WARNING: Graphic Pig Farm Video November 16, 2009

Posted by Ryan at November 16, 2009 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 13 ) | TrackBack

Brace yourselves, because this is a tough one ...

Here at PETA, we're used to undercover investigators documenting the gruesome final moments that animals face in slaughterhouses. Surely this suffering alone is reason enough not to want to eat them.

The latest undercover investigation from our friends in Mercy for Animals takes a look at the cruelty animals—in this case, pigs—suffer before their throats are slit. The investigator documented workers hurling baby pigs and slamming them into transport carts; picking piglets up by their ears and tails; cutting off the animals' tails with pliers, and ripping off their testicles with bare hands and without painkillers (the sound of screaming piglets in the video made my skin crawl). Their squealing mothers are shown scrambling to escape workers who slam spiked mallets into the animals' sides.

This is a brutal video to watch, but I ask that you witness for yourself what happens behind the scenes—because these animals need your voices more than ever.

Once you've watched the video, please take the time to comment with the one word that you would use to describe what you saw.

I'm going to go with "despicable."

Arch Enemy Tour! November 13, 2009

Posted by Ray Harkins at November 13, 2009 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

I get into many conversations with people about how awesome it is to live on the west coast because of the awesome weather, great vegan food and laid back attitude. Something else I often forget to mention is that we get AWESOME shows that come through town, and my friends, this tour I am about to announce is no exception.

Some of you may know Arch Enemy as the shredding metal band from Sweden whose front woman Angela Gossow ran in PETA's 2009 Sexiest Vegetarian Contest. We are super pumped to introduce their Tyrants Of Evil tour with Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within. A few of the members in Arch Enemy are veg, and probably well aware of what they never told you, and the negative impacts of factory farming on all of our lives.

By the looks of it, when you go to the show you can expect to see lots of headbanging, moshing and other sweaty activities that will leave you wanting to pack up and follow the tour buses. I have seen them a few times before, and it really was awesome!

Head on over to Arch Enemy's MySpace page for all of the tour dates and feel free to comment that you love them for supporting peta2!

Your friend in music
Ray Harkins

Win A Copy of 'Eating Animals'! November 5, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at November 5, 2009 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 43 ) | TrackBack

Like a lot of people, Jonathan Safran Foer went back and forth between eating meat and not eating meat. If this is you or someone you know, then you need to hear about his latest book Eating Animals. The book explores the many excuses people use to justify eating animals—from religion to family traditions to "the way it tastes".

So if you're still on the fence about veganism, Eating Animals is a must-read. The book's already been getting people to lead a more cruelty-free lifestyle. Actress and 20-year vegetarian Natalie Portman said Eating Animals turned her vegan. Score for animals!

Not many of us can say we really know what animals on factory farms experience because we haven't been there—but Jonathan has. He ventured onto factory farms to share with you what the animals lives are like up close. What you learn will no doubt make you think twice before grabbing that piece of bacon and drinking that glass of milk. Here's a short excerpt from one of the chapters describing the typical cage for an animal on a factory farm:

Step your mind into a crowded elevator, an elevator so crowded you cannot turn around without bumping into (and aggravating) your neighbor. The elevator is so crowded you are often held aloft.

This is a kind of blessing, as the slanted floor is made of wire, which cuts into your feet.

After some time, those in the elevator will lose their ability to work in the interest of the group. Some will become violent; others will go mad. A few, deprived of food and hope, will become cannibalistic.

There is no respite, no relief. No elevator repairman is coming. The doors will open once, at the end of your life, for your journey to the only place worse (see: processing).

This is your chance to win one of three copies we have up for grabs. Just comment below with what you'd say to someone to get them to stop eating animals. Entries must be received by November 19. The three people with the most convincing comments will be chosen as our winners and notified on November 23.

Just so you know ... by commenting here, you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

GOOD LUCK!

5 Questions with Sleeping at the End of the World October 26, 2009

Posted by Megan Rondeau at October 26, 2009 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

I'm a little tired this Monday morning, but I have just the thing to get my day going—the newest installment of our beloved "5 Questions" blog! This week I'm stoked to introduce you guys to Sleeping at the End of the World. These upstate New Yorkers have gained an avid following through their energetic live shows and DIY ethos. After being tipped off to them by a good friend, I caught up with singer Peter Bruno for a quick chat. Here he is in his own words ...

