Kategorie: Animals

PETA has placed ads on bus shelters and bike shares across D.C. condemning the National Park Service (NPS) for moving forward with a controversial plan to promote livestock ranching on Point Reyes National Seashore, in California—which would also allow for the slaughter of tule elk, the rarest subspecies of elk in the world.

Today, most of the remaining tule elk are trapped on a small peninsula of the national seashore behind a tall fence that protects forage resources for cattle. Hundreds of elk reportedly died in 2020 because the fence stopped them from seeking food and water elsewhere. Yet the plan would allow NPS to slaughter local elk as it sees fit and ranchers to keep over 5,500 cows on some 26,000 fenced-off acres of the seashore for 20 more years.

“With this reckless plan, the NPS is pandering to cattle ranchers and literally pushing elk to the margins of a national seashore,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “It’s going to take more than just PETA to protect dwindling populations of these beloved elk—we need the government’s advocacy, too.”

PETA notes that cattle ranching also wastes water and contributes to climate change; contaminates existing Point Reyes water supplies with manure, hormones, and antibiotics; and forces gentle cows to endure terrifying deaths in blood-soaked slaughterhouses, even though they feel pain and cherish their families, just as tule elk do.

PETA’s ads are located on bus shelters at the following locations:

• 18th Street, just south of E. Street N.W.
• E. Street Expressway at Virginia Avenue N.W.
• 599 23rd St. N.W.

The ads are also located on bike shares at the following locations:

• 20th Street N.W. and E. Street
• 19th Street N.W. and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
• Farragut Square at 17th Street N.W. and K Street
• 18th Street at C Street N.W.
• 21st Street at G Street N.W.

On Wednesday, May 19, PETA is placing an ad in The Washington Post that will read, “NPS, Secretary Haaland: Don’t Slaughter Tule Elk. Say No to Cattle Ranchers!”

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,  PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post PETA Ad Blitz Defends Rare Elk From Slaughter appeared first on PETA.

After learning that students at Loyal Elementary School participated in a dairy industry–backed program, TeachKind—PETA’s humane education division—sent a letter to the superintendent of the School District of Loyal Wisconsin asking him to allow Carly, PETA’s life-size mechanical cow voiced by Alicia Silverstone, to visit the classroom. Carly could offer another perspective on the dairy industry and give the kids a factual yet age-appropriate lesson about the production of cow’s milk.

In the letter, TeachKind points out that the farm involved in the pro-dairy program admits to raising calves in hutches and feeding them pasteurized milk, which means that they are taken away from their mothers. In the dairy industry, this is common practice: Calves are separated from their mothers just days or even hours after birth and aren’t allowed to nurse during the natural lactation period. The milk intended for them is sold to humans instead.

“Young people have a natural affinity for animals and deserve to know the truth about the ways gentle cows suffer on cruel dairy farms,” says PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg. “TeachKind urges Loyal Elementary to equip its students with facts, not fairy tales, and let them draw their own conclusions.”

TeachKind—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—has taken Carly to schools across the country, where she’s shared the gripping story of her escape from a dairy farm and the sad fate of her beloved babies, debunked harmful dairy-industry myths, encouraged healthy eating habits, and fostered compassion and respect for animals in caring kids.

TeachKind’s letter to Superintendent Chris Lindner is available upon request. The group opposes speciesism, which is the human-supremacist worldview that cows and other animals are nothing more than commodities. For more information, please visit TeachKind.org or Instagram and Facebook.

The post Will PETA’s Life-Size Mechanical Cow Hoof It to Loyal Elementary? appeared first on PETA.

PETA has obtained a U.S. Department of Agriculture report revealing a recent violation of law at Roanoke Packing Co. In response, the group sent a letter this morning calling on Fifth Judicial Circuit District Attorney D. Jeremy Duerr to review the matter and, as appropriate, file criminal cruelty-to-animals charges against the facility and the staff responsible for shooting a cow three times and cutting her throat before the animal stood back up and cried out. No additional attempts were made to stun her, and she “subsequently” died.

“This disturbing report shows that this cow experienced a prolonged, agonizing death at Roanoke Packing Co.,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of the cow who suffered at this facility and urging all compassionate members of the public who are disturbed by this cruelty to go vegan.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. The group notes that cows feel pain and fear and value their lives, just as humans do, and that the best way to help prevent them from suffering in slaughterhouses is not to eat them.

