Home | Animal Writes | PETA.org.uk - Part 2

Animal Writes

  • 27
  • Apr

PETA Kicks Uniqlo’s Butt Over Cruel Sheep Mulesing

PETA supporters were out in force on London’s Oxford Street yesterday to protest fashion retailer Uniqlo’s continued use of Australian wool from mulesed sheep.

Australian merino sheep are bred to have wrinkly skin so that they will produce more wool, but the wrinkles collect moisture and attract flies. Flies lay their eggs in the folds of the animals’ skin, and the hatched maggots can eat the sheep alive, creating a condition known as “flystrike”. In a crude attempt to prevent flystrike, Australian farmers perform the barbaric mulesing mutilation, in which they cut huge chunks of skin and flesh from lambs’ backsides with instruments resembling gardening shears – often without any painkillers.

Uniqlo Demonstration London

After mulesing, the lambs walk sideways like crabs because the pain is so intense, and the wounds can take weeks to heal. Ironically, the gaping, bloody wounds created by mulesing can become infected or attract flies and result in flystrike – the very condition that mulesing is supposed to prevent. Humane methods of flystrike control, including closer monitoring of sheep, are already available and in use by some farmers.

The action came on the same day as members of PETA France demonstrated in Paris

The Australian wool industry had promised to end this cruel practice by 2010 but has reneged on its promise. PETA and its affiliates around the world already have the support of high-profile names like H&M, Adidas and HUGO BOSS. Please do your bit for the sheep and send an e-mail to Uniqlo today urging them to join other compassionate retailers in speaking out against this cruelty.


  • 26
  • Apr

10 Fascinating Facts About Foxes (With Photos)

A new three-part TV programme described by Channel 4′s Sara Ramsden as “everything you ever wanted to know about foxes but were afraid to ask” begins Monday, 30 April. But before you watch Foxes Live: Wild in the City, check out these 10 interesting facts (complete with cute photos) about foxes, wonderful creatures who deserve more respect:

  1. Foxes are members of the dog family. A female fox is called a “vixen”, a male fox is called a “dog fox” or a “tod” and baby foxes are called “pups”, “kits” or “cubs”. A group of foxes is called a “skulk” or a “leash”.

  2. Foxes are the only type of dog capable of retracting their claws like cats do. Foxes also have vertical pupils that look more like those of cats than the rounded pupils that other dogs have.

  3. There are many different types of foxes, and they are the most widespread species of wild dog in the world. Foxes live just about everywhere – in the countryside, cities, forests, mountains and grasslands. Arctic foxes live in cold climates far north, and fennec foxes live in the North African desert.

  4. When fox pups are born, they are unable to see, hear or walk, and their mother must take good care of them. When the pups are young, their father hunts and brings food back for the family.

  5. Sadly, some cruel people continue to hunt foxes and ridiculously call it a “sport”. In 2004, a law was enacted in England and Wales to ban hunting foxes with dogs, an activity in which hunters would ride on horses following a number of dogs who would pursue the exhausted fox before ripping the animal apart. However, hunters can still hunt and kill foxes by other means. Fox hunting with dogs is still legal in many other places, such as Ireland, North America and Australia.

  6. Foxes eat just about anything, including berries, worms, spiders and small animals such as mice and birds. If they live in the city, they eat rubbish that people leave out. If they have extra food, they hide it in a small hole and eat it later when they are hungry.

  7. Foxes have beautiful fur, and as a result, the heartless fur industry both breeds captive foxes and traps foxes in the wild. Eighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals living in captivity on fur factory farms. At these farms, animals are kept in small cages and are unable to take more than a few steps back and forth. Because fur farmers care only about preserving the quality of the fur, they use slaughter methods such as anal electrocution that keep the fur intact but result in extreme suffering for the animals.

  8. Grey foxes who live in North America are the only type of dogs who can climb trees!

  9. A fox’s home is called a “den”. It can be a hole in the ground or elsewhere, such as under a garden shed. Hunters often try to scare foxes out of their dens by sending in dogs so that the hunter can then shoot the foxes. Sometimes the foxes remain in the den and are injured or killed by the dogs.

  10. Foxes show great caring, adaptability and intelligence when raising their young. The Daily Mail reported in May 2009 that a baby fox cub was caught in a snare for two weeks before being rescued by the RSPCA. He was unable to escape and was badly injured. He survived only because his mother brought him food while he was trapped.

Foxes Live: Wild in the City starts Monday, 30 April, and airs over three nights.


  • 25
  • Apr

Anjelica Huston Calls on Ireland to Stick to Fur Ban Despite Change in Government

Photo © DP/starmaxinc.com

BAFTA and Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston has appealed on behalf of PETA and the Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) to Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, to ensure that Ireland honour its commitment to ban fur farming in the upcoming Animal Health and Welfare Bill.