1. What prompted you to become vegetarian? Were there any bands or books that influenced your decision?
I think that when you're a child you don't really think about how the food that is in front of you is getting there. However, as I started to get older and the internet became available, I saw videos of animals being brutally slaughtered and that was the turning point for me. I also think that the Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man" helps put it into perspective for people, as far as what if the tables were turned?

2. What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods?
Lately I've been eating tons of Spanish food like rice and beans as well as vegetable quesadillas and burritos. I always tend to keep a good amount of Italian foods in my diet, as well as salads.

3. Of all of the major animal rights issues are there any issues that are particularly close to your heart?
Any animal getting injured or killed definitely upsets me. But I would have to say that factory farming is the number one for me though. Any living creature that is simply born to be slaughtered will never sit right with me.

4. If a fan were to approach you with questions about how to get involved with animal rights, what advice would you give him or her?
I would actually tell them to take a visit to your site. Do some research to make sure if you're going to do anything that you do it right.

5. What does Sleeping at the End of the World have coming up that we can be looking forward to?
We just put up two new songs and you can check them out here!

Thanks Peter! Be sure to check these guys out and spread the word!

Swine Flu: Pandemic or Revenge? April 28, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at April 28, 2009 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 40 ) | TrackBack

People who eat meat continue to pay for animals to live their entire lives in their own excrement, in tiny urine soaked cages or in crates so small they can't turn around, lay down comfortably, or do anything that is natural to them. These same people are shocked when animalborne diseases—like swine flu, start to infect and kill humans across the globe.

Well, we're not shocked. Anyone who knows how animals are treated only to be slaughtered and eaten, knows it's only a matter of time until the horrible conditions we raise animals in comes back to, well, kill us.

A headline in Vera Cruz's La Marcha points the blame for swine flu at gi-normous pig-breeding farms in Mexico, that are operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog producer—remember them? Local residents reportedly believe that feces from the pig farms has contaminated the water and the air, spreading the virus to people. Another article in the Huffington Post quotes La Jornada newspaper, which points the finger at a factory farm in La Gloria, Mexico, saying, "Clouds of flies emanate from the lagoons where Granjas Carroll discharges the fecal waste from its hog barns ... " Yup, we knew all that.

Pigs and other animals on factory farms are fed a steady diet of drugs to keep them alive in unsanitary, stressful conditions, increasing the chance that drug-resistant superbugs will develop. Hans-Gerhard Wagner, a senior officer with the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, has called the intensive industrial farming of livestock (aka factory farming) an "opportunity for emerging disease."

The root of the problem is how filthy and cruel factory farming is. Please write to your members of Congress now. Urge them to call for an end to factory farming in the U.S. in order to prevent future outbreaks of animalborne diseases.

P.S. If you don't know what happens to animals on factory farms, or how they end up on your plate—please watch the video below and start making informed decisions.

Does Your Favorite Band Think Meat's Not Green? March 4, 2009

Posted by Marta at March 4, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

For all of you out there who have seen the peta2 and peta2 UK road crews holding it down at the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour, you're no doubt already familiar with our Meat's Not Green campaign. But in case you've missed it, peta2 and peta2 UK have been all over the US and UK catching up with artists like Shwayze, Rise Against and Ludo talking about the damaging effects the meat industry has on our planet. Check out what they had to say in our brand-new "Meat's Not Green" video starring them and some of your other favorite bands!

Despite information released in a recent U.N. report, many people still don't know that factory farming is the number one cause of global warming, or that 70% of leveled rainforest land is used to raise animals for consumption. Pretty messed up, right?

To help raise awareness about the wastefulness and destruction of the meat industry, you can join members of Say Anything, Cobra Starship, Evergreen Terrace, and Sky Eats Airplane, in signing our petition, to get all meat properly labeled with a warning stating that meat is the number one cause of global warming.

Be sure to check out more information about factory farming and how it effects the environment here, and in the mean time, comment with who your favorite band in the video is! Personally, I <3 Alex and Parker from Say Anything!

xo
Megan

Wu-Tang Clan's GZA September 11, 2008

Posted by Shannon Phillips at September 11, 2008 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Wu-Tang Clan is an animal friendly bunch. Remember the interview we did with Wu's Masta Killa?