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

PETA’s letter to Duerr follows.

May 17, 2021

The Honorable D. Jeremy Duerr

Fifth Judicial Circuit District Attorney

Dear Mr. Duerr,

I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to request that your office (and the proper local law enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and file suitable criminal charges against Roanoke Packing Company and the staff responsible for repeatedly shooting a cow in the head and cutting her throat—after which she stood up and cried out—on May 6 at its slaughterhouse located at 1004 Chestnut St. in Roanoke. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in the attached report, which states the following:

“FSIS inspection personnel observed plant personnel administer three shots to a beef cow with a firearm. The animal went down after the third shot. [An] employee stuck the animal to bleed, and the animal then stood up and bellowed (vocalized). No additional stun attempts were observed and the animal subsequently expired.”¹

This conduct appears to violate Ala. Code § 13A-11-14. FSIS’ action shows that this conduct was not permitted under the agricultural laws of the United States, and thus is subject to investigation under state law as cruelty to animals. Importantly, FSIS action does not preempt criminal liability under state law for slaughterhouse workers who perpetrate acts of cruelty to animals.²

Please let us know what we might do to assist you. Thank you for your consideration and for the difficult work that you do.

Sincerely,

Colin Henstock

Assistant Manager of Investigations

1FSIS District 90 Manager Dr. Larry Davis, Notice of Suspension, Roanoke Packing Company, Est. M45670 (May 6, 2021) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-05/m45670-nos-05062021.pdf.

2See Nat’l. Meat Assoc. v. Harris, 132 S. Ct. 965, 974 n.10 (2012) (“. . . States may exact civil or criminal penalties for animal cruelty or other conduct that also violates the [Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)]. See [21 U.S.C.] §678; cf. Bates v. Dow Agrosciences, LLC, 544 U.S. 431, 447 (2005) (holding that a preemption clause barring state laws ‘in addition to or different’ from a federal Act does not interfere with an ‘equivalent’ state provision). Although the FMIA  preempts much state law involving slaughterhouses, it thus leaves some room for the States to regulate.”).

The post Cow Cries Out After Being Shot, Slashed; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe appeared first on PETA.

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo regarding the lawsuit filed today against Bob Baffert, whose horse Medina Spirit failed a drug test following the Kentucky Derby:

Every bettor who lost money wagering on Mandaloun at the Kentucky Derby would be wise to lawyer up. With PETA’s backing, Jeff Tretter created the legal roadmap for bettors when he pocketed $20,000 after suing a trainer whose horse failed a drug test. If a hundred lawsuits are what it takes to stop the doping, then we urge bettors to take the cheaters to court.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—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: Bettors Suing Trainer Bob Baffert appeared first on PETA.

Whether you grew up eating Asian snacks or you’re looking to explore new tastes, you’ll be happy to learn that many of them happen to be “accidentally vegan.” These salty snacks and sweet treats hail from a variety of countries throughout Asia and the Pacific, including China, India, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. Although these selections are normally vegan, be sure to check the label for sneaky ingredients like dairy, bonito (fish), gelatin, and other animal-derived ingredients before you dig in.

Satisfy your cravings with these vegan Asian snacks:

Haw Flakes

Yuki & Love Japanese Style Red Bean Mochi

Botan Ame Rice Candy

gimMe Roasted Seaweed Snacks

Kasugai Lychee Candy

Want-Want Senbei Rice Crackers

Hongyuan Classic Guava Hard Candy

JFC Nori Maki Arare

Jade Food Wet Li Hing Mango

Seedless Li Hing Mui (Red)

Wow Mani with Garlic Peanuts

Enjoy Tamarind Wrapped Candy

Nagaraya Garlic Cracker Nuts

HAITAI Sindangdong Tteok-bokki

Indianlife Foods Hot Punjabi Mix

Huang Fei Hong Spicy Crispy Peanuts

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With its generous use of seitan, tofu, and vegetables, Asian cuisine is extremely versatile and vegan-friendly. Our vegan Chinese takeout guide can help you find animal-free dishes that you’ll love. Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and many other Asian cuisines offer delicious options.

Going Vegan Is Easy—Here’s How to Do It

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The post You Might Be Surprised to Learn That These Asian Snacks Are Vegan appeared first on PETA.