Kategorie: Animals

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The family of the late Rev. Dr. Paul A. and Viola T. Bishop will join writer Shelia P. Moses and PETA representatives as they cut the ribbon on a new Little Free Library, dedicated to the Bishops and donated by PETA for Moses’ Northampton County Little Free Library Project. The Bishop family has provided books for it, and PETA has also stocked it with books from its free Barks & Books program, which gives away children’s books with messages of kindness and compassion for animals.

When:    Saturday, September 25, 2 p.m.

Where:    Rich Square-Creecy Elementary School, 210 Roberts Rd., Rich Square

“When children read about animals, they develop both their reading skills and their empathy for others of all kinds,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “It’s PETA’s honor to support the Northampton County Little Free Library Project and the young readers in the area.”

The Northampton County Little Free Library Project was designed to help put books into the hands of every family in the county, with the hope of benefiting children and adults for generations to come. PETA previously donated a Little Free Library outside Cuz Mini-Mart (formerly Majette’s Grocery) in Garysburg. Its other work in Northampton County includes more than 15 years of helping families care for dogs by delivering sturdy wooden doghouses, insulating straw bedding, and nutritious food; providing preventive care such as deworming, flea, and flystrike treatment; and transporting animals to and from spay/neuter surgeries—all free of charge.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will be broadcast on Moses’ Facebook Live page, will honor the Bishops for their work as community leaders, particularly through education. Among numerous other accomplishments, Dr. Bishop organized the first Black public library with a bookmobile to serve the Northampton County area. In 1959, the county renamed its Negro Branch Library the PA Bishop, Sr. Library. Although that library has since closed, the Northampton Memorial Library recently renamed its programming room in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Bishop, who taught mathematics at Rich Square Institute and served as its first school librarian after it was renamed the W.S. Creecy School.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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Victory! Kering is going fur-free following PETA’s decades-long push to urge the luxury fashion company to remove fur from all of its fashion houses. After years of campaigning by PETA (during which we worked behind the scenes, organized demonstrations, and generated thousands of e-mails from supporters) and pressure from activists around the world, the last two Kering brands that had yet to ban fur—Saint Laurent and Brioni—are going fur-free.

This Victory Was Years in the Making

Nearly two decades ago, Kering started removing fur from its brands when Bottega Veneta went fur-free—since then, PETA kept the pressure on the company to drop fur from its other brands.

In 2017, after more than 20 years of our protests—including the time a PETA member doused then–Gucci designer Tom Ford with tomato juice to make the point that you’d have to be a vegetable not to realize that using fur is cruel—Gucci, another Kering brand, announced a fur-free policy.

In 2020, we took our fur-free campaign to the boardroom, becoming a Kering shareholder during the COVID-19 stock market downturn to push the company to ditch animal-derived materials. Ahead of Kering’s 2021 annual meeting, actor Gillian Anderson penned a letter on PETA’s behalf to CEO François-Henri Pinault urging the fashion titan to enact a companywide policy banning fur. And, Kering confirmed that Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga were officially fur-free.

This year alone, more than 100,000 supporters of PETA entities took action, calling for Kering to enact a fur-free policy across all of its brands. Thanks to kind supporters and activists around the globe, Saint Laurent and Brioni are ending their sales of fur, making Kering an entirely fur-free company.

We Won This Round for Animals, but We Aren’t Done Yet

PETA is pleased that all of Kering’s brands have now officially joined our list of those that refuse to use animals who are bludgeoned, drowned, electrocuted, gassed, or skinned alive in the fur trade. But other companies are still supporting this cruel industry. Take action to urge Dolce & Gabbana to stop selling fur:

Urge Dolce & Gabbana to Ditch Fur!

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Following campaigning by PETA U.S. and other PETA entities, an appeal from PETA U.S. patron Gillian Anderson, and a stock purchase to persuade the company to ditch fur, Kering Group announced today that it is ending fur sales across all of its brands, meaning that Saint Laurent and Brioni are joining Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga in going fur-free. Below, please find a statement from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk:

“PETA supporters who sent tens of thousands of letters to Kering, protested outside a Saint Laurent store, or doused then–Gucci designer Tom Ford with tomato juice can celebrate today’s announcement that all Kering brands are going fur-free. Nobody with a heart will wear fur, no designer with any sense will touch it, and any fashion house still selling it in 2021 is an embarrassment.”

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

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A fat-free, low-sodium, low-calorie, cholesterol-free, meat-free vegan staple seems like something out of the distant future. However, this vegan delight is right under your nose—or more aptly, right under your toes: mushrooms!

Exact nutritional value varies based on your mushroom of choice, but in general, edible fungi are high in protein, fiber, and minerals and contain all the amino acids that you need in your daily diet. The best part? Mushrooms provide all these nutritional benefits without any cruelty to animals.

