Animal Heroes! August 4, 2008

Posted by Marta at August 4, 2008 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

Looking for a little happiness to start of your week? You're in luck!

Did you guys catch this story about a bunny in Australia?

A couple's home caught on fire during the night and they were able to escape the blaze unharmed because their companion bunny scratched on their bedroom door, alerting them to the fact that there was a fire in a back room of their house. I bet that family feels extremely fortunate to have that bunny!

This is definitely not the first time an animal has saved a person. I hear about dogs saving lives all the time, but pigs do it, too. One of the most amazing stories is about LuLu, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, who saved her person's life. It's a wonderful story—you gotta read it for yourself.

I ♥ bunnies and pigs.

♥ Marta

Interview With Pigs July 2, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at July 2, 2008 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 12 ) | TrackBack

I think pigs are really excited about the Woof campaign. It really isn't fair that dogs get all the love. Pigs feel pain and suffer too if you think about it!

Here's an interview I did with some buddies of mine who had something to say about this campaign.

Have you ever hung out with any pigs?

-Pulin

Free Stuff Friday: Woof! Prize Pack June 27, 2008

Posted by Ashleigh at June 27, 2008 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1090 ) | TrackBack

Lots of people saying "Woof!" lately, eh? That's because pigs and dogs have more in common than most people are aware of. The dogs of the world have it lucky, while the pigs . . . not so much. For the pigs' sake, sign our petition saying that pigs deserve the same protection as dogs.

Now that you've helped the pigs, it's time to spread the word like Ryan and Rachel:

To make this easy for you we are giving away a Woof! prize pack complete with a tee, hat, and a whole bunch of stickers to one lucky winner!

To win, comment below with what you would name this pig:



I would go with Oliver. Or Gordon . . .

This contest ends July 18, 2008 and the winner will be chosen and notified by July 25, 2008!

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.

I love pigs!

-Ashleigh

Woof: A Widget For Your Page June 23, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at June 23, 2008 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Do you know what a widget is? It's sort of a cooler version of a web banner. I say cooler because instead of having the same thing all the time, you can actually customize it and add in cool features like blogs, videos, and more. We have one for the Woof campaign on our MySpace page right now, and we'd love it if you put one on your page, too.

So there's this company called Gydget which allows bands, organizations like peta2, and other people to make their own widgets. peta2 is one of the most popular this month, and if you all help us by putting the widget on your own pages, we could win $500 from Gydget for being the most popular! Save animals and help raise some money?! Sweet.

Click 'grab it' to add this Gydget to your page!

Thanks, everyone.

-Pulin

Rock Climbing Pig June 19, 2008

Posted by Marta at June 19, 2008 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Did you know baby male pigs are castrated using no pain killers? Pigs also have their teeth, ears, and tails mutilated. WTF is up with that? Pigs are smarter than and just as social as dogs and no one would do these things to a dog, why do people do them to pigs? Help end this cruelty by signing to tell the lame meat industry to get with it and end these practices.

We have some new road warriors and some veterans, so make sure you come out to Warped Tour (want to win tickets?), Rockstar's Mayhem Festival, and Alkaline Trio to say what's up and sign the petition to help pigs on factory farms.

In Chicago this weekend, the Road Warriors hung out at the B96 Festival, where our pig was very popular and climbing walls! Believe it my friend.




Jam out.

-Paige

What If A Pig Said 'Woof'? June 12, 2008

Posted by Marta at June 12, 2008 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 21 ) | TrackBack

I've always been fond of pigs. They're smart, cute, and can most definitely steal your heart (Just thinking about Babe makes me smile). Sounds pretty similar to a dog, right? So why is it that many people share their homes with dogs and fill their plates with pigs?

That's where peta2's brand-new Woof! campaign comes in. We're posing the question to people, "If pigs said 'woof!', would we treat them differently?"

I mean seriously, dogs and pigs are both absolutely adorable and should both be protected from abuse. I think you'll find it impossible to disagree with me after seeing the bit of photographic evidence below. Who wouldn't want to protect these little wonders?

Photo credit: For the Love of Dog
So get on it and check out peta2.com/woof now! Sign the petition stating that pigs should have the same protection as dogs, grab some Web banners for your page, and take our quiz.


And of course, we'll be at tons of festivals and shows this summer, so be sure to stop by our booth to say hi and grab some stickers. Our MySpace page has the details of where you can find us this summer.

Who else loves pigs as much as peta2 does?

♥ Marta

peta2 Flags For You June 11, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at June 11, 2008 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 8 ) | TrackBack

Animal rights flags?! Yes, this Saturday, June 14, happens to be Flag Day. And while honestly, not many people at all care about the actual "holiday," you can leave it to peta2 to figure out a way to tie in Flag Day to animal rights. Why not, right?

