Smithfield, You Make My Skin Crawl June 30, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at June 30, 2009 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

animalwritings / CC

The gestation crate has got to be one of the cruelest tools of the exploitation trade. It is a metal box used to warehouse mother pigs for almost their entire lives before being slaughtered and sold for profit. The crates are so small that mother pigs can never be with their babies, never lie down comfortably and can never even turn around.

At any given moment, more than one million mother pigs are confined to these crates.

The industry likes to tell consumers that these crates are to protect the baby piglets (before they have their testicles and teeth ripped out, their ears clipped and are slaughtered, of course), because their over-sized (aka drugged to the point of a profitable obesity) mothers might roll over and kill them. We all know the truth of the matter is that the factory farming industry doesn't care one bit about animals, only about making money off of their corpses.

In 2007, after over ten years of talks with PETA, Smithfield (yes, that Smithfield), agreed to phase out the crates, but just last week, Smithfield backed out of this agreement, citing financial woes and losses. We're hoping this basically means less people wanted to buy their vile product, but either way, Smithfield is still the the world's largest flesh producer, and we think they owe it to pigs not to treat them this way. Especially considering that just three years' compensation for the company's highly-paid directors would more than cover the cost of a complete crate phase-out over the next eight years.

All we're asking, again, is that this large company do the right thing for the animals they kill to profit from. For the millions of pigs that can't move this very second—please write to Smithfield now and urge them to keep their promise to phase out cruel gestation crates.

Top Ten Fascinating Facts About Pigs May 12, 2009

Posted by Marta at May 12, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

We ♥ pigs. Remember our whole "Woof!" campaign last summer? With swine flu in the news so much lately, pretty much everyone is thinking about pigs. Here's what you might not already know about these cutie pies:

1. Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose. They dream, much as humans do. In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing, and exploring. People who run animal sanctuaries for farmed animals often report that pigs, like humans, enjoy listening to music, playing with soccer balls, and getting massages.

2. Pigs communicate constantly with one another; more than 20 vocalizations have been identified that pigs use in different situations, from wooing mates to saying, "I'm hungry!"

3. Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers' voices and to recognize their own names. Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.

4. According to Professor Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, "[Pigs] have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than human] 3-year-olds."

5. Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and have found their way home over great distances. Adult pigs can run at speeds of up to 11 miles an hour.

6. Professor Stanley Curtis of Penn State University has found that pigs can play joystick-controlled video games and are "capable of abstract representation." Dr. Curtis believes that "there is much more going on in terms of thinking and observing by these pigs than we would ever have guessed."

7. Pigs do not "eat like pigs" or "pig out." They prefer to eat slowly and savor their food.

8. Suzanne Held, who studies the cognitive abilities of farmed animals at the University of Bristol's Centre of Behavioural Biology, says that pigs are "really good at remembering where food is located, because in their natural environment food is patchily distributed and it pays to revisit profitable food patches."

9. Pigs are clean animals. If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat. Pigs don't "sweat like pigs"; they are actually unable to sweat. They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool, and they actually prefer water to mud. One woman developed a shower for her pigs, and they learned to turn it on and off by themselves.

10. In his book The Whole Hog, biologist and Johannesburg Zoo director Lyall Watson writes, "I know of no other animals [who] are more consistently curious, more willing to explore new experiences, more ready to meet the world with open mouthed enthusiasm. Pigs, I have discovered, are incurable optimists and get a big kick out of just being."

If you're still in doubt that pigs are amazing, check out these super-cute videos. You won't be able to stop smiling. What is your favorite thing about pigs? I like seeing them wag their tails!

Axe: Abusing Animals Stinks! March 17, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at March 17, 2009 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

I don't know what girl finds Axe deodorant sexy—I've always thought that it smelled cheap and trashy—maybe it's because it's owned by Unilever, a company that treats animals like trash. Their latest ad for Axe shampoo can't make it any more obvious.

Unilever's new commercial for Axe features a pig being chased through a crowded mall, and then jumping off a high balcony. I can only guess, but I don't think the fear and distress in the pigs eyes—which is clear—is just great acting. I've got news for you Unilever: Girls don't find animal abuse sexy.

Many people who know pigs compare them to dogs because they are friendly, loyal, and intelligent—remember our Woof campaign from last summer? When given the chance to live naturally, pigs will spend hours playing and lying in the sun. Animals used for entertainment are often forced to perform confusing, uncomfortable, and dangerous tricks in frightening situations like the one in the Axe commercial.

Please take a minute and send our automated letter to Unilever President Michael Polk requesting that Unilever stop airing the commercial immediately and be more respectful to animals in all future advertising campaigns.