“This issue means a lot to me as I grew up in Ireland and used to wear fur. I had a change of heart when I learned how minks and foxes on fur farms are crammed into tiny, dirty cages and driven so crazy by the confinement that many self-mutilate and even cannibalize their cagemates”, writes Huston. “Please use your considerable power to follow through on the commitment to add Ireland to the growing list of countries—including Northern Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, and Great Britain—that have banned the cruel practice of fur farming.”

Huston, who was given a PETA US Humanitarian Award in 2010 for her work with the international organisation, joins an ever-growing list of notable fur-wearers who have had a change of heart and now speak up for animals. Eva Mendes shed her furs and then hosted PETA US’ anti-fur video exposé, and the White House revealed that Michelle Obama is officially fur-free. After receiving a letter from PETA US, Carla Bruni announced that she wears only fake fur.

Please follow Anjelica’s compassionate lead by writing to the Irish government. Urge them to honour the promise to ban fur farming – animals currently suffering on Irish fur farms desperately need your help!


  • 24
  • Apr

Animal Groups Condemn Circus Consultation Sham

PETA has issued a statement with several other animal protection groups to announce that none will be participating in Defra’s shamefully biased consultation on the use of wild animals in circuses. Animal Defenders International, Captive Animals Protection Society, Animal Aid, Four Paws and Born Free are all boycotting the consultation, which closes April 25.

Last month, many people were understandably misled by a government statement which declared that “wild animals will no longer be made to perform in travelling circuses” and that they would be looking to “introduce primary legislation at the earliest opportunity”. In fact, Defra is actually pressing ahead with plans for a licensing scheme, and unlike the previous consultation, this time it is made up of a set of questions which ensure there is no opportunity to object to licensing and support a ban.

Prime Minister David Cameron continues to try every trick in the book to avoid implementing a ban even though 94 per cent of respondents to the previous 2010 consultation wanted an end to cruel form of entertainment, and last year, the MPs Backbench Committee concluded with a unanimous vote to relegate wild animal circuses to the history books.

Please don’t let Cameron get away with ignoring the wish of the British public and election officials to end this shameful cruelty. Sign PETA’s action alert to let the government know that it can’t legislate animal cruelty and to ban the use of wild animals in circuses now.


  • 23
  • Apr

Sexiest Vegetarian Bathes in ‘Blood’ to Protest Deadly Cosmetics Tests on Animals

Sitting in a bathtub filled with “blood” with a banner that reads, “Stop the Bloodbath, Dr Cable: Support EU’s Cosmetics Testing Ban”, Victoria Eisermann – ex-Playboy model and female winner of PETA’s 2007 Sexiest European Vegetarian contest – was in full view of the Houses of Parliament today.

The European Commission – under pressure from the cosmetics industry – is considering postponing the 2013 deadline for banning the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals, and Dr Vince Cable, UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has refused to commit to backing the ban as scheduled.

Victoria Eisermann

“Everyone knows that cosmetics testing on animals is a bloody, indefensible business, but the government is standing by and doing nothing while the EU ban on selling cosmetics that have been tested on animals is under threat”, says Alistair Currie, PETA’s Policy Advisor. “Vince Cable needs to stand up for what’s right, represent the people of this country and throw Britain’s weight behind the 2013 ban.”

Victoria Eisermann

In 2003, the European Parliament voted to end the sale of all cosmetics and toiletries containing ingredients tested on animals, setting a final deadline of 2013 for a full ban. Although the testing of cosmetics on animals is already banned in the EU, companies that test elsewhere can still sell their products in the EU until then.

Join Victoria, PETA, and countless Europeans in urging the EU to stick to the 2013 deadline.

Take Action


  • 22
  • Apr

What Will YOU Do on Earth Day?

Worried about the environment? If your answer is “Yes”, then we have a great way for you to help slow down climate change and save animals at the same time. Interested? Well, the single most important thing that you can do is ditch animal products from your diet and go vegan!

The livestock production industries are now recognised by the UN as one of the top contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. An immense strain is placed on our water and land resources. To put it into perspective, it would take 50 baths’ worth of water to produce just one steak! And vast areas of land are being cleared to grow crops to feed animals, leading to soil erosion and threatening local species. The waste of the dairy and meat industry is the top cause of water pollution and soil erosion, according to UN reports.

Aside from causing huge destruction to our planet and releasing harmful gases into the atmosphere, eating animal products also causes immense animal suffering and is a key player in the obesity epidemic. Why not join House actor Lisa Edelstein and eat green for the planet and for animals? Need a helping hand? Order your free vegetarian/vegan starter kit. Happy Earth Day!


  • 15
  • Apr

Eat da Veggies Like da Vinci!

Happy Birthday, Leonardo!

Leonardo da Vinci was not only a great artist but also a compassionate person who led a cruelty-free lifestyle. He was such an ardent defender of animals that he sometimes bought caged birds from poultry vendors and set them free. He frequently wrote about cruelty to animals in his Notebooks, writing of the meat and dairy industries, “Endless multitudes will have their little [babies] taken from them, ripped open and flayed and most cruelly cut in pieces” and “Of the beasts from whom cheese is made … the milk will be taken from the tiny [babies].”

On his birthday, what better day to follow in da Vinci’s footsteps than by ditching animals from your diet? In addition to saving animals from the horrors of factory farming and a terrifying death in an abattoir, you will feel and look better, too!

The veggie hero also appears in PETA US’ new “Vegetarian Icons” postage stamp collection. Become a veg hero yourself by ordering one of our free vegetarian/vegan starter kits.


  • 12
  • Apr

Seal Slaughter – Revenge Is ‘Tweet’

Today, Canada is allowing sealers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to stalk baby seals across the ice, smash their heads in with clubs, ram hooks into their eyes or mouths, and drag them back to the boats, despite the fact that there’s no market for the seal fur. They will also rip the skin off the seals’ bodies while some of the animals are still alive. But you can help stop it – and it can be as simple as taking to Twitter.

(c) Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

The Slaughter Has Slowed – Let’s Stop It
The market for Canada’s seal pelts continues its downward spiral as more and more nations, including countries in the E.U., the U.S. and most recently Russia – which had imported 95 percent of Canadian seal pelts – ban seal products. Even some of Canada’s own members of Parliament are publicly questioning whether the annual massacre should continue. Tell them “No!” emphatically by choosing one (or more) of the messages below to tweet to all your friends and followers asking them to help spread the word as well:

This is the Canadian seal slaughter & it’s starting today. RT IF UR OUTRAGED! http://twitpic.com/8zum0m via @petauk

Tweet this

The Canadian seal slaughter has begun! Take action 2 stop the massacre of thousands of seals and RT: http://bit.ly/HzKXr7 via @petauk

Tweet this

This is a picture of a baby seal. RT if u think it’s wrong 4 Canada 2 slaughter him: http://twitpic.com/8zuo8i #SaveTheSeals via @petauk

Tweet this

And while you’re at it, send a polite tweet to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (@pmharper) urging him to call off the slaughter immediately!


  • 11
  • Apr

PETA’s New Billboard for Opening of 50-Stone ‘Super-Sized’ Mortuary

PETA’s brand-new billboard showing a meat pie in the shape of a coffin and reading, “Not Ready to Meat Your Maker? Fight Obesity: Go Vegan”, was revealed in Gloucester today. The billboard coincides with the official opening of a new mortuary to accommodate the bodies of people who weigh up to 50 stone.

In addition to causing animal suffering on an unimaginable scale, eating meat, dairy products and eggs has been conclusively linked to obesity, and the only healthy weight-loss plan that has been scientifically proved to take weight off and keep it off for more than a year is a vegan diet.

“PETA’s new billboard highlights how meat pies and pasties will not only pile on the pounds but also result in a premature visit to the mortuary”, says PETA’s Yvonne Taylor. “The best thing that coffin dodgers can do for their health and to help animals is to go vegan.”

A quarter of all adults and about one in six children in the UK are already obese. And a recent study predicted that eight out of 10 men, seven out of 10 women and almost one in three children will be obese by 2020. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vegans are far less likely to be overweight than meat-eaters are and far more likely to be in better overall health. Save yourself pounds (and stone) by making the switch to a vegan diet.


  • 10
  • Apr

Against Bullfighting? Then Don’t Bet on the Grand National

If someone in your office suggested organising a bet on a bullfight, what do you think people’s reaction would be? It would most likely be outrage. After all, how could anyone justify killing animals in the name of entertainment? But that is exactly what will be happening at Aintree on April 14 when the notorious Grand National takes place.

At four and a half miles, it is the longest and most deadly thoroughbred National Hunt race in the world. The Chair, Becher’s Brook and The Canal Turn are among the 30 fences that have claimed many horses’ lives over the years. Last year, less than half of the 40 starters finished the race, and two horses were killed.

The Grand National will never be made “safe” because the intent of organisers is to provide thrill and spills for spectators as horses crash and fall. The animals’ safety is of little concern to them. Of course, the television cameras stay with the front runners – horses who fail to get up quickly have a tarpaulin screen erected around them and are put down out of view.

For the horses taking part that do make it to the end of their “careers”, there is rarely a happy retirement. Horses are valued only when they are bringing in winnings, so the racing industry never has any plan for these animals once they stop making money. Some will simply be shot, and a few will be used in equestrian pastimes if they are still able. Many will be slaughtered, and their flesh exported.

The Grand National makes so much money because so many people who would never dream of placing a bet on a horse race at any other time think they will have a “harmless flutter” on the Grand National or put a few pounds in the office sweepstake. If you know people who are considering placing a bet, please forward this blog to them and ask them to take a look at these images from last year’s race. No matter how much they could win or lose, for so long as they give the ruthless racing industry a single penny, the horses will always pay the ultimate price.


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