Kids Speak Out Against Ringling August 26, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at August 26, 2009 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

If you've checked out PETAKids.com this month, you know we're asking kids to tell us what they think of Ringling Bros. trainers abusing animals. Here's a taste of what they had to say:

"I feel sad for those elefants. The circus people should get in bad trouble! We will never go to a circus with animals in it." Donna Rhoades, age 5, Conway, Missouri

"[I] think people that put elephants n circus acts are so dumb and stupid and one day every thing is gonna come back for what they did grrrr!!!." Dalila Solorio, age 11, Baja, California

"My mom talked to me about the cruelty that happens to the animals at the circus, when they were in my town. I decided I would rather not go, than know that I was watching them harm the animals!" Sydni Denman-Moyer, age 6, Villa Hills, Kentucky

"Circuses that abuse animals make me SO sad. Elephants don't belong in a circus; they want to be with their families and live in the place they were born. People who abuse animals should be ashamed and sent somewhere to think about what they've done!" Bea Kubasik, age 4, South Portland, Maine

"What the Ringling Bros do to the Elephants it should be done back to them. Ex. poking them with it Bullhook." Emilie Daniel, age 11, Ontario, Canada

"I think circuses are very bad because animals can die there and they take babies away from their mamas. I never go to circuses." Francis Ménard, age 7, Québec, Canada

"I don't think it's right that they abuse animals like that because the animals are alive and they have feelings. I just wish the circuses would be banned for life. [PETA] thank you so much for trying to help these animals." Isabel Simon, age 7, San Diego, California

"I think someone should put the circus people in a circus and let the animals go!" Xavier Finch, age 10, Lincoln Park, Michigan

"I think if they're mean to any animal they should go to jail. No one should go to the circus" Michael Cioffi, age 6, West Haverstraw, New York

"[I] think abusers are losers!!!!" Lupita Mesa, age 12, Stockton, California

Gotta love the littles! If you have younger siblings and want them to know why elephants, tigers, bears, and other animals shouldn't be forced to perform at the circus—but don't want to show them the disturbing undercover footage—tell them to check out our Ringling Bros. feature on PETAKids.

Vegetarian Kids Are the Cutest--Just Sayin' August 24, 2009

Posted by Marta at August 24, 2009 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

It seems like more and more young kids are going vegetarian these days, which is great! Kids are caring by nature, and once they make the connection that meat used to be a living, breathing animal, they want nothing to do with it (can you blame them?). As someone who also went vegetarian at 4-years-old, this article about 6-year-old vegetarian Brooke English made me smile.

Here's my favorite part of the article:

Last Thanksgiving, English cooked a big turkey and Brooke almost passed out when she saw that it had no head.

"I was like no ma'am," said Brooke. "I do not want it."

I hear her—I would have said the same thing. Isn't she the cutest?!

If you have any young vegetarians in your life, here are some suggestions of things to keep them happy:

• Show them PETAKids.com—there's lots to do!
• Pass along some easy and yummy school lunch ideas to their parents.
• Be extra nice and make them some cute and delicious food from the Vegan Lunch Box blog. Mmm, I'm hungry just looking at the suggestions.

Looking to make something easy, sweet, and breakfast-y to make for a kiddo? I recently made the "I'm Like, So Easy" Blueberry Pancakes from PETA's Vegan College Cookbook for my nieces and nephew (minus the blueberries, but shaped like a bear!). My five-year-old vegetarian niece, Hannah, had this to say about them: "They're not bad ... they're terrific!"

What do you think is the best food to feed a vegetarian kid? Aside from the pancakes, I think the real crowd-pleasers are veggie dogs in a blanket or vegan mac n cheese.