Here are some really awesome flags for you. I would love if you do the following, and if you make this happen, I'll make sure you get 1000 Street Team points:

1) Print out your favorite flag.
2) Cut out the flag and tape it to a chopstick, pencil, etc.
3) Take a photo of you with your peta2 flag.
4) Send your photo to StreetTeam@peta2.com.

Click to choose from the following designs:

Compassion Is Freedom (Nugget)

Compassion Is Freedom (Pig)

peta2.com/woof

Pennant (Nugget)

You can salute the flag, make a goofy face, bring them to school or camp, pledge allegiance to it, or whatever floats your boat. Just remember to send us your photos, ok? We'll feature the best ones on the blog. Good idea? Here are some examples for you to aspire towards.

Thanks!

-Pulin

P.S.- Marta and I are so into this that we even made it our default on our MySpace pages!

World Vegetarian Week is Here! May 19, 2008

Posted by Marta at May 19, 2008 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

World Vegetarian Week has officially descended upon us, so throughout the week, peta2 staffers will be sharing stories of why we went vegetarian and, of course sharing delicious recipes with you all. Exciting stuff!

I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't a vegetarian. I was four when I decided to stop eating meat because I saw a pig roasted over a fire at a luau in Hawaii. People always ask me how I could have made a decision like that at such a young age (no one else in my family was vegetarian). Thinking back, I understand why I was able to make that decision: Kids don't realize that the "chicken" they're eating is the same farm animal they read about in books. I was absolutely horrified when I saw the entire pig being cooked and was even more horrified that everyone else seemed to be okay with eating the pig.

Pigs are friends, not food, people. I was pretty lucky, since my family has always been completely supportive of my vegetarianism (and yes, that's nerdy, devious me around the time I went vegetarian). Thanks, family.

Now that you've seen my true nerdy roots, I feel compelled to talk about an obsession of mine: Hummus. Seriously, nothing could make me happier than that creamy concoction. Try my recipe for yourself (most hummus has tahini in it, but I choose to leave that out).

Marta's Delectable Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1½ Tablespoons Olive oil
• Salt to taste

In a blender or food processor, add the beans, garlic, oil, and salt. Blend until creamy (add some water or more oil if you need more liquid to blend the mixture). Transfer mixture to a bowl. I then like to mix in chopped green onions or chopped black olives. Yum, yum. Refrigerate for an hour. Devour with chips, crackers, veggies, or spread on a sandwich. The possibilities are endless!

How's your day going? Delicious? I hope so!

♥ Marta

It's Time for Deflocked, People March 27, 2008

Posted by Marta at March 27, 2008 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

So amazing! I can't get enough of Deflocked!

Click for a larger version
To check out past installments, click here.


♥ Marta

Safeway Adopts New Industry-Leading Animal Welfare Policies February 11, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at February 11, 2008 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

This is big news because companies obviously have a lot of power over factory farms and slaughterhouses which exploit animals. While peta2 and the Street Team work to educate individuals on how vegetarianism and veganism are the best ways to help animals, it's important to stay realistic on how we can pressure the corporate world to reduce and eventually eliminate some of the worst cruelties out there. Straight from our press release, check it out.

Following six years of discussions with PETA about the abuse of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses, supermarket giant Safeway has announced groundbreaking plans to improve the living and dying conditions for some of the animals who are killed for its stores. Safeway is North America's second-largest grocery chain, with 1,750 stores located throughout the U.S. and Canada. According to the company's new plan, which places it at the forefront of the grocery industry with regard to animal welfare, Safeway will do the following:

• Increase its purchase of chickens and turkeys killed by controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel method of bird slaughter—and give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to CAK
• Increase the amount of pig meat it purchases from suppliers that don't use gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—by 5 percent over each of the next three years and give purchasing preference to suppliers that don't use gestation crates
• Double the amount of cage-free eggs it sells to more than 6 percent by 2010 and give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs

Safeway's new plan also follows PETA's submission of a shareholder resolution—which PETA has now withdrawn—and independent discussions with The Humane Society of the United States on the issue of cage-free eggs.

"While we wish that shoppers would stick to the delicious vegetarian options that Safeway has available, the company should be commended for at least improving the lives and deaths of some of the animals who are killed for its stores," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich.

Since 2000, PETA has used high-profile campaigns and negotiations to reduce the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for food. In 2007, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Wendy's, and other companies made improvements similar to those that Safeway is now making.

To all the kind folks out there who help pressure companies to take animal welfare seriously, we thank you.

-Pulin