eggs come from mother birds who will never spread a single wing until they're thrown into a truck bound for slaughter.

Sadly, there may never be a chicken senses exhibit (not that we don't try!), but letting people know about the cruelty of the egg industry is literally a click away—share the Virtual Battery Cage on Facebook by clicking here, put it on your MySpace, or send it to everyone you know through e-mail. Millions of birds thank you!

Chicken Witness Protection? July 29, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at July 29, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

Yeah, yeah, everyone loves lolcats—myself included. But we're also pretty stoked on lolchickens, or lolroosters—or anything else that really sneaks a little bit of animal rights into an unsuspecting web audience.

While I was feeding my cute cat addiction today and looking through some of my faves, I found this one from everyone's favorite website (other than peta2, of course!), ICanHasCheezburger.com!

Someone not so informed might just wonder exactly why a chicken might want to hide from KFC. I myself can think of a couple reasons, what about you?

Fear July 1, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at July 1, 2009 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 10 ) | TrackBack We've all heard occasional, dumb comments from people who haven't yet realized the importance of being kind to animals. While we can all agree that the dogs and cats in our homes feel pain, joy, and even get scared, there are still some people who just don't make the connection to other animals they eat! In fact, just like you and I, all animals do feel fear when faced with terrifying situations. After a lifetime of suffering, does anyone really think that animals are unaware of what awaits them at the slaughterhouse?

Well, if anyone you know has any doubts about the fear which animals feel, please take a few minutes to watch this video all the way through. It's not very graphic, honestly, it's just very powerful.

What If You Were Treated Like a Chicken? June 2, 2009

Posted by Marta at June 2, 2009 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 12 ) | TrackBack

It can be hard sometimes to put yourself in someone else's shoes, but what about putting yourself in a chicken's ... err ... feet?

Shane O'Loughlin, an 18-year-old high school student, helped to show people just that, by writing a story for his creative writing class about chickens. All of us here in peta2 were so impressed by his story that we just had to share it with you all.

Shane says: "I wrote a short story designed to compel readers to feel sympathy for the chickens who are brutally abused and then murdered without mercy. It's a bizarre future world where the roles are switched and Chickens put us in awful farm houses and pump us full of hormones and kill us if we're sick." Check out what Shane has to say below, then be sure to read his story, "Broilers."

What inspired you to write "Broilers" in the first place?

I've been writing for a long time, I used to write silly fiction stories as a little kid, and more recently I've been writing songs with my acoustic band, The Gay Street Alliance. This year, though, my senior year in high school, I took a creative writing class. The class was asked to write a short story, and I thought, "What could I write about that I'd actually care about?" Almost instantly animal rights came to mind. I've been a vegetarian for two years and I'm constantly frustrated by the ignorance people show towards the inhumane treatment of animals. I realized though, that if I wrote a story about a bunch of chickens being abused, people would just dismiss it as that crazy vegetarian kid ranting again. So I decided to write it about humans.

That was a great idea. What's your favorite vegetarian food?

Spanakopita is fabulous. Spinach as a vegetable is simply amazing. I'm also fond of couscous salad, and anything with artichokes.

Mmm. I love couscous! After you stop thinking about delish food, read Shane's story here.

What do you think of it?

P.S. It's always a great idea to incorporate animal rights into your school projects and papers. Check this out for more info!