'Death On A Factory Farm' On HBO March 16, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at March 16, 2009 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

Death On A Factory Farm follows an undercover investigator named "Pete" onto an Ohio factory farm where pigs are treated in ways you will not believe! The video footage and court case which followed are heartbreaking, but motivating for anyone who cares about being kind to animals.

I don't really watch TV (sue me, I prefer reading), but it seems like HBO really has its act together! The award-winning network which brought you the documentary, I Am An Animal once again has a very important film for you.

Please make sure you watch this movie. Check the schedule here. This film starts airing tonight (March 16) and goes through the rest of the month!

This little piggy doesn't want to be your bacon.

This reminds me of the Woof campaign from last summer. If you wouldn't eat a dog, why eat a pig?

Pigs are friends, not food,

Kingsford the Pig! March 10, 2009

Posted by Marta at March 10, 2009 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 8 ) | TrackBack

Remember how pigs are similar to dogs? Well, the L.A. Times blog recently showed just how true this is. Check out little cutie-pie Kingsford below and I dare you not to smile!

Kingsford Goes to the Beach - video powered by Metacafe
Now I'm definitely not recommending you run out and get a piggy of your own to love and adore. Pigs get huge and require a much bigger commitment than many people realize. I just want you to think twice the next time bacon, ham, or pork comes your way, and say no for Kingsford's sake.

Which part of the video was your favorite?



P.S. Remember—What if a pig said "woof"?

MySpace Layouts For You March 2, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at March 2, 2009 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

After being flooded with requests to make MySpace layouts and then rolling a few of them out for campaigns including Fur Is Dead and Woof, we've now built a whole page of different layouts for you to put up on your MySpace.

It's simple to use. Just copy and paste into your About Me section and be sure you're using the regular layout design for your MySpace and not the Layout 2.0.

Here's a quick example of how it looks on my page.

Fancy, right? Grab one for your own page here.

So which are you going to put on your page? Meat's Not Green? Fur Is Dead? Not A Nugget? Evil. Col. Sanders? Meat Is Murder? Woof?

Let us know which you like so we can consider making more, and remember there are plenty of ways to get active online.

Meet Caroline. She's from England. November 26, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at November 26, 2008 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

Our friend Sarah who works over in peta2 UK recently did an interview that I wanted you to read. It's with an awesome peta2 Street Team member!
-Pulin

Caroline has been working endlessly hard in a fight to help all animals. She's been active for animals for two years participating in protests and handing out leaflets at school, and she has been vegan for a year. And she is only 16 years old! Caroline's been recognised by other groups for her outstanding work and recently won a Young Veggie Award here in the UK! Something that Caroline has done that's really impressed me is written a superb article on how the consumption of meat is affecting the developing countries in the world; which got published in her local newspaper in Leicester, England.

I got the chance to have little chat with Caroline and this is what she had to say in answer to my questions:

How and when did you first get interested in animal rights?
This time about two years ago. We had been looking at animal testing in science and our teacher was in favour of it. I decided to look into it myself, and as I looked at the PETA and other animal rights websites, I learnt the truth about other forms of animal abuse.

What made you become vegetarian?
I had considered turning vegetarian before as my uncle and his family are all veggies, but it's when I stumbled upon videos of factory farming and actually stopped to think about what we're doing to animals, that I finally changed.

How long have you been vegetarian?
I turned vegetarian two years ago, and then vegan a year later.

What sort of responses have you had from other students at your school that you've passed information out to?
Some other students just laugh about it or start saying about how they'd miss meat too much if they went veggie. Others are really interested, for example I had one guy asking me about where to get cruelty free products after reading one of the leaflets.

Can you tell me about the award you just won for Britain's Best Young Veggie?
My sister Becky nominated me for the award by writing about the stuff I've done for animal rights. I got to meet people from Viva! which was great and I got a trophy and a bag full of prizes! I was very surprised when I heard I had won!

What is your favourite peta2 campaign?
That's a hard one! At the moment I'm starting to concentrate on the veganizing your cafeteria one. But to be honest, they're all great campaigns!

Whose cuter - Nugget or the Woof! Pig?
Both! Although I'd have to say the nugget because he featured on my Art coursework last year.

Thanks to Caroline and anyone else standing up for animals! Why not let peta2 and peta2 UK know what you're up to and you could get featured here too?!
-Sarah

22 Charges Filed Based on PETA Investigation at Hormel Supplier October 23, 2008

Posted by Marta at October 23, 2008 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 8 ) | TrackBack

Here's a special guest blog from PETA's Christine Dore.

