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  • 17
  • May

JM Coetzee: Bullfighting Is a Disgrace

CoetzeeAcclaimed South African writer JM Coetzee didn’t mince words this week as he dispatched a scathing letter to the Culture Committee of Spain, criticising its support for bullfighting.

The Nobel Prize winner’s rousing message urged committee members to reject a pending initiative, sparked by bullfighting aficionados, which would give bullfighting legal protection as a “cultural pastime”. Here’s an extract:

Bullfighting is an archaic form of entertainment. It is a violent, bloody spectacle – a throwback to a time when people took no heed of the feelings of animals and the bull was an object of torment for boys who wanted to impress their fellows.

Bullfighting has had a long history in Spain, but times and sensibilities have now changed. Today, we see clearly that it is not fair to pit a skilled, practised, sword-wielding matador against an unwilling, confused, maimed, psychologically tormented and physically debilitated animal.

Tormenting and butchering bulls for entertainment belongs in the Dark Ages – not in 21st century Spain.

A committed vegetarian , Coetzee has spoken up for animals before and writes about the moral case for compassion in books such as Elizabeth Costello and Disgrace, which won the Booker prize in 1999.

We Animals_Bullfighting

Every year, more than 40,000 bulls are violently slaughtered during Spanish bullfights. It’s an indefensible situation, and 76 per cent of Spaniards say that they have no interest in the barbaric ritual.

The good news is that the movement to end bullfighting is creative, diverse and constantly growing! Just last week, supermodel Elen Rivas also appealed to Spanish authorities, and thousands of people rallied in Alès, France, against the cruel industry. Animal-protection groups are working together to stop the proposed measures to protect bullfighting, and in the last few weeks alone, more than 13,000 PETA supporters in the UK have written to the Spanish ambassador. Will you join them?

Take Action Now

Image of JM Coetzee: Mariusz Kubik/CC BY SA-3.0

Bullfighting image: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals

 


  • 16
  • May

Thousands March Against Bullfighting in Alès, France

It was an impressive sight: thousands of activists, coming from all over Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere to speak out peacefully for animals who don’t have a voice.

As bullfighters in Alès, in the south of France, were preparing to execute 18 bulls during the town’s annual Ascension Festival this weekend, compassionate people came together to protest against this cruel and archaic spectacle. The major rally was organised by CRAC Europe with the support of many animal rights groups, including PETA France, and sent a powerful message: we won’t stand for bullfighting – it’s time for a ban!

bullfight2Torturing an animal for sport is just plain wrong. In bullfights, confused and agitated animals “fight” for their lives as men repeatedly pierce them with knives until they are dizzy, weakened from blood loss and suffering agonising pain. By the time the matador makes the final stab, the exhausted bull is already near death. The bulls are often still conscious as their ears and tail are cut off as “trophies” and as they are dragged from the ring on chains.

Alès is one of the few places in France where this barbaric ritual still goes on. Most French towns and most French people would never dream of celebrating violent animal abuse in this way.

It’s the same in Spain – the majority of Spaniards have no interest in bullfighting, yet the government, perversely, is considering protecting it as a cultural pastime. We need to speak out against these plans as a matter of urgency. Please join the movement here:

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Photos: Viviane Dean Sea Shepherd


  • 15
  • May

Foie Gras: Where Do You Stand?

Where do you stand? That’s the question that we posed to guests at Fortnum & Mason’s Food and Drink Awards last night. PETA gave Fortnum & Mason the shameful award of Cruellest Retailer on Monday as a result of its sale of foie gras, and we’re determined to tell as many people as possible about the store’s unethical practices, which hurt animals.

goose sealSo we came up with an elegant solution for infiltrating the ceremony and getting through to the writers and foodies who were in attendance: we dispatched a team of swankily dressed PETA volunteers to hand out mysterious wax-sealed envelopes to guests on their way into the store.

Upon opening the letter, attendees saw this hard-hitting message:

Fortnum & Mason is proud of its British heritage. So why is it selling an item which is illegal to produce in the UK?

An investigation at a French farm that supplies foie gras to Fortnum & Mason found that birds tried to flee in terror from the metal force-feeding pipe and panted constantly because their engorged livers pressed against their lungs. At the abattoir, many geese were stabbed in the throat without prior stunning, which is illegal under both French and British law.

