Running a Student Group 101 April 17, 2008

Posted by Ryan at April 17, 2008 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

How many of you out there are part of a student group (or want to be)? If this is you, pay attention!

We are proud today to be presenting the Michigan State University group, SPAR (Students Promoting Animal Rights), with a "Star Student Group" award, for their tireless efforts on behalf of animals! So what does the group do?

- SPAR gathered over 80 members and supporters to help protest the Royal Hanneford Circus when they came to the MSU campus!

- They hold regular potluck dinners on campus, to show people how delicious vegan food can be!

- They write TONS of letters to the editor of the student paper, so that animal rights is consistently in the headlines!

Here are some pictures from their recent circus protest on campus:

SPAR, from all of us at peta2, THANK YOU! You are inspiration to student groups nationwide. Keep up the great work!

- Ryan!

P.S. - Want to follow SPAR's lead? Learn how to start a student group here.

Time To Fight The Circus March 23, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at March 23, 2008 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 10 ) | TrackBack

Hello! We have a fun and very effective idea for how to help animals who are abused for the circus. Are you up for it?

Basically, there are circuses like Ringling Bros out on the road right now, and these companies are pretty cruel to animals. Before they come to your town these traveling acts spend a lot of money on advertising what we consider is one of the cruelest shows on earth! Sometimes these shady people put free tickets or discount coupons at stores, gas stations, and schools with hope that people will come out to see their show. But we have a plan and need your help!

1) Keep your eye out for those free circus tickets or discount coupons around town.
2) Take them all. (As long as they don't say there's a limit of how many you take, just grab the whole stack.)
3) Mail the tickets to us (peta2, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510, USA) or email StreetTeam@peta2.com with a photo of them in your trash can!
4) You'll get 1000 Street Team points!

Let's work towards the day where no animals will be chained, beaten, and abused for the sake of entertainment. People need to be taught lessons of compassion, not cruelty, right?

Thanks for making a difference each and every day!

-Pulin

Deflocked! March 13, 2008

Posted by Marta at March 13, 2008 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

Here's a little Deflocked, by Jeff Corriveau, for your eyes to enjoy.

Click for a larger version

To check out past installments, click here.



♥ Marta

Breaking News: Denny's Ends Its Partnership with Ringling Bros. Circus January 8, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at January 8, 2008 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

It's barely into the new year and we already have a campaign victory to announce. After months of letters, e-mails, calls, and demonstrations, we are happy to announce that Denny's has ended its partnership with notorious animal abuser Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Congratulations to all of you who took part in this campaign. Thousands of you contacted the company. Your activism makes all the difference in letting companies know that animal abuse is not tolerated by caring consumers.

This victory is huge for elephants, tigers, and other animals who are being dragged around the country in cramped boxcars and forced to perform silly and often painful tricks under the threat of beatings and punishment.

With this announcement, Denny's joins other compassionate companies like MasterCard, Visa, Sears, Roebuck and Co., and Lucky Brand Jeans who all ended their Ringling sponsorships after learning of the abuse inherent in circuses that use animals.

You can thank Denny's for making the compassionate decision to end their Ringling sponsorship by emailing them here.

Feeling inspired and ready to take on another company that supports Ringling's animal abuse? Act now to please urge AAA to end their current Ringling promotions.

Nice work team! This year is going to be incredible!

-Pulin

Former Ringling Bros. Circus Employee Speaks Out December 21, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi at December 21, 2007 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Archele Hundley, a former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employee, has recently teamed up with us to make a moving plea to potential circusgoers.

Check it out here and make sure you show your parents and teachers, too.

Watch more videos at peta2.com.

Among the horrors Archele witnessed were:

• An elephant was beaten with bullhooks so severely in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2006 that she bled profusely and cried out in pain.

• A trainer viciously whipped a camel and punched a miniature horse in the face.

• Trainers jabbed horses with pitchforks and gave them extremely painful "lip twists" to force the animals to obey commands.

Please get involved with the peta2 Street Team and the circus campaign.

Spread the word!

-Pulin

Metal, Pirates, and Ringling! November 21, 2007

Posted by Marta at November 21, 2007 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

We have been on tour with The Agonist and let me tell you, if you like metal and haven't seen these guys (and gal) play live, you really need to check them out. The black-hearted singer, Alissa, is not only vegan, she speaks out for animals every chance she can get. She asked peta2 to come out on tour with her to get people to sign our petition to help improve the conditions for chickens in slaughterhouses.

The Agonist's video "Business Suits and Combat Boots" has also been nominated for the best music video of 2007 on Head Bangers Ball. Make sure you help them out and vote for them.