It's with a proud and ecstatic heart that I report this news today! Our investigation into an Iowa pig farm that breeds piglets destined for Hormel has resulted in 22—that's right, count them—22 criminal charges.

The Greene County Sheriff just announced in a news release that six individuals employed by the farm at the time of PETA's investigation now face a total of 22 counts of livestock neglect and abuse. Those charged include a former farm manager—who we understand still works on another pig factory farm—and a supervisor, as well as two individuals who still punch the clock at the Iowa factory farm as we speak.

A whopping 14 of the counts are aggravated misdemeanors—the stiffest possible charges under Iowa state law for crimes committed against farmed animals—carrying up to two years behind bars. To PETA's knowledge, this is unprecedented.

Charges based on PETA's undercover investigations are now pending against pig factory farmers in both Iowa—the nation's top pig-raising state—and North Carolina, which occupies the second rung on that dubious list!

This is a small victory for farmed animals, but we mustn't forget that Hormel, which financially supports this farm, has by all appearances yet to make any changes as a result of this investigation. It has refused to meet with us or even watch all of the footage, which we have repeatedly offered to show the company. Maybe now that the law has spoken up, Hormel will finally listen.

Please, urge Hormel to take action now.

-Christine

UPDATE: Hormel Supplier Investigation October 20, 2008

Posted by Marta at October 20, 2008 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Remember the shocking footage from an undercover investigation of a factory farm in Iowa that raises pigs destined for Hormel? PETA's undercover investigators documented workers repeatedly hitting pigs with metal gate rods and canes, a worker slamming the heads of piglet "runts" into the floor, and a supervisor who shoved a cane into a sow's vagina and talked about sexually abusing pigs.

Even after the farm changed ownership and management during the investigation, this horrifying treatment and abuse of animals continued.

That being said, we have just released previously unseen footage from the investigation, showing the farm manager kicking and shocking a crippled pig. Can you believe he's still the manager on the farm?!

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In the video, the manager is seen shocking a pig with an electric prod and kicking her—both violations of the farm owner's own written policy—in a prolonged attempt to make her stand, which is a requirement for pigs sold for slaughter. The suffering sow, who was unable to stand due to crippled hind limbs, was left in pen for two days, bleeding from a severed hoof, until she was ultimately shot and killed.

This shocking footage was recorded the very next working day after PETA's undercover investigator reported the abuse of pigs that he had seen at the farm to this very manager.

I seriously can't believe that this man is still the farm manager. Think about it: he is responsible for overseeing other employees and how they treat the pigs in that factory farm. Do you think someone who is treating pigs this way is a good example for his employees on the humane handling of animals?

Our demands of Hormel stand firm despite the company's continued failure to respond to our attempts to work with them. Join us in renewing our ask of Hormel. Demand that they enact meaningful reforms to prevent this sort of abuse from occurring on its suppliers' farms.

What do you think about the fact that the same man is still the farm manager?

Update: We wanted to make sure that it's clear to our readers that we offered several times to show Hormel and the farm's management ALL the footage that was taken during PETA's undercover investigation at the supplier's farm—including the above footage of the manager. Neither Hormel nor the farm's management took us up on our offer.

♥ Marta

You Are In The Newspaper! September 30, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at September 30, 2008 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

If you went to a concert from May through August of this year, you probably signed the peta2 petition for the Woof campaign. Thank you for that—you're helping to make headlines!

I know sometimes your lazy, pessimistic friends ask you what good it'll do to sign a petition at a show or online. Well, let me tell you something—it does a lot! We sent every single one of those petitions from Warped Tour, Mayhem Festival, and other shows to Hormel's corporate headquarters last week. You can read the press release here. This was in response to an investigation which found truly terrifying abuse of animals at an Iowa pig factory farm which supplies piglets who are raised and killed for Hormel products. If you haven't seen it yet, you should look at this.

Along with sending the petitions to Hormel and other meat companies, we explained that 275,000 of you took the time to ask for pigs to be given better protection. Considering it's illegal to be cruel to a dog, why would it be ok to abuse a pig who suffers just the same?

I just wanted to let everyone know that the petitions became a top news story in the local paper of Hormel's hometown of Austin, Minnesota! That means that their corporate employees are finding it that much more difficult to justify the cruelty seen in this video, and we're really bringing the pressure against companies! It also goes to show that people do care about animals and want to stop cruelty to animals. Read the full news article here.

Thank you all! Now go brag to your parents, friends, and family that you're helping make a difference!

-Pulin