Fortnum & Mason is one of the last British department stores still selling foie gras. Sir Roger Moore, Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley and Dame Vera Lynn are among the many high-profile names calling on Fortnum & Mason to stop selling foie gras, and even Prince Charles has banned foie gras from being served at his residences.

Where do you stand?

the letter; smaller

Learning about Fortnum & Mason’s support of inhumanely produced foie gras in the middle of the store’s own award ceremony may have made some people feel slightly … uncomfortable. But a little social awkwardness pales into insignificance when compared to the intense, prolonged physical suffering of geese on foie gras farms.

Yesterday evening, our goal was to educate people about the cruelty of foie gras and Fortnum & Mason’s hypocrisy in continuing to sell the nasty stuff. And we can safely say, “Mission accomplished”! But as for putting a stop to the horrors of force-feeding for good, there’s still work to do. That’s why we need your help! Please speak out for ducks and geese today by taking action here: http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=16005


  • 14
  • May

Good News for Dolphins: India Ditches Dolphinaria!

India won't be putting dolphins in prison!Dolphins may be diving in delight this week at the fantastic news that plans to build dolphin parks in several Indian states have been scrapped following pressure from PETA India. The proposed marine parks would have condemned dolphins to spend their lives in small tanks after being torn away from their natural habitat and families. While there, they would have been forced to perform absurd tricks for human entertainment.

Three cheers for Jayanthi Natarajan, India’s Environment Minister, for making the right decision and announcing this week that her ministry will not allow the cruel dolphinaria! PETA India reminded her that importing and imprisoning the playful marine mammals would be a violation of cruelty-to-animals legislation. Luckily for dolphins, she listened.

In their rightful ocean homes, dolphins establish close, cooperative and long-standing relationships. They live in large, intricate social groups, swim together in family pods and can travel up to 100 miles a day. In aquariums and marine parks, these animals can only swim in endless circles in enclosures that, to them, are like bathtubs, and they are unable to engage in most natural behaviours.

We’re hopeful that a complete ban on dolphin parks in India is on its way. There are currently no dolphins in captivity in the UK; nor should there be anywhere, because no animal belongs in a prison.

One marine mammal who still needs our help is Morgan, a female orca who is being held captive at Loro Parque in Tenerife. Please speak up for her today:

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  • 13
  • May

And the Award for Cruellest Retailer Goes to …

… a company that profits from the torture of animals – Fortnum & Mason. As it gears up for its hoity-toity Food & Drink Awards ceremony tomorrow, we felt duty-bound to tell the world about the store’s nasty side by presenting an award of our own. So today, we bestowed on Fortnum & Mason the not-so-proud title of UK’s Cruellest Retailer because of its continued sale of foie gras.
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Glamorous PETA volunteers put on their glad rags and rolled out a red carpet outside Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store in order to present the medal of dishonour. Although for some reason, the company’s CEO, Ewan Venters, declined to attend the ceremony, plenty of curious passersby stopped to find out what was going on – and were dismayed to learn the vile secret of animal abuse that lurks behind Fortnum’s fancy exterior.

Fortnum's gets PETA's Cruellest Retailer Award

When it comes to cruelty, Fortnum & Mason really does stand out. Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Ocado and many other businesses have shown that they have a conscience by banishing foie gras from their shelves. Because foie gras is made by repeatedly shoving a metal pipe down the throats of ducks and geese and feeding them until they become severely ill, it can never be humane.

Fortnum & Mason’s Food & Drink Awards are purportedly all about “the proud heritage of British food”. But if the company really were committed to celebrating the best of British, it wouldn’t still sell foie gras. There is no such thing as British foie gras, after all: it’s illegal to produce the repugnant foodstuff in this country because of its cruelty.

As long as Fortnum & Mason profits from imported torture, it has no right to talk about our proud British heritage. Anyone with an ounce of compassion would not be able to maintain a stiff upper lip while watching the trauma that geese go through on foie gras farms. We know – we’ve seen it. Our undercover investigation of Fortnum & Mason’s suppliers shows panting, terrified birds who are roughly grabbed by their necks as the force-feeding tube is shoved down their throats and huge amounts of grain are pumped into their stomachs. This happens to them several times, every single day, until they’re killed, painfully, at the abattoir.

