Kategorie: Animals

The Portland City Council just voted unanimously to ban the use and sale of personal fireworks, citing the negative effect on companion animals and the increasing risk of wildfires, so today, PETA sent Mayor Ted Wheeler and council members delicious dog-shaped vegan chocolates as thanks for the action, which will protect all Portlanders, including dogs who panic as a result of the ear-splitting blasts. PETA also included a request: Ban public fireworks shows as well.

The group points out that during fireworks, dogs have been known to frantically try to escape the chaos by climbing, breaking, or digging their way out of wherever they are, often ending up at animal shelters with bloody paws and broken bones. On average, local animal shelters experience a reported 25% increase in dogs and cats over the Fourth of July holiday, an unknown number of whom had bolted in distress, never to be reunited with their guardians.

“Portland did the right thing in stamping out dangerous personal fireworks that can cause animals to flee in fear, but it could earn three cheers by nixing public spectacles, too,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Terrified animals don’t distinguish between the two, and PETA is encouraging city officials not to, either.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Wheeler follows.

March 4, 2022

The Honorable Ted Wheeler

Mayor of Portland

Dear Mayor Wheeler:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals U.S.—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally, and PETA U.S. is the largest animal rights organization in the world—to thank you and the city council for banning the use and sale of personal fireworks. Will you please extend this ban to public fireworks displays to protect all residents of Portland, including humans, companion animals, and wildlife?

Fireworks are like bombs to dogs, who may frantically try to escape the chaos by climbing or digging their way out of wherever they are, resulting in increased intake at animal shelters, which maxes out shelter capacity and further strains community resources. Those who arrive at shelters often have bloody paws and broken bones and are never reunited with their families. Others are doomed to a worse fate—hit by cars or strangled when their collars are caught on fences.

Fireworks produce plumes of smoke laden with particles that are harmful to the respiratory systems of humans and other animals, exacerbating asthma and other respiratory problems. Employees have been seriously injured in fireworks accidents during professional shows, and veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder can be deeply disturbed by the noise of the explosives and the smell of the gunpowder. Birds caught in or near fireworks displays choke on the toxic residue. The California Coastal Commission banned the town of Gualala’s display when, following a 2006 show, seabirds fled their nests, leaving their chicks vulnerable to predators. Most birds can’t see well in the dark, so this type of disruption can lead to injuries if they inadvertently crash into power lines, cars, buildings, trees, or each other. In one case, 5,000 birds died on a New Year’s Eve in Arkansas after a fireworks display caused them to take flight and slam into objects such as houses and cars.

To thank you for your ban on backyard fireworks, we’ll be sending you some delicious vegan dog-shaped chocolates. We hope you’ll consider eliminating public fireworks displays to allow all vulnerable individuals to celebrate holidays without harm or fear. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President

cc:       Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Commissioner

Carmen Rubio, Portland City Commissioner

Mingus Mapps, Portland City Commissioner

Dan Ryan, Portland City Commissioner

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The post I Am Not A Cardigan Or A Chop. I’m A Living Being, Just Like You appeared first on PETA.

The USDA has just granted an exhibitor’s license to MS Leisure Company Inc.—now the owner of the Miami Seaquarium and an entity of The Dolphin Company—on the condition that it no longer display Lolita or the dolphin confined with her, Lii. Lolita’s tank is now permanently closed to the public. Below, please see the following statement from PETA Foundation Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Animal Law Jared Goodman:

For the first time ever, the USDA is taking some action by tacitly acknowledging that Lolita’s tank cannot meet her needs. PETA is calling for this to be the first step toward releasing Lolita (and Lii) to a seaside sanctuary, before this long-suffering orca ends up dying in the same cramped tank she’s been confined to for over half a century.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post PETA Statement re New USDA Decision for Orca Lolita appeared first on PETA.

City officials moved in, following a tip from PETA that unlicensed animal exhibitor Lisa Lopez—who operates under the name All Things Wild—planned to display tigers illegally at the Cowtown Fair this week, and authorities have canceled the exhibit. PETA showed that Lopez’s plans to display the big cats and sell photo opportunities with them would have violated local laws prohibiting the possession of tigers and other wild or exotic animals.

“Because authorities took swift action, these tigers will not be forced to sit in a metal cage and pose for photos with fairgoers,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews. “PETA commends the city for sending the message that all unscrupulous exhibitors will be held accountable if they try breaking the law.”

PETA notes that Lopez has a long history of skirting law enforcement. After she offered paying customers photos with tigers at a flea market in Liberty last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited her and ordered her to stop illegally exhibiting the big cats. According to city officials, Lopez had tried passing off another exhibitor’s license as her own to the event organizer—and she reportedly tried that ruse again at the Cowtown Fair.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post Tiger Exhibit Shut Down Following Tip From PETA appeared first on PETA.

Patrik Baboumian, former bodybuilder and past winner of the title “Strongest Man of Germany,” has a lot of strength, but his biggest muscle may be his heart. He cares deeply for animals and makes certain that all of his strength is plant-powered. He celebrates his 10^th anniversary of being vegan this year with a new PETA ad focusing on his favorite foods: plants.

Baboumian Eats Like an Ox to Be as Strong as One

Patrik Baboumian proves every day that vegans can be stronger than people who eat animal-derived foods. The retired bodybuilder holds the world record for the heaviest yoke (1,224 pounds—that’s nearly twice the weight of a grand piano!) carried over 10 meters. In Baboumian’s first PETA ad, he stated, “The world’s strongest animals are plant eaters. Gorillas, buffaloes, elephants, and me.” He also stars in The Game Changers, a Netflix documentary promoting plant-based living. In the trailer, he says that it makes sense to eat like an ox to grow as strong as one—and you won’t see an ox grazing on animal flesh.

No matter the size of his muscles, compassion is what Baboumian considers his true strength. Mother cows form strong bonds with their calves. Cows used for milk are repeatedly, forcibly impregnated by humans and then separated from their babies. Some mother cows can be heard frantically calling for their babies days after they are taken away. Going vegan saves nearly 200 animals every year and helps keep mother cows with their calves, preserving their bond.

Make Your Body Plant-Powered

You can easily meet your nutritional needs and gym goals while vegan—many superfoods and pre-workout snacks are vegan already. Vegan foods are also full of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates—all great for building strength and aiding in your post-workout recovery. Plus, animal-derived foods often contain high amounts of artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, which are detrimental to your health. Going vegan also reduces your risk of suffering from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and can help boost your immune system. Follow in Baboumian’s footsteps and go vegan for animals and your own health—maybe one day you’ll join our list of vegan bodybuilders, too.

Boost Your Body With PETA’s 3-Week Vegan Challenge

The post 10 Years Vegan Can Look Like This: Patrik Baboumian’s New PETA Ad appeared first on PETA.