There are roughly 25 readily available types of mushrooms, so choosing the right one can be tough. We’ll break down the best uses of ’shrooms available at many grocery stores and offer some tasty vegan recipes to try.

The ‘Cute as a Button’ Mushroom Works in Lots of Dishes

The button mushroom is the baby sibling to the cremini and the portobello. They’re all the same species, just at various stages of growth. Button mushrooms are recognizable by their white top and tiny size, usually just an inch in diameter. Buttons are also called the common mushroom, white mushroom, and champignon, so keep this in mind when looking at recipes and shopping.

The button mushroom has a neutral flavor, described as mild and earthy. When cooked, it soaks up oils and spices, making it a perfect flavor- and texture-enhancer. These ’shrooms work as a great simple side when seasoned and sautéed in vegan butter, but they can also be used in an Asian-inspired dish like bok choy stir-fry or in a Southwestern barbecue dish.

These tender, mild mushrooms also make a much better addition to a vegetable kebab than the flesh of a dead pig. Pigs are social and smart, forming complex social relationships and recognizing their mother’s distinct voice. They can live to be about 10 or 15 years old, but the more than 75 million raised on farms in the U.S. per year are killed when they’re only about 6 months old.

The Cremini Mushroom Is Affordable and Packed With Flavor

The cremini mushroom is known by several other names, too, the most common being chestnut mushroom and baby bella mushroom. Creminis and portobellos have a similar taste—a pleasant umami flavor—and a meaty texture.

Stuffed cremini mushrooms make great hors d’oeuvres, and the cremini pairs wonderfully well with caramelized leeks on toast for brunch. It can also make a cozy evening that much better when used in a vegan cream of mushroom soup.

The Portobello Mushroom Is Large and in Charge

The portobello (spelled various ways) is almost always called just that. These mushrooms often grow to be about the size of a vegan hamburger, making them great for any summer cookout, as their meaty texture and umami flavor come out best when grilled. They can also be ground up and shaped into a patty.

Grilling up a vegan ’bello burger at the BBQ instead of one made from animal flesh is a tasty and compassionate choice. Cows used for beef are separated from their mothers shortly after birth. Farmers press hot irons to cows’ skin, burn off their horns, and castrate the males, usually without any painkillers. Cows are social beings, and after farmers take their babies, mother cows cry out for their calves for days. Help these sensitive animals by opting for a portobello mushroom burger instead of a hamburger.

The Versatile Oyster Mushroom Can Do It All

Not only do oyster mushrooms work wonderfully well in many types of cuisine, these toadstools have also been found to remove oil from contaminated soil—plus, they can be used to make vegan leather. There’s not mushroom for improvement there!

While some mushrooms do have a fishy flavor, the oyster mushroom is only named after the shellfish because of its similarity in appearance. Its large size and tenderness make it great for frying, and its mild flavor makes it an unobtrusive addition to tacos.

Oh, Shiitake, That’s Good!

Until 1982, traditional shiitake mushrooms were grown using the ancient Japanese method of slicing shii trees and integrating shiitake spores to latch onto the grooves. With modern innovation, people can now grow these mushrooms in something as simple as hardwood chips inside of a plastic bag.

Shiitake mushrooms are originally from East Asia, making them a staple in dishes like miso soup, Buddha’s delight, and modern fried rice and tofu scramble. The shiitake has a rich, buttery flavor and a tender, chewy texture when slow-cooked, so this umami flavor-packed  mushroom is great in Western stews and sauces as well.

The Lion’s Mane Mushroom Will Make You Seafood in a New Light

The lion’s mane mushroom grows in oblong clusters and goes by the alias of pom pom mushroom or bearded hedgehog mushroom, depending on location. While native to Europe, this strange looking fungus is used in Chinese medicinal teas and is said to boost brain power. The flavor of lion’s mane is apparently similar to that of lobster, making this mushroom a great choice in “seafood” recipes, like this crabless stuffed pepper dish.

Lobsters, crabs, and other sea animals aren’t so different from humans and other mammals—they communicate with one another, explore their surroundings, and can feel pain. Lobsters may even be more sensitive to pain than humans are, as their nervous system is unable to go into a state of shock. This means that they likely feel everything when being cut into or boiled alive. Thankfully, mushrooms like the lion’s mane and other meat-free options provide salty flavor reminiscent of the sea with no harm to ocean animals.

Time to Get Cookin’

The versatility of mushrooms makes them a great addition to any type of cuisine, and their nutrients and animal-friendly benefits prove that they really are fungis once you and learn how to use them to their full potential!

When you go vegan, you save nearly 200 animals’ lives each year, including problem-solving pigs, social cows, and sensitive lobsters. Encourage others to stop putting animal-derived foods on their plates by giving them a copy of PETA’s vegan starter kit, and check out our 3-Week Vegan Challenge for more tips on eating and living compassionately.

Try PETA’s 3-Week Vegan Challenge Today

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