Nearly 10 years after she was liberated from the sweltering hell of a Mexican circus, Alaska, the bear who was the impetus for the eventual seizure of all seven bears held captive by the Suarez Bros. Circus, has died at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Estimated to be in her late 20s—old age for a … Read more »
In what will now stand as the case that future generations will look back on as the one that broke legal ground for animals, captive orcas were represented in a U.S. federal court in a lawsuit that PETA filed against SeaWorld seeking to establish that five wild-caught orcas deserved protection under the Constitution’s 13th Amendment, … Read more »
Notorious animal abuser Doug Terranova may not work for peanuts, but the $25,000 fine that he was recently slapped with by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act has to have put a dent in his bank account. Terranova’s Sordid History PETA has been keeping tabs on Terranova—who rents animals to … Read more »
dogrango | cc by 2.0 It took a PETA lawsuit to compel the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to change course, but after three decades of secretly and illegally issuing hundreds of Endangered Species Act (ESA) permits to circuses, roadside zoos, and other animal exploiters, the FWS will change its ways. The permits—called “captive-bred … Read more »
Courtesy of USDA Over the years, the Liebel Family Circus has tried to evade scrutiny by operating under a variety of different names, but owner Hugo Liebel’s deplorable treatment of animals continues to catch up with him. Having already been fined nearly $3,000 for violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, Liebel has now been … Read more »
The town of Molins de Rei has joined more than 60 other Spanish cities that have enacted bans against circuses that use animals. Our colleagues at Asociación Animalista Libera received overwhelming support from city officials after pointing out that animals in circuses live in cramped cages and are beaten with bullhooks and whips in order … Read more »
Update: After a PETA staffer swore out a complaint against Henry Hampton, Lazy 5’s owner, Hampton finally made arrangements to trim two giraffes’ painfully overgrown hooves. Because he delayed the critical procedure and caused one giraffe to suffer for more than a year, PETA is calling for prosecutors to pursue cruelty-to-animals charges against him. However, … Read more »
rainbirder | cc by 2.0 After being used by a circus in Chile for nearly six decades, Ramba, a female elephant who spent her off-hours living in a parking lot, has been transferred to a safari park, thanks to the efforts of local residents who fought for her release. Ramba is being treated by an … Read more »
At PETA’s urging, a major thoroughbred auction company has made a crucial change at this month’s sales event that could reduce the risk of injury to horses forced to participate in “under tack shows“—dangerous sprints that thoroughbreds are forced to run just to impress potential buyers. A PETA undercover investigation documented that 2-year-old horses—whose bones … Read more »
AfricaForce|cc by 2.0 Federal laws are known for having loopholes, and a regulation that allows notorious animal abusers and profiteers to use chimpanzees for purely commercial purposes and in horrific laboratory experiments needs to be closed right now. Currently, only wild chimpanzees are protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act—captive chimpanzees are inexplicably denied … Read more »
Lions will no longer be forced to spend their days in the middle of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas after the display closes for good on January 31. mamamusings | cc by 2.0 In their natural savannah home, lions roam many miles of territory, hunt, raise their young, and avoid all … Read more »
irishwildcat | cc by 2.0 A chimpanzee named Cheetah, who reportedly played Johnny Weissmuller’s sidekick in the old Tarzan movies, has died. There is some debate over Cheetah’s credentials, but regardless of whether he ever acted in the Tarzan movies, he almost certainly was torn away from his family and home when he was just … Read more »
PETA has sent Compassionate Legislator Awards to members of the Margate, Florida, City Commission for unanimously voting to ban bullhooks, electric prods, and other cruel devices specifically designed to inflict pain on animals. The move means that the Cole Bros. Circus, which has visited Margate in the past and whose handlers have been caught on … Read more »
Some Santa Monica citizens are outraged after a group of atheists flooded a city lottery with applications, took over the space where more than a dozen of the city’s Nativity displays would normally be set up, and then simply left much of the space vacant. PETA is reaching out to the atheists to ask permission … Read more »
Why a rickshaw was on Bourbon Street in New Orleans is anyone’s guess, but for the horse pulling it, it was far from the Big Easy: He fell to the ground and was dead before humane authorities arrived at the scene. A witness reported that the horse appeared to be thin and not well cared … Read more »
