If you haven’t already snagged a copy of this week’s Hello! magazine, it’s time you picked up your purse and headed to the shop. Pronto. For gracing the pages of this issue, is the one and only Sir Roger ‘James Bond’ Moore, writing all about his favourite (or I should say, his pet peeve) subject – the foie gras industry.

With a full page feature, written by the foie-gras foe himself, and photos of the cruel industry, it’s sure to turn a few heads and stop readers in their tracks. And the former 007 agent is certainly not one to shy away from the gruesome details, as he writes of the investigation video that he narrated for PETA, “Some of the birds have holes in their necks from pipe injuries, many have bloody beaks and mangled wings, and others are dangling by wires with blood spilling from their necks.” His principal target is, of course, Selfridges, of which he says, “I have informed Selfridges owner Galen Weston that until his store stops this disgusting product, I will have no choice but to shop elsewhere… I enclosed the PETA video, in the hope that it will open his eyes to the cruelty he is supporting by selling foie gras”.

But of course the feature does also throw in a few dodgy Bond puns that I’ve resisted here, just for good measure. Go buy!

Image: Bond Movies / CC

‘The name’s Bond. James Bond.’ If Sir Roger Moore, aka James Bond of years past, told me he’s unhappy with the state of affairs at my store, I’d sure as hell do something about it. Selfridges are losing his custom until they stop selling foie gras, much like other important figures such as the Duchess of Hamilton, proof that more and more people are turning their backs on force-feeding cruelty and doing something to beat it.

Here’s the letter Roger sent to the chair of Selfridges. This entry will self-destruct in 5…4…3…2…

13 May 2008

Dear Mr Weston,

I was recently informed by my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that Selfridges sells foie gras. I am writing to urge you to pull this cruel product from store shelves.

As you know, foie gras (“fatty liver”) is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of male ducks and geese – it is arguably one of most cruelly produced food products in the world. PETA’s undercover videos of foie gras production show birds kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. Two or three times every day, 4 pounds of grain and fat are pumped into the birds’ stomachs through pipes that are forced down their throats. This force-feeding causes their livers to become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size. The pipes sometimes puncture the birds’ throats, and the massive amounts of food can rupture their internal organs. Foie gras is so cruel that its production has been banned in 15 countries, including the UK, and 60 per cent of Britons believe foie gras sales should be banned outright.

Please take a few minutes to watch the enclosed video and then let me know if you will stop selling this disgusting product. Until I hear from you, I will have no choice but to boycott Selfridges and shop elsewhere during my frequent trips to London.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Roger Moore

Now I’m not officially meant to be blogging about the Proggy Award winners for 2008 yet (proggy stands for progress); the winners know who they are, we know who the winners are, but that’s about it. Coming soon is a swanky online feature that you’ll be able to see on Peta.org.uk, much like last year’s feature. But alas it is not available for poring over yet, so think of this as a special treat.

Saying that however, when I received this photo in my inbox yesterday I just couldn’t resist sharing it with my Fish & Chimps readers.

This is Councillor Paul Blanchard of York, and he is the Proggy Award winner for our Most Progressive Politician category. He was absolutely fundamental in getting foie gras banned from York Council’s offices. This was the first council to make such progress in the foie gras campaign, and they have been critical in encouraging other councils like Stockport to follow in their footsteps.

I’m sure you’ll join me in thanking him for all that he does for animals, and congratulating him on winning the award. Way to go, Paul!

Our friend, the Duchess of Hamilton has kindly forwarded us a reply to the letter she sent Paul Kelly, the CEO of Selfridges. Give it a read, it certainly made me laugh – mainly the parts that said:

“… we are in the process of sourcing a welfare-friendly foie-gras.”

And

“[We]… remain committed to offering a welfare-friendly version so that our customers have a choice.”

Urgh, what a load of rubbish [http://blog.peta.org.uk/2008/selfridges-breaks-ethical-foie-gras-promise]. The Duchess isn’t fooled either, here was her response that she sent back this morning:

It’s time to get your act together Selfridges. Keep an eye out for more on this exchange of words, and grab some popcorn while you’re at it as I have a feeling the Duchess won’t be giving in any time soon.

The Duchess of Hamilton has sent Selfridges’ CEO Paul Kelly a strongly worded letter informing him that she and her husband, the Duke of Hamilton, will be boycotting the store until it stops selling foie gras. She also states she will “encourage our friends and family to do the same” – ouch. Now that’s not the sort of letter you want to receive from a lady of high standing in our society. The Duke and Duchess are vegetarians and have done great things for animals over the years, and all at PETA thank them for their kindness and support in our campaign against foie gras. In a nutshell, foie gras is the fatty liver of ducks and geese who are force-fed using long, inflexible tubes. You can read more in the Duchess’ letter below.

Our star campaigners and supporters socked it to foie gras-selling Selfridges during demonstrations outside the London store last week. Passers-by were treated to a video of undercover footage taken on foie gras farms and handed leaflets from ducks, well actually, activists wearing duck masks but you get the idea.

What is PETA’s message? Stop selling torture in a tin and get some compassion – if the production of foie gras (the grossly enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese) is banned in the UK, why should it be sold here?

PETA holds regular demos at Selfridges so get in touch if you want to join in the fun. Reports tell me that these demos are really successful and are known to get a positive response from even the store’s employees. Way to go foie gras foes!

See what you can do to help this campaign here.