That’s why Fortnum & Mason deserves this ignominious award, and that’s why animals are counting on you to write to the store asking it to end this cruelty, now.Take Action Now


  • 13
  • May

Chrissie Hynde: Don’t Get Me Wrong – I Won’t Stand For Cruelty to Geese

Pretenders star urges Fortnum & Mason to show compassionRock legend Chrissie Hynde, lead singer of the Pretenders, is the latest celeb to passionately denounce Fortnum & Mason’s sale of foie gras. In a letter to the shop’s chief executive,Ewan Venters, she writes:

Heaven knows I am not averse to sampling the finer things in life, but I know that there is nothing fine about this product, which is made from the diseased livers of force-fed geese.

I watched footage of foie gras farms, the very farms which supply your distributor, and I saw these birds have pipes shoved down their throats several times a day in order to force grain, maize and fat into their stomachs. And for what? So that their swollen livers can be sold to the small minority of people who still think it’s acceptable to abuse animals for a fleeting flavour?

I’ll stand by you, Mr Venters, just as soon as you stop the sale of foie gras in your store. Until then, I’ll be avoiding Fortnum’s like the plague and will be encouraging my friends and family to do the same.

Chrissie’s stirring words chime with the sentiments of thousands of people from all walks of life who are appalled that Fortnum & Mason profits from foie gras cruelty, including fellow musician “Geezer” Butler of Black Sabbath and sultry screen goddess, Brigitte Bardot.

You can join the movement to save geese from torture, too. Write your own letter to Ewan Venters asking that Fortnum & Mason show foie gras the door at StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com.


  • 10
  • May

Readers’ Tips for Ethical Beauty

Blue EyeEarlier this month, as part of a competition to win some ethical shampoo, we asked you for your cruelty-free beauty tips – and were totally overwhelmed by the response! We received a deluge of great practical advice about how to incorporate compassion into your beauty regime and speak out against cruelty.

Many of you recognised that it’s what’s inside that counts and that kindness will shine through. “Beauty is more than skin-deep – compassion is the key. Don’t exploit or harm other creatures”, wrote Cynthia, while Robert’s tip is to embrace a fully ethical lifestyle: “Since going vegan I have a clean complexion and an even cleaner conscience!” he writes. Good food, fresh air, exercise and a positive attitude were also identified as sure-fire ways to look radiant.

Some of your favourite cruelty-free brands include LUSH, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Naked, Aveda and The Body Shop. Respondents also pointed out that ethical products don’t have to be expensive and recommended feel-good cosmetics from the Co-Op, Superdrug and Marks & Spencer.

It’s also really inspiring how many of you are committed to spreading the word and making your voices heard as consumers. “I … always give cruelty free gifts to friends and relatives with explanations of why they are better”, Carole told us, while Claire had some advice for letting companies know why they should be kind to animals – taking part in online surveys. “[T]his is a direct way to get your message to the manufacturers”, she explains. Others take to social media to express their opinions: “I use Twitter to ask the companies direct about their policies”, Laura told us – a great idea because, as Elizabeth eloquently put it, “The more people speak up the more [companies] will listen”.

Thanks to everyone who left a comment and to all of you who have made kindness part of your daily routines. And, if you haven’t already, how about taking it to the next level – pledge to keep animals out of your wardrobe and off your plate.


  • 09
  • May

For Ducks’ Sake, Gordon – Please Stop Selling Foie Gras!

Celeb chef in PETA US investigationGordon Ramsay has always courted controversy, but it’s still a real shock to learn that he’s associated with the torture of thousands of ducks for the production of cruel foie gras.

A new PETA US investigation of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, which supplies the celeb chef’s Manhattan restaurant, reveals how birds are violently force-fed with appalling cruelty at the factory farm, which calls itself the “premier producers of foie gras” in the US.

Video footage shows farm workers shoving steel tubes down ducks’ throats and dumping huge amounts of grain into their bodies three times a day, every day, for weeks in order to sicken and enlarge the birds’ livers. At slaughter, ducks are hung upside down, have their throats slit and are left to bleed to death.

PETA US has sent Gordon a request to stop selling this vile foodstuff. In the past, he’s rejected some of the pork industry’s worst factory-farming practices on his show, The F Word, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he’ll act with compassion and swear off this particular “F word” – foie gras – for good.

Experts agree that there is no such thing as humane foie gras. Force-feeding causes oesophageal tears and splits, liver rupture and failure, heat stress and aspiration pneumonia. By Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ own reckoning, some 15,000 ducks on the farm die every year before they make it to slaughter.