This time, GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, appearing in a video for Humane California, wants everyone to know where he stands on Proposition 2. The goal of prop2 is to ensure that factory farmed animals, such as egg-laying hens, veal, and pigs are treated more humanely, and given the space they need and deserve. Proposition 2 will appear on California ballots for the election coming up in November. Check out what GZA has to say about Prop2...

GZA was always one of my favorites (um, Liquid Swords, anyone?), and with good reason!

If you live in California or you want to find out more, check out the Vote YES For Farm Animals MySpace page (they're in our top friends!), and get educated on Prop2.

That said, Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to... oh, well I'll let you finish that one.

xoxo,
shan

30 Days - Did You Watch It? June 18, 2008

Posted by Lara Sanders at June 18, 2008 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 22 ) | TrackBack

Did you watch the "Animal Rights" episode of 30 Days last night? If so, I told you! Wasn't it amazing? Sugar!

If you didn't watch, I disown you. No, not really, but I will if you don't catch the rerun!

Want to know what George (the hunter) had to say about the show? Look below!

When you were first selected to participate in this show, what did you expect the experience to be like?

I was pretty scared. I expected to be surrounded by people that just wanted to argue for a whole month. I'm not afraid of an argument, but I thought the numbers were stacked against me. All I was told was that I would be totally immersed in the animal rights movement. As far as the people I would meet, I expected a lot of angry people that yelled a lot. I figured girls and guys alike would be hairy-legged sandal-wearing hippies. For the most part, I was mistaken.

How did your opinion of animal rights activists change after your 30 days with the Karpels?

I realized almost immediately that animal rights activists, PETA members specifically, were very normal folks. That being said, there are some out there, just as with the factory farms, that give everyone involved a bad name. I learned about several examples of the abuse, neglect, and suffering that occur in factory farming. It's not a pretty industry, and if people were able to experience what I did, you might see a major change.

Are there any animal rights issues that are particularly important to you now that you hadn't thought about before staying with Melissa and her family?

I am aware that there need to be changes in factory farming, but aside from veganism, I haven't heard about a practical alternative. I personally prefer to buy my meat and produce from grocers that support the smaller local farms. The Burberry demonstration was hard-hitting, but we don't have very many fur coats in North Carolina. The one subject that I find the most offensive is vivisection. I can't give away anything about the show, but I had no idea how unnecessary it was. Tissue samples are infinitely more effective. For the sake of money, it seems people are abusing animals just because they can. They should be ashamed of themselves and pray that they never have to answer for their actions.

What are your views on the tactics that PETA uses to draw attention to the suffering of animals?

One area where I think PETA could use some P.R. work is separating themselves from some of the other animal rights groups out there. The term most people relate to animal rights is PETA. Anything that happens for the sake of animals, regardless of how offensive it is, gets hung on the neck of PETA. Consequently, most people think PETA people are nuts. I believe PETA does it the right way: education. They keep it fun and provide people with information.

***

Thanks George!

Did any of you watch the show? If so, what did you think?

xoxo- Lara

Halloween Treat: Win a Factory Farming Stinks Tee! October 31, 2007

Posted by Lara Sanders at October 31, 2007 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 44 ) | TrackBack

Have you ever driven by a factory farm? You might not have known it was a factory farm by the looks of it, but you sure as hell could tell it was one by the smell. The truth of the matter is factory farming stinks (and I'm not just talking about the stench).

Here are my top 5 reasons why factory farming stinks:

1. Chickens killed for food in the United States are bred and drugged to grow so quickly that their hearts, lungs, and limbs often can't keep up.
2. Hens used for their eggs live six or seven to a battery cage the size of a file drawer, thousands of which are stacked tier upon tier in huge, filthy warehouses.
3. Cows used for their milk are drugged and bred to produce unnatural amounts of milk; they have their babies stolen from them shortly after birth and sent to notoriously cruel veal farms so that humans can drink the calves' milk.
4. Mother pigs on factory farms are confined to crates so small that they are unable to turn around or even lie down comfortably.
5. Meet Your Meat

Not only do I think factory farming stinks, so do our friends at District Cotton, who created the amazing tee you see below. Lucky for you, we are giving away not one of these lovely tees, but five of them!

For a chance to win, comment below with the #1 reason why you think factory farming stinks. The contest ends November 21st, and the winner will be chosen by November 26th.

Happy Halloween! -Lara

P.S. Just so you know...by commenting here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

P.P.S. Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.