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After PETA learned that supermarket chain D’Agostino was giving away coupons for discounted Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus tickets to customers and offering other promotions, we immediately contacted the company to urge executives to end the company’s annual promotion. D’Agostino President Nicholas D’Agostino and Marketing Director Anderson Chung have ignored our e-mails and requests to meet and discuss this important matter.
We must let D’Agostino know that supporting Ringling Bros. is promoting cruelty and violence to animals. Ringling has a lengthy history of cruelty to animals. Ringling beats elephants with sharp metal bullhooks, and these highly intelligent, social animals are kept in shackles for most of their lives.
> Please urge D’Agostino to end its promotion of Ringling Bros. permanently
> Read about ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Lena Headey Stars in PETA’s Anti-Circus Ad‘ .
I was heartened to receive these good news from the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). More work needs to be continued to be done for all the other animals suffering in the world. I’d like to share with you the following message I received this morning:
Dear Supporter,
I’m pleased to share some good news about PETA’s campaigns to stop animal abuse. Your generous support has played an important role in these successes, so thank you!
Factory Farmers Charged With Cruelty to Animals
Factory Farmers Charged With Cruelty to AnimalsSix charges of cruelty to animals have been filed against a worker at Murphy Family Ventures—a North Carolina pig-breeding farm that supplies Smithfield Foods—as a direct result of PETA’s 2007 undercover investigation. Another worker, who is still at large, will face a charge—if he returns to North Carolina—based on video footage obtained during our investigation. The dedicated PETA investigator documented numerous abuses, including that workers beat pigs with metal gate rods, poked pigs’ eyes, and hit pigs in the face with boards.
For decades, the idea that factory farmers could face charges under cruelty-to-animals statutes was almost unheard of. PETA’s investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses have helped create new legal precedents in recent years, including the first-ever felony indictments of farm workers for cruelty to animals. PETA is helping court officials and lawmakers realize that abusing a pig or a chicken is no more acceptable than abusing a dog or a cat—a sea change that has the meat industry reeling!
Winn-Dixie Takes First Step Ever to Improve Farmed-Animal Welfare
Winn-Dixie Takes First Step Ever to Improve Farmed-Animal WelfareFollowing five months of discussions with PETA, Winn-Dixie has just agreed to make improvements for some of the chickens and pigs raised and killed for its 520 stores. The large Southern U.S. grocery chain will give purchasing preference to the following suppliers:
* Turkey and chicken suppliers that use or switch to controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least-cruel method of bird slaughter
* Pig-meat and egg suppliers that don’t confine pregnant pigs to gestation crates or egg-laying hens to battery cages
Winn-Dixie will also increase the amount of cage-free eggs, crate-free pig meat, and CAK poultry that it purchases.
Winn-Dixie now joins other grocery and restaurant companies—including Safeway, Harris Teeter, and Burger King—that have agreed to make reforms to improve the living and dying conditions of animals slaughtered for their consumers.
Four Strikes Against Elephant Abuse
Four Strikes Against Elephant Abuse The New Hampshire Motor Speedway canceled a pre-race elephant show, and an international hotel chain ended its promotion of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. According to a local activist, Circus Vazquez has been banned by Puyallup, Wash., officials from taking elephants to the local fairground. Hunter Fan also pulled its advertisement depicting an elephant who is forced to balance on a ball.
Decision-makers made these incredibly important changes because they were persuaded by PETA’s documentation of elephant abuse. PETA’s undercover video footage documents that trainers beat elephants with steel-tipped bullhooks to make them perform. The footage also shows that elephants are kept in boxcars or shackles for the majority of each day, and they are deprived of the social bonds that elephants need. An increasing number of companies are recognizing that there are better ways to promote their businesses than subsidizing animal abuse.
Animal Tests Replaced With Far Better Methods
Animal Tests Replaced With Far Better MethodsAfter PETA provided the National Taiwan University College of Medicine—Taiwan’s leading medical school—with information about sophisticated non-animal teaching methods, the school canceled its pharmacology experiments. In the experiments, students were asked to inject the toxic chemical strychnine into mice, watch the animals convulse in agony, and record the animals’ times of death. The school also canceled an experiment in which mice were injected with a poison that causes loss of muscular control before they were forced onto a balancing rod. Brain surgeries on living frogs were canceled as well. We are now working on persuading the school to join more than 100 other medical schools that have completely ended the use of animals for undergraduate medical training.
