A reportedly “startled” elephant kicked a circus trainer or groom so hard that he was thrown 20 feet and died of his injuries at the scene. The attack occurred backstage at a Shrine Circus performance Friday evening in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The elephant involved is believed to be an African elephant named Dumbo, who was captured … Read more »
Protesters in the (in) defense (of donkeys) zone! Last night, high school students, parents, and PETA supporters gathered en masse outside Snohomish High School in Snohomish, Washington, to inform people who were attending a donkey basketball fundraiser that exploiting animals for a cheap thrill is both cruel and far from educational. During donkey basketball … Read more »
Last year, Renningers Farmers & Flea Market in Mount Dora, Florida, banned elephant rides after PETA provided evidence of Liebel Family Circus’ long list of USDA violations, its history of animal neglect and abuse, and the unavoidable risks posed by elephant rides. Now we are hoping that Daytona Beach, Florida, will follow suit, thanks to … Read more »
A judge has temporarily ruled that video footage and photographs of the violent killing of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilly the killer whale will not be made public. The fight over that will rage on, I’m sure. But the autopsy report has been released today, and it makes it very clear that Dawn Brancheau’s … Read more »
Sticking up for rats—who are sensitive, intelligent, and nurturing—has always been high on our agenda, although not everyone understands that these dear little mammals are worth caring about … yet. There is hope, however. For the last 14 months, we’ve been funding two scientists at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) who are … Read more »
© Star Max Inc. Adrian Grenier has a heart to back up those drive-me-crazy (yes, I did just allude to the 1999 Adrian Grenier–Melissa Joan Hart classic) good looks. While out for a run yesterday, the Entourage star stopped when he spotted an injured dog on the side of the road. Grenier checked the dog’s … Read more »
© Star Max Inc. I got teary again and again watching Jennie Garth‘s character, Kelly Taylor, grow up on Beverly Hills, 90210—and I got goose bumps when she mamboed on Dancing With the Stars. But when I learned that Jennie asked MomCentral.com to drop its partnership with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, I … Read more »
Yesterday, Ringling announced that it had euthanized Lima, the 12-year-old zebra who ran amok for 40 minutes in Atlanta after he escaped from the circus last month. According to a statement released by the circus, numerous medical treatments failed to repair the damage to the zebra’s hooves. Shortly after Lima escaped, PETA called … Read more »
Plato said, “The gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies … they are the trees and the plants and the seeds.” Now, PETA Germany has the perfect ad for Athens’ Acropolis—an ad that, if erected, would honor the city’s compassionate legacy while helping Greece end its financial woes: Greek philosophers … Read more »
What is fur-hating Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire’s recipe for end-of-season-success? A four-day vegan fast, which he says will “purify my body, and get my body in top shape ….” I’m sure that the former NBA Rookie of the Year’s foray into animal-free cuisine will improve his physical and mental wellness by leaps … Read more »
PETA recently received a call about more than 20 rabbits who were crowded into a junk-filled outdoor enclosure at the back entrance of a barbecue joint in Oregon. The restaurant’s excuse for the cruel captivity? For the kids to play with, they said. But there was nothing kid- or rabbit-friendly about the squalid setup or … Read more »
Eden II, a Staten Island school for autistic children, recently lost some electronics and rubber duckies to burglars, but it’s the theft of Star, the school’s hamster, that has students crying and losing sleep. In an effort to nix any notion about getting a “replacement” for Star, our TeachKind reps have reached out to Eden … Read more »
oxox / CC by SA 2.0 We already know that elephants in the wild lead rich emotional lives, but recent findings about elephant brainpower and a “secret” language of low-frequency sounds have me wondering what these clever animals gossip about in the wild, and I’m going to have nightmares tonight about what the elephants who … Read more »
We are thrilled to report that thanks to a new ordinance passed by the city of Somerville, Massachusetts, circuses setting up shop in the city will never again be allowed to use exotic animals! The legislation, signed by Mayor Joe Curtatone, states that “nondomesticated animals” may not be displayed in events held on public or … Read more »
An apparently agitated elephant reportedly charged into the arena during Ringling’s afternoon pre-show in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, endangering about 100 spectators. Most attendees hurried away from the scene, and luckily, no one was injured, but the potential exists for injury or death when elephants rampage. Since 1990, dangerous incidents involving captive elephants in … Read more »