Sadly, although this kind of animal abuse is illegal on British soil, there are still companies here that are profiting from the sale of foie gras. Please join our campaign to stop Fortnum & Mason from selling this “torture in a tin”.

Image: gordonramsaysubmissions / CC BY 2.0


  • 08
  • May

Word on the Street: Foie Gras Has Got to Go!

“It sells what?” That’s a common response when people find out that Fortnum & Mason is still stocking inhumanely produced foie gras. Since I joined PETA as a campaigner last month, I’ve been arranging regular protests outside the Piccadilly store to raise awareness about this vile and un-British product.

With the help of a team of volunteers from all around the world (one of them invariably kitted out as a goose), I have taken to the streets to tell passers-by, tourists and, most importantly, Fortnum & Mason’s customers the truth: that geese have metal tubes violently forced down their throats in order to produce foie gras. Before parting with their money and trust, people deserve to know just what kind of company they’re supporting.

F&M foie gras protest 1st May 2013

The scale of the birds’ suffering is immense, and we expose their misery by displaying photos from undercover investigations on signs as we protest. Many people can’t believe what happens on foie gras farms until they see it with their own eyes. For thousands of people who walked past Fortnum & Mason this week, the shop will now always be linked in their minds with images of tortured geese.

The PETA “goose” is a big hit with tourists. Many of them like to pose with our costumed activist for a photo, but their smiles soon evaporate once they learn that the shop they’ve included in their sightseeing tour is making profits by selling a product that is illegal to produce in Britain.

One morning, a gentleman approached us on his way into the shop and asked for a leaflet. He was truly shocked to learn that Fortnum & Mason still sells foie gras, as he had assumed the shop had taken it off its shelves some time ago. After all, both Harvey Nichols and Selfridges refuse to sell the vile product. We told him that the best thing he could do to help the animals dying in agony for foie gras is to contact Fortnum & Mason personally to express his disappointment and to let the company know that he will no longer be shopping there.

This and many other similar encounters show that a lot of Fortnum & Mason’s customers just aren’t aware of the company’s cruel policies. Most people are compassionate at heart and hate the idea of animals suffering. It’s our job as activists to give them the facts. After learning the truth, most choose not to give their money to a business that has no regard for animal welfare.

PETA activists can often be seen talking to people on the street, handing out informational leaflets and grabbing attention with eye-catching banners. We always need more volunteers to help keep the pressure on, so if you’d like to get involved with the campaign by becoming a volunteer, please get in touch with me directly at KirstyH@peta.org.uk or join our Activist Network.

You can also make your voice heard online right now! Please take a moment to contact Fortnum & Mason and tell the company just how wrong it is to sell foie gras.


  • 07
  • May

Hollywood Mum Emily Deschanel: Why I Ditched Dairy

Actor, producer and mother Emily Deschanel makes no bones about her beliefs – as a committed vegan, she’s totally appalled by the cruelty of the dairy industry. She stars as forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan in hit US crime drama Bones, but in PETA’s brand-new video, it’s the horror of factory farming that she’s investigating.

Watch her behind-the-scenes exposé of how cows raised for milk are treated:

As a mum, Emily explains that she doesn’t want to participate in the suffering of other mothers. The idea of having your child stolen away from you, never to be seen again, is heartbreaking for any parent. Yet as the video reveals, this happens to mother cows every day, as their calves are snatched from their sides and sold into a life of misery – even though these sensitive animals have the same strong instincts to love and nurture their young as we do.

The milk that they produce to feed their babies is instead filched by humans. Cows on UK dairy farms are forced into a painful cycle of continuous pregnancy, hooked up to milking machines and drugged to produce many times more milk than they would naturally. Farmers also routinely subject cows to agonising procedures such as punching holes in their ears and burning off their sensitive horn tissue. After a few years of this harsh routine, the exhausted animals are sent to be slaughtered.

Emily has ditched dairy products because she wants nothing to do with this abusive industry. And by raising her son on a cruelty-free vegan diet, she knows that she’s giving him the best start in life, reducing his risk of allergies, helping him to avoid other harmful side effects of milk and teaching him empathy and compassion.

She’s also encouraging you to do the same. Going vegan is the best way to help cows, and with an astounding range of dairy-free vegan products available, the move away from cow’s milk has never been easier! Order our free vegan starter kit for more information.


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