Auburn University Penalized for Abusing Dogs
Auburn University Penalized for Abusing DogsA PETA undercover investigation of experimental kidney operations on dogs has led the Morris Animal Foundation to audit and subsequently bar two experimenters at Auburn University from receiving grant funds ever again. PETA investigators revealed that many dogs vomited for days after the surgery, and they experienced swollen and aching legs, bloody diarrhea, and so much pain that they sometimes couldn’t even lie down. None of these dogs survived, but the experimenters never fully explained the risks as they eagerly took up to $14,000 per surgery from people who were desperate to save their beloved dogs from kidney failure. As a result of this investigation, the Morris Animal Foundation, a large grant-making charity, has stated that it will also increase its scrutiny of animal welfare enforcement for all universities that submit grants. Decisions like this one mark a significant change from the days when many experimenters could do exactly as they pleased to animals with little to no consequences.
I hope that you take pride in knowing that your financial support has helped PETA achieve all these important victories (and more!) for animals. Thank you!
Kind regards,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals
Jordan World Circus is coming to British Columbia, Canada to perform in over a dozen cities between July 16 and July 31. We’ve confirmed that there will be elephants and bears in some, and possibly all, of these shows. Jordan World Circus is notorious for their bad behavior. They have been cited nearly two dozen times for mistreatment of animals and for endangering the public. Sick and injured animals are often forced to perform despite their condition, uncooperative animals have been observed to be beaten with rods and in at least 3 occasions, elephants have attacked their trainers during a performance while giving rides to children! For more info, visit http://www.circuses.com/fact-jordan.asp
Source: Liberation BC .
Adidas and Other Fashion Industry Leaders Boycott Wool From Mutilated Sheep
Following discussions with PETA, global retail giants Adidas and Perry Ellis International and major European retailer IC Companys have pledged not to use wool from farmers who perform the mulesing mutilation. Mulesing—a cruel attempt to prevent maggot infestations, which could be humanely controlled with other methods—is a gruesome procedure in which gardening shears are used to cut chunks of skin and flesh off lambs’ backsides without any painkillers. HUGO BOSS—which has more than 1,000 stores worldwide—has also pledged to be 100 percent mulesed-wool-free in less than two years. With these new pledges, PETA has gained more clout in our campaign to reform the wool industry and improve the lives of the millions of sheep who face mutilation for the sake of a sweater or a pair of socks.
After months of negotiations, PETA has won a pledge from KFC Canada to phase in the exclusive purchase of chickens from suppliers who use a less cruel slaughter method called controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK). The current method of slaughter used by most KFC suppliers worldwide—during which birds are often maimed and scalded while still conscious—involves electric paralysis and throat-cutting.
PETA has also convinced Popeye’s, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Burger King, Safeway, Carl Jr.’s, Hardee’s, and other companies to give purchasing preference to CAK suppliers.
There’s even an extra bonus for customers: Per our agreement, KFC Canada will provide its customers with a cruelty-free option—saving countless birds—by offering a vegan faux-chicken menu item at the majority of its restaurants!
The agreement with KFC Canada also adds growing pressure to KFC in the U.S. and other countries around the world to adopt similar reforms. To date, PETA has organized more than 12,000 demonstrations at KFC outlets, and our campaign against the companies’ worst atrocities will continue until its global parent company, YUM! Brands, agrees to follow its Canadian counterpart.
Major Grocery Chain Harris Teeter Says ‘No!’ to Ringling Bros.
Large Southeastern grocery chain Harris Teeter confirmed that it will not enter into future partnerships with circuses that use live animals. The announcement followed discussions with PETA about how the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus forces animals to perform confusing, painful, and often dangerous tricks by beating the animals with fists, sticks, whips, and steel-tipped bullhooks. Other corporations that have dropped their associations with Ringling as a result of PETA pressure include Denny’s, MasterCard, Visa, Liz Claiborne, and Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Leading Medical School in Taiwan Cancels Cruel Animal Experiments
After PETA provided the National Taiwan University College of Medicine—Taiwan’s leading medical school—with information about sophisticated non-animal teaching methods, the school canceled its pharmacology experiments. In the experiments, students were asked to inject the toxic chemical strychnine into mice, watch the animals convulse in agony, and record the animals’ times of death. The school also canceled an experiment in which mice were injected with a poison that causes loss of muscular control before they were forced onto a balancing rod. Brain surgeries on living frogs were canceled as well. We are now working on persuading the school to join more than 100 other medical schools that have completely ended the use of animals for undergraduate medical training.
Starz Media Stops Using Live Animals in Ads
As a direct result of PETA pressure, prominent New York-based ad company Starz Media changed its plans to use a live chimpanzee to promote the animated movie Space Chimps. Also, MovieTickets.com—the leader in the online movie-ticket business—has recently ended its use of chimpanzees in advertisements as a result of discussions with PETA.
None of our work to stop the suffering of so many animals would be possible without your continued generous support. Thank you for being a strong and passionate voice for animals everywhere.
Kind regards,
Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
P.S. I’d like to give you a verbal “snapshot” from the work of PETA affiliates around the world: A recent summary of Internet search-engine inquiries found that “PETA” was the seventh-most-searched term in India, coming in just after “causes of global warming.” PETA India—which celebrated its eighth anniversary—pushes for zoo reforms; helps retire “working” bullocks; investigates cruelty in laboratories, on factory farms, and in slaughterhouses; and much more. With your help, PETA and its affiliates are truly turning the whole world’s attention to animal issues.
Original source: People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals at http://www.peta.org/
Two former Ringling employees have contacted PETA independently with allegations of routine abuse in the circus, including bloody beatings and a culture in which employees who object to animals’ cruel treatment are either ignored or punished. Still haunted by what she witnessed, Archele Hundley quit Ringling’s red unit in June 2006 after just two months, and Bob Tom, who worked on the same unit for two years, was fired in August 2006, allegedly for complaining about the beatings.
Elephants Live in Fear of Beatings
Both Hundley and Tom worked on the animal crew and tell PETA that they witnessed a violent beating of an elephant that lasted at least 30 minutes when Ringling had a layover at the fairgrounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When an elephant refused a command to lie down, Ringling’s head elephant trainer, Sacha Houcke, allegedly beat the elephant with a bullhook, hooking her behind the ear, on the leg, and on the back. At one point, he reportedly inserted the hook inside the elephant’s ear canal and pulled on the handle using both hands and the full force of his body weight. The elephant cried out in agony and was left bleeding profusely from severe wounds.
The following were among the whistleblowers’ declarations to PETA:
Horses Beaten and Whipped
Horses are one of the most commonly used animals in circuses, but they receive the least protection, as they are not covered by the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Hundley and Tom reported severe alleged abuse of horses, including the following:
Miserable Transport Conditions
The former circus employees further report that during transit, elephants are packed inside boxcars so tightly that they are unable to turn around or lie down. On three- and four-day trips, animals are let off the train for exercise only once. Most of the time, they are forced to stand in mountains of foul-smelling feces and urine that fill up to two Dumpsters. Hundley says that the stench inside the boxcars is so bad that it causes people’s eyes to water and their noses to burn.
Some elephants scrape their backs when they are loaded and unloaded from the trains because the openings in the boxcars are not large enough.
Tom described an incident in Fairfax, Virginia, where two horses suffered heatstroke after they were left in stifling boxcars for almost 12 hours in near 100°F heat.
Whistleblowers Threatened While Abusers Go Unpunished
The whistleblowers contend that Ringling falsifies personnel performance reports for employees who quit in disgust or are fired after complaining about the systematic abuse of animals so that the phony records can be used to discredit anyone who goes public with what he or she witnessed.
Employees are warned not to show affection toward animals. And Ringling management tells employees who complain about the beatings, “If you don’t like it, pack your bags,” and even threatens them with legal action if they report abuse to advocacy groups.
Instead of firing employees who mistreat animals, circus management simply cautions handlers not to discipline animals in view of the public.
You Can Help Change This
Find out what to do when the circus comes to town—and how to keep it from coming in the first place.
Source: http://www.circuses.com/ringling_employees_tell.asp
The following are extracts from PETA E-News for this week:
16 Horses Have Died on Racetracks Since the Kentucky Derby
In the month since Eight Belles’ ankles snapped at the Kentucky Derby, at least 16 thoroughbreds have died at racetracks around the country. PETA renews its call for a cruelty investigation into the Eight Belles tragedy. Take action today!
Ask Cirque du Soleil to Use Alternative to Live Birds
After PETA heard rumors that Cirque du Soleil—renowned for its spectacular animal-free productions—would use birds in its new Las Vegas show, Criss Angel Believe, we immediately contacted Cirque du Soleil and MGM. Take action today!
With your help, KFC Canada Finally Gives In to PETA’s Demands!
PETA has won a major battle in its efforts to stop the worst abuses of chickens by KFC. KFC Canada has agreed to a historic animal welfare plan that will improve conditions for millions of birds.
Enter to Win Cruelty-Free Cosmetics From Black Radiance and Tropez!
Glow from your sparkling eyelids to your shimmering toes with cruelty-free cosmetics from Black Radiance and Tropez! Both cosmetics lines have sensational products to help you achieve complexion perfection.
Win Quantum Wellness—As Seen on Oprah and Ellen!
Bestselling author Kathy Freston has appeared on Oprah and Ellen discussing the benefits of a vegan diet and her new book, Quantum Wellness. Now you can enter to win your own free copy here!
Be Like Oprah and Try a Vegetarian Diet Today!
Oprah Winfrey is trying a vegetarian diet, and we are challenging you to do the same for at least seven days! After signing our Pledge to Be Veg for 7 Days, you’ll receive all the resources you need to get started. Sign the pledge now!
Vote for 2008’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity!
It’s time once again to pick the hottest vegetarian celebrity in PETA’s 2008 Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity poll. Check out who’s on this year’s list, and vote for your favorite today!
Kentucky Fried Cruelty: The Movie
It plays out like the most frightening of horror films, yet it’s based on true events. 
Watch the Kentucky Fried Cruelty trailers—described as “gut-wrenching,” “profoundly disturbing,” and “almost unbearable to watch”—for a sneak peak at the sinister world of KFC.
Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer PSA and Contest
One of TV’s hottest stars, Tricia Helfer, posed for PETA’s sexy new “Angel for Animals” ad. See Tricia’s ad, watch the behind-the-scenes footage of her PETA photo shoot, and enter to win seasons one through three of Battlestar Galactica—and the movie Razor—on DVD.
Alyssa Milano’s Sexy Veggie Ad
An animal lover, Alyssa Milano believes that anything you can do to alleviate suffering matters. She’s letting everyone know about the vegetarian diet by appearing in an ad for PETA with the message “Let Vegetarianism Grow on You.” Check out the ad and sign PETA’s pledge today!
Pick PETA’s Best Anti-Circus Video
We need your help! Please take a moment to watch PETA’s videos that expose circus cruelty and take our poll to tell us which video you think is the most compelling and would work best in our campaign to get circuses to stop using animals. Take our poll now!
Source : PETA
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RaeLeann Smith is a circus specialist with the animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She works to educate people about the cruelty involved in circuses and other animal acts and meets with legislators to develop ordinances that protect animals used for entertainment. She is currently working to promote legislation in Chicago that would be the strongest elephant protection law in the United States. In an article also posted at the Britannica Blog, Smith discusses the rampant abuse of animals and loose enforcement of health regulations at U.S. slaughterhouses.
Here is an excerpt from RaeLeann’s article : In the wake of the largest beef recall in U.S. history—which included 37 million pounds of meat that was sent to schools—lawmakers are questioning whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is doing its job and whether the meat supplied to the school-lunch program is safe. The answer to both queries is a resounding “No,†and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is encouraging meat-eaters to rethink their food choices.
On February 17, the USDA announced that it was recalling 143 million pounds of meat produced at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California. An undercover investigator from The Humane Society of the United States caught workers at this facility using a forklift to shove “downed†animals—those who were too sick or injured to walk—onto the killing floor.
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