Ringling Beats Animals: A PETA Undercover Investigation
PETA’s 2009 investigation of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus found that workers were beating, whipping, and hooking elephants and striking tigers. Watch the shocking footage now.
‘Person of Interest’ Star Says Dogs Belong Indoors With Their Families, Not Chained Outside
New York — As winter’s cold temperatures continue across the U.S., award-winning actor Taraji P. Henson is heating things up with a steamy new PETA campaign, in which she appears dressed in a short gossamer gown and a pair of synthetic, cruelty-free wings next to the words “Be an Angel for Animals.” The ad, which was shot by top celebrity photographer Don Flood, goes on to stress that “chained dogs suffer day in and day out. They are cold, hungry, thirsty, vulnerable, and lonely. Keep them inside, where it’s safe and warm.” A high-resolution version is available here.
As part of the winter campaign, Henson also appeared in a videothat encourages people to sponsor PETA doghouses for dogs in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina—where some dogs have no shelter at all—and sat down for an exclusive interview, in which she opened up about her costar in the campaign, her beloved dog, Uncle Willie. “I never thought that I could be so in love with an animal until I had Willie,” she says. “He’s our family. … He’s just the best companion. Dogs to me are like children … they’re the closest thing to God. They’re so pure in their love, and all they do is aim to please.” Henson also discusses her rewarding experiences volunteering at animal shelters with her son.
Dogs who spend their lives at the end of a chain ache for companionship and have to endure all weather extremes, including frightening thunderstorms, bitter cold, and blistering summer heat. They are also often deprived of basic veterinary care. Chaining dogs poses a safety risk as well: Chained dogs become aggressively protective of their tiny territories, and hundreds of people—mostly children—have been mauled and even killed after wandering within reach of chained dogs or encountering dogs who had broken free from chains.
This is Henson’s second campaign with PETA. She first posed nude in the organization’s famed “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign to protest the cruel fur trade.
For more information or to view the ad, please visit PETA.org.
Hoosiers torture several small dogs
Allen County courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Man and Boy Charged After Videos Show Them Hanging and Throwing Dogs and Force-Feeding Them Feces
Fort Wayne, Ind. — Just four days after PETA notified Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control (FWACC) of a series of videos in which a man and a teenage boy torture several small dogs, both physically and mentally, the Chicago Police Department, acting on information gathered by FWACC, has arrested 22-year-old Joshua Moore and charged him with four felony counts of cruelty to animals and eight misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. The boy has been charged as a juvenile with six counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of animal torture. Ten dogs, including five puppies, were seized and are being held in protective custody at Chicago Animal Care and Control.
“Without the phenomenal work and tenacity of Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, these little dogs, who were totally at the mercy of this sadistic pair, would still be in the hands of their abusers,” says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA thanks law enforcement for doing what it took to get these animals to safety and bring those who terrorized them to justice. We fear for what this man and his juvenile cohort will do in the community as the years go by.”
In the videos, Moore and the teenage boy are seen hanging and spinning a dog by a leash, applying and ripping duct tape off a dog’s testicles, and biting the neck of a dog until he cries. The pair is also shown hiding a mother dog’s five puppies and watching as she frantically searches for them, throwing the mother dog in the air repeatedly, trying to force a dog to eat feces, and pouring lemon juice down a dog’s throat.
PETA provided FWACC with the videos on Sunday, and the agency immediately jumped into action to locate Moore. On Tuesday morning, a Fort Wayne vice and narcotics officer identified Moore, at which time Moore was detained, interviewed by FWACC, and released. The videos, information gained from the interview, and supporting reports were immediately forwarded to the Chicago Police Department, giving that agency the probable cause needed to take action. On Thursday evening, FWACC intercepted the bus Moore was traveling on from Fort Wayne to Chicago, where Chicago police officers awaited his arrival.
Oppose Bill Allowing Use of Dogs, Cats as Live Bait!
Unbelievably, the Idaho Senate is considering Senate Bill (S.B.) 1305, which would permit ranchers to kill wolves by using live animals—including dogs and cats—as bait! Making matters worse, aerial gunning from powered parachutes and ultralight airplanes would be allowed, as would bowhunting. These methods commonly leave animals maimed! Wolves in this region are already being hunted, but the tactics proposed in S.B. 1305 are exceedingly cruel. This bill passed out of the subcommittee and is now in the hands of the full Senate.
Your voice is needed today!
Please politely urge Idaho state senators to oppose S.B. 1305. E-mail addresses and phone numbers for Idaho senators can be found here
http://legislature.idaho.gov/senate/membership.cfm
S1305.