While on tour we stopped by Chicago and met up with Jason and Loyd who have been following Ringling Bros. Circus, letting people know how they beat their animals to make them perform stupid tricks.


Most of you don't know this, but I'm pretty much obsessed with pirates and while in Portland, OR, we came across the best place I've ever seen by far.


Pirate's Tavern is an all-vegan pirate tavern. They have everything from fake fish sandwiches to vegan chili cheese fries.




So, make sure you check out The Agonist and if you can, please come out to a show and say Ahoy!

-Paul

Cirque du Soleil is UNBELIEVABLE October 5, 2007

Posted by Marta at October 5, 2007 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

If Cirque du Soleil ever comes to a city near you, save up some cash and get yourself to a show, pronto. Pulin and I went with some friends to see Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco last night and were completely blown-away. Check out a small portion of the jaw-dropping visual experience.

Who in their right mind would want to go to an animal circus when stuff like this exists? Think about it: Cirque du Soleil performers actually want to perform, and they're paid to do what they do. Circuses that use animals (like Ringling Bros.) beat animals in order to train them to perform "tricks." Back before I knew better, I went to a Ringling Bros. show, and let me tell you, all animal rights reasons aside, Cirque du Soleil is 100 times better.

Anyway, I wanted to share this awesome video with you that Suhi Animal Care made—it's great to see students out there spreading the word about what happens to animals in the circus. And yes, that's PETA's own lead circus monitor, Jason Bayless, in the video—make sure you add him as a friend on MySpace and join him for a Ringling protest when he comes to a city near you.

Pulin wanted to add a review to the blog, so here you go: Holy crap. That show was so cool. No animals were tortured, the performers were amazing, and the design of the whole thing was really creative. They didn't say 'Don't try this at home,' so I figured why not give some of those stunts a shot. But seriously, I wouldn't try these things if I were you. In fact, my backache is making me think I shouldn't have tried balancing co-workers on my skinny (but physically fit) muscles.

And now, for your viewing enjoyment, I would like to present you with peta2 Acrobatics (AKA a lame attempt at acrobatics by Pulin, Paul, and me)!

To sum things up:

Animal circuses = BAD

Human circuses = AMAZING

Have a great weekend!

♥ Marta

Huge Elephant Takes Over Warped Tour August 25, 2007

Posted by Nicole at August 25, 2007 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Today was a great day on Warped. First of all, my friend Jason took some time out of his busy schedule of following Ringling Bros. Circus around the country protesting their abuse of elephants. Anyone who knows Jason knows that when he is around-something crazy is bound to go down. And today was no exception-a little bit after Jason arrived, an elephant riding a bike appeared cruising around the venue.

The elephant turned out to be none other than Warped Tour head-in-chief, Kevin Lyman!



Apparently, the elephant costume was borrowed from Jason's array of arsenal to battle Ringling on the road. To join Jason in his quest to get Ringling Bros. to stop using animal acts, check out his tour schedule here and join him!



xoxo-Lara

P.S. Tell Denny's what you think of its Ringling promos here.

It's DeFlocked Time Again! August 23, 2007

Posted by Marta at August 23, 2007 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

So you don't have to read me rambling on, I'll leave you with Jeff Corriveau's DeFlocked to enjoy. Though I can't stop typing without first telling you to check out Circuses.com.

Click for a larger version

To check out past installments, click here.



♥ Marta

Tell Denny's What You Think of Its Ringling Promos August 14, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi at August 14, 2007 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

You know that restaurant chain Denny's, right? Well, clearly they're not hardcore animal rights activists, but you would think the company would have the decency to at least not support one of the most obviously exploitive companies on the face of the earth.

Turns out that Denny's recently announced a partnership with notorious animal abusers Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to promote Ringling at its restaurants in each of the towns where the circus performs. Why would Denny's want to partner with a company which uses dangerous bullhooks, forces injured animals to perform, and has paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines for failing to meet minimal Animal Welfare Act standards?! I have no freaking idea! Why don't you ask them?

Here's a video from a little while back that is pretty informative.

Please contact Denny's CEO Nelson Marchioli and let him know what you think about Denny's new partnership with Ringling. Remind him that after learning of the abuse inherent in animal circuses, major corporations like General Mills, Burger King, Liz Claiborne, MasterCard, Visa, and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ended their sponsorships of circuses like Ringling and UniverSoul.

Click below

Those of you on the Street Team will get 250 points for doing this. Just be patient and give us a couple weeks to actually credit them, though, ok?

Thank you so much!

-Pulin