We Love When You're Creative January 7, 2008

It never ceases to amaze me how dedicated you all are to helping animals. And when creativity is added to that dedication, well—I can't help but be impressed. We receive a lot of submissions on our "Post Your Photos" page of various things Street Teamers are doing to help animals, and I just wanted to share some of that awesomeness and mention that you should definitely send any animal rights photos our way to put on our Flickr page—whether you're demonstrating outside KFC, wearing an animal rights shirt, or creating a Lite Brite masterpiece, we want to see your pictures.

Now check this out, and let the creativity sparks fly!

Lauren's Anti-Dissection Banner


Sarah and Carley's Lite Brite PETA


Miss Sam's peta2 Snowman

Posted by Marta

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More:

"Cut Out Dissection" Month Comes to a Close October 31, 2007

Boo!

Scary, right? Ok, not really. What is scary though is to think that it's already the last day of "Cut Out Dissection" month here at peta2. Where has the time gone?

Of course, that certainly doesn't mean that the fight is over. High schools and colleges across the country continue to force students to cut up dead animals against their will, despite the fact that there are countless scientific, humane alternatives available.

If you haven't already had a chance to, check out our undercover investigation video at a dissection supplier, titled "Classroom Cut-Ups":

Posted by Ryan

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More:

Cut Class Not Frogs Winners! October 25, 2007

There were so many amazing entries for our "Cut Class Not Frogs" t-shirt contest, that I decided to pick not one winner, but three! Check out my favorite of the winning comments...

By Crystal:
Dissection?

What is there to say? Well, other than no.

You see, Dissection is defined as cutting something open to study it closer. This verb can be used in many ways at school. We dissect words, (taking apart the prefixes, suffixes and root word) the school lunches (who knows what that is?) and in some very sad cases, animals.

Our teachers tell us we do this to get a closer look at the internal organs of the creatures around us. They also tell us that we have to do it to pass. They even give the proper instructions on how to do it. But, who tells the whole truth these days? What are they not telling us?

What the teachers don't speak of is the killing of a living thing, the life that it once lived and the other alternatives there are to dissection.

I didn't dissect a frog in Biology, nor did I dissect the worm. I don't need to brag about that though. I heard alot that day, as I sat and looked out the window while my peers were busy doing their lab. Students were laughing, giggling, gossiping, metal scraping; Girls were screaming, and boys were whooping. None of which sounded like a learning experience.

So now it is your turn, you can choose your fate. Do you choose to be similar to the ignorant freshman my year in biology; Or do you choose to talk to your teacher see what she can do for an alternative assignment, or maybe just having to tell her that you will have to crush your grade with an F?

The choice isn't hard, but it isn't easy. It shows morals and goes against the cookie cutter shape that society has made up. Stand up for yourself, and the ones without voices.

Don't dissect.

Posted by Lara

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More:

Forgive Me Froggy, For I Have Sinned October 14, 2007

When I was younger I was real big into science. I wanted to eventually be a brain surgeon, in fact! So I tried to do really well at math and biology in school. I'll be modest, but tell you I wasn't too shabby. I got pretty decent grades, read the "Science Times" section of The New York Times every Tuesday, and all sorts of stuff like that.

Being the particularly motivated person I was, I decided to take some extracurricular course to pursue my interest in science and biology. Oh yes, here's where it gets nasty. So every Saturday or Sunday (I forget which, but surely a non-soccer game day) for a few months I would wake up early, have my parents take me to some nearby school, and partake in a dissection course! I was probably like ten years old, but somehow found it exciting to wake up early and cut up dead animals!

I clearly remember the gagging stench of formaldehyde, the alien feel of latex gloves on my fingers, the sound of the scalpel cutting into animals' flesh, and the way the t-pins stretched the incisions in the skin to reveal some poor creature's organs. I remember the worm, the frog, the squid whose ink sack I cut open, the shark whose eyeball I cut out and rolled around the table, and the tiny piglet—all of whom deserved a life of their own.

As much as I remember all the gross things about the course, I can honestly say that I cannot remember learning a single useful thing about biology. I didn't learn to respect life. I didn't learn anything about the lives these animals would have led. You know what, I had even converted to vegetarianism by then, but hadn't made the connection yet that these animals had to be killed for me to slice open. These were carcasses of once living animals, and my desire to study and respect life was not at all consistent with helping to fund their deaths.

While I still read the "Science Times", love learning about biology, and genuinely have an interest in studying animals, I'm at a point where I can look at dissection from my experiences and admit that I made a huge mistake. And now I don't want anyone else to make the same mistakes as I did.

Don't get me wrong, even if someone is at the university level, the alternatives are really astounding and easy to get. Just click here to see what I mean if you're in college or worried about having to dissect after high school.

Please pledge not to dissect. Please spread the word to your friends. Please watch this video.

To all the poor froggies and other animals who I have cut up as a student, please forgive me.

The future of science is in learning with humane, cutting edge alternatives and then working through internships, residencies, and such hands-on learning experiences with professionals in the field when the time is appropriate. I am trying my best now to tell other students to choose alternatives rather than cruel animal dissections. I want the animals to rest in peace.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More:

Win a Cut Class Not Frogs Tee! October 3, 2007

When I was in high school, I remember dreading the unit in my biology class where we had to dissect a worm and a frog. Back then, I didn't know anything about animal rights, but still felt something was wrong with what we were doing. I really regret not having spoke up for what I believed in.

Now that I know better, I speak my mind about dissection every chance I can get. In fact, sometimes I even rock peta2's "Cut Class Not Frogs" tee to let people know exactly what I think.

To celebrate Cut Out Dissection Month (being October), peta2 is giving away that very tee!

The person that leaves the best comment about dissection wins!

Contest ends October 23rd 2007, and the winner will be notified by October 30th.

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.

xoxo,
Lara

P.S. Don't make the same mistake I did! Get involved with getting alternatives to dissection in your school now!

Posted by Lara

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More: